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County Championship: Jonny Bairstow and Tim Bresnan in team of the season

Zafar Ansari and Ashwell Prince also make the cut...

Yorkshire's Jonny Bairstow smashes a six against Worcestershire

Yorkshire eased their way to a second County Championship in succession in 2015 - but how many Tykes players made David Fulton's team of the season?

We asked the ex-Kent opener - who now spends his summer hotfooting it around the grounds for Sky Sports News - to pick his Championship XI, with players in both divisions eligible for selection.

So read on to see who Fults chose…

Mark Stoneman (Durham)
Matches: 16, Innings: 32, Runs: 1090, Highest Score: 131, Average: 34.06, 50s: 5, 100s: 3

There aren't many opening batsmen who have scored over 1,000 runs this season - but Stoneman is one of them, collecting three hundreds and five fifties and at a good tempo to boot. Emirates Durham ICG is not an easy place to bat - the ball notoriously nips about - so Stoneman has got a few low scores in there as well, but he is a good, nuggety player.

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 27:  Nicholas Browne of Essex bats during the LV County Championship match between Surrey and Essex at The Kia Oval on April 27, 20
Image: Nick Browne is the first Essex player to score 1,000 runs in a season since 2008

Nick Browne (Essex)
Mat: 16, Inns: 29, Runs: 1157, HS: 151no, Ave: 42.85, 50s: 3, 100s 5

Browne is a real coming force. He has got five centuries this year, one of which I saw close hand at The Oval, and in excess of 1,100 runs. You can't argue with his numbers and he looks a really well-organised competitor. It would be good to see how he fares in the more-testing Division One, though we won't see that just yet after Essex missed out on promotion.

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Scott Borthwick (Durham)
Mat: 16, Inns: 32, Runs: 1286, HS: 103, Ave: 42.86, 50s: 11, 100s: 1

Scott's batting stats this year have been superb. He has scored 1,286 runs and while he has only got the one hundred, he has hit four scores of 90-odd among his 11 fifties. His next job is to turn those scores into centuries, but that doesn't detract from a great season for a player who is also a brilliant catcher in the slip cordon and offers you something with his spin bowling.

James Hildreth of Somerset
Image: No Englishman has posted more Championship runs this term than James Hildreth

James Hildreth (Somerset)
Mat: 16, Inns: 27, Runs: 1390, HS: 220no, Ave: 53.46, 50s: 8, 100s: 3

The leading English run scorer in Championship cricket this term, James has notched three hundreds and eight fifties. Taunton is a great place to bat but he churns out runs year after year and is a very easy-on-the-eye player, too. I think that, at the age of 31, Hildreth's England chances have probably gone but he is vastly experienced in county cricket.

Ashwell Prince (Lancashire)
Mat: 16, Inns: 23, Runs: 1478, HS: 261, Ave: 67.18, 50s: 5, 100s: 5

The man with the most runs in Championship cricket this year, the retiring South African showed all his international class with his mammoth 261 against Glamorgan at Colwyn Bay. Prince's exit leaves Lancashire with big boots to fill - you'll always miss a player who has just plundered 1,400 runs - but they know that and have some good youngsters who can come in.

Image: Ashwell Prince has retired after a run-laden campaign for Lancashire

Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire)
Mat: 9, Inns: 15, Runs: 1108, HS: 219no, Ave: 92.33, 50s: 5, 100s: 5

Bairstow has only played nine Championship games due to his England commitments but still scored five hundreds and five fifties, and at one stage was averaging well over 100. I think Jonny has been the standout player this year, getting runs when Yorkshire have needed them most. His bat is coming down lovely and straight, and he is playing the short ball better than he was.

Zafar Ansari (Surrey)
Mat: 14, Inns: 22, Runs: 771, HS: 106, Ave: 36.71, 50s: 4, 100s: 1
Wickets: 44, Best Bowling: 6-30, Ave: 30.97, 5-fors: 3

Zafar won't be doing anything for a while after dislocating his thumb but he has had a fantastic year with 771 runs and 44 wickets. He is a very intelligent and modern-age cricketer, in that he can bat time in the Championship but gives it a whack in one-day cricket. He is adaptable, has a good head and is now a genuine all-rounder having been bowled at good times by Surrey.

Surrey's Zafar Ansari during the LV=County Championship Division Two match at the SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff.
Image: Injury has prevented Zafar Ansari from travelling with England to the UAE

Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire)
Mat: 16, Inns: 22, Runs: 849, HS: 169no, Ave: 49.94, 50s: 4, 100s: 2
Wkts: 45, BB: 5-85, Ave: 30.88, 5-fors: 1

Bresnan has got 45 wickets and 849 runs. He is very much part of the Yorkshire engine room with the bat, bailing out the top order with two hundreds and four fifties. He has only taken one five-for but regularly chips in with threes and fours and acts as very good back-up to Ryan Sidebottom, Jack Brooks and Steven Patterson.

Joe Leach (Worcestershire)
Mat: 14, Inns: 19, Runs: 498, HS: 95, Ave: 29.29, 50s: 3, 100s: 0
Wkts: 59, BB: 6-73, Ave: 30.03, 5-fors: 2

Possibly a slightly leftfield pick, but Leach has scored 498 quick, lower-order runs and taken 59 wickets, including two five-fors. Worcestershire haven't had the best time of it in Division One but Leach has been excellent. His season highlight will be a hat-trick on the One-Day Cup but he can be proud of knocking over good batsmen in four-day cricket.

Mark Footitt during an England net session
Image: Mark Footitt's form for Derbyshire put him on the fringes of the England team

Mark Footitt (Derbyshire)
Mat: 16, Wkts: 76, BB: 7-71, Ave: 23.63, 5-fors: 5

There were a number of bowling candidates - Matt Coles and James Harris to name but two - but I've gone for Footitt, for variety as much as anything. The left-armer has taken 76 wickets after seizing 82 last year, so it will be interesting to see if he moves on this summer. There is talk he might join a bigger club and, at 29, he probably has one more big contract left in him.

Chris Rushworth (Durham)
Mat: 16, Wkts: 83, BB: 6-39, Ave: 20.61, 5-fors: 7

A whopping 83 wickets for the Durham seamer gets him in. A lot of people say he plays on a bowler-friendly track but many of his seven five-fors have come away from home, where he has had batsman nicking off or pinned in front. Rushworth has relentless accuracy and while he is not a particularly sexy cricketer, he is an old-fashioned, skilful, line and length merchant.

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Dave Fulton looks at some players to watch out for in next season's County Championship.

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