BLACKCAPS captain Kane Williamson was awarded the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal for the fourth time in six years, while Amelia Kerr and Devon Conway claimed double honours, as the ANZ New Zealand Cricket Awards for the 2020-21 season were held live and digitally on Tuesday evening.
Williamson’s incredible home Test summer helped him claim the supreme award, along with the ANZ International Test Player of the Year and the Redpath Cup for first-class batting, after he amassed a whopping 639 runs in just four innings at an average of 159.
In bowler friendly conditions, Williamson, the ICC ranked number one Test batsman recorded his top international score of 251 against the West Indies at Seddon Park in Hamilton, then a Boxing Day Test century on his home ground of Bay Oval in Tauranga, before adding another double-century against Pakistan at Hagley Oval in Christchurch – to help the BLACKCAPS book their place in the ICC World Test Championship Final.
Kerr’s all-round skills and fielding prowess saw her win the Dream11 Super Smash and the ANZ International T20 women’s awards.
The leg-spinning all-rounder played a key role in the WHITE FERNS upset wins over Australia in Brisbane before Christmas and in Napier last month; while she averaged 51 with the bat at a strike-rate of 134 in the Super Smash and took 14 wickets, including a hat-trick, for the Wellington Blaze in the Grand Final.
Fellow rising Wellington star Devon Conway made every post a winner in his first international season and was rewarded with the ANZ men’s ODI and T20 International Player of the Year awards.
The elegant-left hander smashed 473 T20I runs at an average of 59, strike rate 151, with four half-centuries and a top-score of 99* – to edge out fellow batsman Glenn Phillips (366 runs at 40.6) and bowlers Tim Southee (21 wickets at 16.7) and Ish Sodhi (20 wickets at 15.4).
Conway’s ODI form was just as dominant as he plundered 225 runs at 75 in the three-game series against Bangladesh, including his maiden international century at the Basin Reserve in March.
Stand-in WHITE FERNS captain Amy Satterthwaite was named the ANZ women’s ODI Player of the Year, after taking some time off to have a baby and returning to the fold to score 304 runs at 38, including a top score of 119 not-out against England in Dunedin.
Leadership was also acknowledged as a factor in Williamson prevailing in the supreme award over strong cases from Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson who also played key roles in the teaming winning 17 out of 20 games and all seven series they contested this summer.
However, it was the four Test wins that most pleased the BLACKCAPS captain.
“Going into the Test summer – there was that Championship Final carrot and there was a real drive there for the guys,” Williamson told Sir Richard Hadlee upon receiving the news of the award on a phone call.
“Although it seemed a long way off, winning four tests before you’ve started one is a pretty lofty goal and we knew we just had to try and play as well as we could and commit to what was in front of us.
“To and do that for a long period of time and to spend some time at the crease personally and make contributions towards that … certainly pretty proud as a leader and a player in this side that we were able to achieve some of those things and we’re looking forward to that final.”
Williamson also made special mention of the ANZ International Test Player of the Year award.
“Test cricket is special in a big way to all the players and certainly to myself,” he said.
“Growing up watching the game, the tradition and history behind it – and I know all around the world cricketers still see it as the pinnacle of the game so it’s an award I feel fortunate to receive.
“To adapt the way we did when put into bat most times [this summer] and then build partnerships and create first innings totals was really important to us.
“It was a really special summer with strong performances individually and collectively.”
It was a Canterbury double in the Domestic Player of the Year category with all-rounders Frankie Mackay and Daryl Mitchell claiming the respective awards.
Wellington Firebirds sensation and newest BLACKCAP Finn Allen was crowned the men’s Dream11 Super Smash Player of the Year following his break-out season. The 21-year-old opener amassed a league-leading 512 runs at an average of 56 and an incredible strike-rate of 193 – featuring a table-topping 56 fours and 25 sixes.
Kyle Jamieson’s electric form in the Test arena was honoured as he won his first NZC Award – the Winsor Cup for first-class bowling.
Jamieson was the lethal weapon in the BLACKCAPS Test attack, snaring 27 wickets at the phenomenal average of 12, including his Player of the Match 11-wicket haul in the final Test win over Pakistan in Christchurch. Jamieson also claimed 20 wickets in just three Plunket Shield games for the Auckland Aces, including a memorable hat-trick at the Eden Park Outer Oval.
The Canterbury Magicians victorious Dream11 Super Smash and Hallyburton Johnstone (HBJ) Shield campaigns were reflected in both domestic batting and bowling awards.
All-rounder Kate Ebrahim was awarded the Ruth Martin Cup for batting, after playing a key hand in the T20 Grand Final win and ending as the leading run-scorer in the HBJ.
At just 20-years-old, leg-spinner Sarah Asmussen topped the HBJ wicket tally following an impressive Dream11 Super Smash campaign, seeing her named the Phyl Blackler Cup for women’s domestic bowling.
Popular New Zealand cricket figure Jeff Crowe was honoured with the Bert Sutcliffe Medal for outstanding services to cricket.
Crowe represented his country in 39 Tests and 75 ODIs between 1983 and 1990, captained the side on 22 occasions and was later appointed manager of the New Zealand team.
Since 2004, he has been an ICC match referee, overseeing 103 Tests, 301 ODIs and 137 T20s. He became the third match referee to officiate in 300 ODIs during this summer’s second match between the BLACKCAPS and Bangladesh at Hagley Oval.
Chris Brown was named the G.J. Gardner Homes Umpire of the Year 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.
Retiring WHITE FERNS wicket-keeper Rachel Priest (87 ODIs and 75 T20Is) and BLACKCAPS batsman Dean Brownlie (14 Tests, 16 ODIs, five T20Is) were acknowledged for their contributions to both the domestic and international game in New Zealand.
The night also honoured those responsible for growing the game, with the NZC Community Cricket awards announced – headlined by the Sir Jack Newman Award for services to junior cricket, which was won by Mark Simkin of the Motueka Cricket Club for his tireless efforts in coaching and administration for more than two decades.
2020-21 ANZ 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
2020-21 NZC Community Awards
Gillette Venus Cup Player of the Year: Nensi Patel (Tauranga Girls College)
Gillette Cup Player of the Year: Angus Sidey (Christchurch Boys High School)
Club of the Year: Suburbs New Lynn
Volunteer of the Year: Fiona Hewetson (Taradale District Cricket Club)
Official of the Year: Roger Woolmer (Auckland Cricket)
Cricket Development Officer of the Year: Ramesh Subasinghe (Waikato Valley Cricket Association)
Best Female Engagement Initiative: Womens TONK (North Shore Cricket Club)
Outstanding Contribution and Services to Coaching: Karl Treiber (Kamo Cricket Club)
Outstanding Contribution to Cricket: Jeremy Busby (Cricket Wellington Umpires & Scorers Association)
Sir Jack Newman: Mark Simkin (Motueka Cricket Club)
