On Tuesday, New Zealand Cricket Awards for the 2020-21 season were announced with the best players from the country receiving the top honors. Black Caps skipper Kane Williamson won the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal for the fourth time consecutively in the last six years. He also ended up being the International Test player of the year as well.
Williamson’s outstanding home test summer assisted him to retain the award, along with the international Test player of the year and the Redpath Cup for first-class batting, as he, with an average of 159, managed to score a roaring 639 runs in just four innings.
Williamson, while playing against West Indies recorded his best international score of 251 at Seddon Park in Hamilton. He, then went on to score a Boxing Day Test century at Bay Oval in Tauranga, which happens to be his home ground as well.
The 30-year-old added another double-century to this list at Hagley Oval in Christchurch against Pakistan which helped the Kiwis in assuring a place in the ICC World Test Championship Final.
According to the Kiwi superstar, it was the four test wins that pleased him the most as he went on to tell Sir Richard Hardlee over a phone call after receiving the news of the award.
“Going into the test summer, there was that Championship Final carrot and there was a real drive there for the guys”, said Williamson as quoted by the nzherald.co.nz.
“It was a really special summer with strong performances individually and collectively. Test cricket is special in a big way to all the players and certainly to myself,” he added.
Amelia Kerr’s all-around skills and fielding excellence brought her to win the Super Smash and the international T20 women’s awards. The Wellington born had an average of 51 with the bat and a strike rate of 134 in the Super Smash. She picked up 14 wickets which also included a hat-trick in the Grand Final for the Wellington Blaze.
Devon Conway, the rising New Zealander was awarded the men’s ODI and T20 international player of the year as he managed to impress everyone in his first international season.
Amy Satterthwaite, the White Ferns’ captain was named the women’s ODI player of the year, after returning to the team. She scored 304 runs inclusive of a top knock of 119 not-out in Dunedin against England.
The newest Black Cap Finn Allen following his break-out season was rewarded the men’s Super Smash player of the year. The young opener, with a strike rate of 193 and an average of 56, scored 512 runs which had 56 scintillating fours and 25 magnificent sixes.
Kyle Jamieson’s first-class bowling guided him to win the Winsor Cup, which is also his first NZC award in the Test arena.
Jamieson took 27 wickets at an average of 12, including his impressive 11 wicket spell in the final test against Pakistan in Christchurch.
The Ruth Martin Cup was awarded to the all-rounder Kate Ebrahim for playing a key knock in the T20 grand final win and ending as the leading run-scorer in the Hallyburton Johnstone (HBJ)
Sarah Asmussen was awarded the Phyl Blackler Cup for women’s domestic bowling.
Well known New Zealand cricket personality Jeff Crowe was crowned with the Bert Sutcliffe Medal for his outstanding services to cricket.
In a season where local umpires were asked to stand in-home Test matches for the first time in recent history, due to Covid-19 restrictions, the ‘Umpire of the year’ was awarded to Chris Brown.
Rachel Priest (87 ODIs and 75 T20Is) and New Zealand batsman Dean Brownlie (14 Tests, 16 ODIs, five T20Is) were rewarded for their contributions in both the domestic and international games.
The award night also acknowledged those who were responsible for the growth of the game. Sir Jack Newman Award for services to junior cricket was presented to Mark Simkin of the Motueka Cricket Club, who has been coaching and administrating the team for more than two decades.
2020-21 New Zealand Cricket Award Winners:
- Sir Richard Hadlee Medal: Kane Williamson (Northern Districts)
- Bert Sutcliffe Medal for Outstanding Services to Cricket: Jeff Crowe
- ANZ International Test Player of the Year: Kane Williamson (Northern Districts)
- ANZ International Women’s ODI Player of the Year: Amy Satterthwaite (Canterbury)
- ANZ International Men’s ODI Player of the Year: Devon Conway (Wellington)
- ANZ International Women’s T20 Player of the Year: Amelia Kerr (Wellington)
- ANZ International Men’s T20 Player of the Year: Devon Conway (Wellington)
- Women’s Domestic Player of the Year: Frankie Mackay (Canterbury)
- Men’s Domestic Player of the Year: Daryl Mitchell (Canterbury)
- Women’s Dream11 Super Smash Player of the Year: Amelia Kerr (Wellington)
- Men’s Dream11 Super Smash Player of the Year: Finn Allen (Wellington)
- The Redpath Cup for first-class batting: Kane Williamson (Northern Districts)
- The Ruth Martin Cup for women’s domestic batting: Kate Ebrahim (Canterbury)
- The Winsor Cup for first-class bowling: Kyle Jamieson (Auckland)
- The Phyl Blackler Cup for women’s domestic bowling: Sarah Asmussen (Canterbury)
- G.J. Gardner Homes New Zealand Umpire of the Year: Chris Brown
