Amelia Kerr and Daryl Mitchell have been recognised as the country’s outstanding women's and men's cricketers of the year, carrying off the inaugural Debbie Hockley Medal and the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal respectively at Thursday's NZ Cricket Awards ceremony in Auckland.
Mitchell, who also won the Redpath Cup for men’s first-class batting, was recognised for a stand-out year across the board but particularly at test level, where he scored four centuries and rose to No.8 in the World Test batting rankings.
He ended the year with 913 test runs at an average of 70.23, including a highest score of 190 against England at Trent Bridge. In 16 Test innings, he scored 50 or more on nine occasions.
Kerr, the first player to be awarded the newly-minted Debbie Hockley Medal for the most outstanding women’s cricketer of the year, was also named the Women's Twenty20 International Player of the Year.
The leg-spinning all-rounder was her T20I team's second-highest run-scorer with 423 runs at 32.53 (strike-rate 112.20) and equal second-highest wicket-taker with 17 at 20.41, achieved with an economy rate of 5.52. She also averaged 40.66 with the bat in ODIs.
Kerr's team-mate Suzie Bates was named the women's One-Day International Player of the Year following significant contributions with the bat against both the West Indies and Bangladesh, against whom she struck three half centuries, a highest score of 93 not out, and averaged 55.55.
Blackcaps wicket-keeper Tom Blundell was recognised for his continued improvement in red-ball cricket with the Test Player of the Year award.
Blundell totalled 849 runs at 60.64 with the bat, including two centuries and six half-centuries. He was polished behind the stumps, effecting 38 dismissals, including nine stumpings.
Glenn Phillips was rewarded for a brilliant season in the shortest format of the game by being named the T20I Player of the Year award, scoring 740 runs at 38.94 at a strike-rate of 148.89.
Phillips scored a century against Sri Lanka in the ICC T20 World Cup, added six more half-centuries, was selected in the World Cup tournament team, and was named man of the series against Ireland, Scotland, the West Indies and India.
Michael Bracewell was named the ANZ men's ODI Player of the Year after a stand-out season in which he scored 510 runs at 42.50, including two eye-opening centuries - an unbeaten 127 off 82 balls against Ireland, and an even more remarkable 140 off 78 balls against India at Hyderabad.
Bracewell also continued his development as a useful off-spinner, taking 14 wickets at a respectable economy rate of 5.32.
Full list of winners:
Debbie Hockley Medal: Melie Kerr
Sir Richard Hadlee Medal: Daryl Mitchell
Bert Sutcliffe Medal for Outstanding Services to Cricket: Heath Mills, chief executive NZCPA
Women’s ODI Player of the Year: Suzie Bates
Men’s ODI Player of the Year: Michael Bracewell
Women’s T20I Player of the Year: Melie Kerr
Men’s T20I Player of the Year: Glenn Phillips
Test Player of the Year: Tom Blundell
Women’s Domestic Player of the Year: Kate Anderson (Canterbury Magicians)
Men’s Domestic Player of the Year: Dean Foxcroft (Otago Volts)
Women’s Super Smash Player of the Year: Kate Anderson (Canterbury Magicians)
Men’s Super Smash Player of the Year: Dean Foxcroft (Otago Volts)
The Redpath Cup for men’s first-class batting: Daryl Mitchell
The Ruth Martin Cup for women’s domestic batting: Kate Anderson (Canterbury Magicians)
The Winsor Cup for men’s first-class bowling: Tim Southee
The Phyl Blackler Cup for women’s domestic bowling: Gabby Sullivan (Canterbury Magicians)
New Zealand Umpire of the Year: Chris Brown
