Kent batsman Sean Dickson has spoken of his delight after winning the national 2nd XI Player of the Year Award for 2015, presented each year by the Association of Cricket Statisticians

The 24-year-old Johannesburg-born batsman – who holds a UK passport as his mum is from Beckenham – began last season playing in the East Anglian Premier League for Suffolk side Woolpit CC but ended it top of Kent’s batting averages in the LV= County Championship.

Dickson – who has played First Class and List A cricket for Northerns in South Africa – was recommended to Kent by an agent and made his mark in May by hitting 135 and 65 in a trial game against a strong Yorkshire XI, including England ODI bowler Liam Plunkett, at Polo Farm, Canterbury.

In July, Dickson put signed a deal until September 2016 and after scoring seven centuries in three forms of the game for the 2nd XI – including four in a five-game spell – eventually earned a first-team spot and averaged 56 in four innings at the end of the Division 2 season.

Dickson, who also bowls medium pace, said: “I started off at a club in Suffolk but my agent got in touch with a few guys at Kent and got me a trial game against Yorkshire which I did quite well in. From there it all took off.”

It is the second successive year a Kent player has won the award, with former academy scholar Chris Piesley winning the 2014 prize after a prolific year for Kent and MCC Young Cricketers.

The Les Hatton Trophy is based on performances across all three formats and was first awarded in 1989 and was won that year by J C Pooley of Middlesex.

Dickson said: “I’m delighted to win this award. I’d like to thank Simon Willis for giving me the opportunity and my team-mates for their support since I arrived at Kent.

“I’ll be working hard this winter to arrive back next year in the best shape to try and earn a place in all formats.”

He added: “The number of players coming through the Academy and 2nd XI to play first-class cricket shows how good the set-up here is.”

Dickson, who previously trialled at Somerset during an impressive club cricket summer in 2010, followed in the footsteps of countrymen Martin van Jaarsveld, Ryan McLaren, Andrew Hall, Morne Morkel, Justin Kemp, Wayne Parnell, Makhaya Ntini, Vernon Philander and Tyron Henderson in signing for Kent.