NSW Blues all-rounder Sean Abbott is the 2013/14 Steve Waugh Medallist, while Lend Lease Breakers batter Leah Poulton took out the Belinda Clark Medal. Both awards were presented during last night’s Steve Waugh Medal Dinner held at Doltone House.
The Steve Waugh Medal and Belinda Clark Medal are presented to the Players of the Year for the NSW Blues and Lend Lease Breakers, respectively.
The Steve Waugh Medal is decided through a 3-2-1 vote by players at the end of each Bupa Sheffield Shield and Ryobi Cup match. The votes from all of these matches are then combined to determine the winner.
After a breakthrough season in which he was the Ryobi Cup Player of the Year, in addition to performing consistently in the longer form of the game, Sean Abbott finished top of an extremely close field after compiling 169 votes, only 8 clear of Steve Smith (161), while Ryan Carters was third on 133.
The 22 year-old Abbott, showed that he has matured his game considerably after playing in nine Bupa Sheffield Shield matches, where he picked up an impressive 27 wickets to make him the third highest wicket-taker for the Blues in the competition. He was equally as effective in the Ryobi Cup, where he led all Blues wicket-takers with 16, in addition to averaging 32 with the bat.
Also a brilliant fielder, Sean is a worthy winner of the Medal.
Sean, also won the Ryobi Cup Player of the Year award in a tight finish with David Warner. Sean ended up with 112 votes, ahead of Warner’s 99. In third was Steven Smith with 87 votes. Sean was the leading Blues bowler with 16 scalps.
The Bupa Sheffield Shield Player of the Year was convincingly won by Ryan Carters with 130 votes, 52 clear of Doug Bollinger (78 votes), with Steven Smith (69) in third. Carters, found a place for himself at the top of the order and by the end of the season was one of the best opening batsmen in the country. His 861 runs at an average of 53.81, put him top of the Blues run-scorers list and ranked him third in the country behind Marcus North (886) and Tom Cooper (881). He also acted as back-up wicket-keeper to Peter Nevill.
In the KFC T20 Big Bash League, Nic Maddinson won the Player of the Tournament Award for the Sydney Sixers. In a tight contest Maddinson (90 votes), edged out Josh Hazlewood (87 votes) and Brett Lee (74 votes). Maddinson was the Sixers’ leading run-scorer with 211 runs at a strike-rate of 129.44.
For cross-town rivals the Sydney Thunder, their Player of the Tournament was Gurinder Sandhu. Sandhu (107 votes) won a close contest from Mike Hussey (94 votes), with Dirk Nannes (74) in third. Sandhu, had an excellent season with the ball leading all Thunder bowlers with 10 wickets at 20.80, while allowing only 6.5 runs per over.
Leah Poulton won the Belinda Clark Medal for the fourth time in her career.
Poulton finished second on the list of top run scorers in the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) with 347 at 57.83 and a top score of 109, which was her first ever century for NSW in 50 over cricket.
She played a key role in delivering the Lend Lease Breakers a ninth straight WNCL title, scoring a determined 48 runs in the Final.
She also hit 324 runs in the WT20 competition at an average of 27.0.
Poulton recorded a total of 205 votes from her team mates, with Erin Osborne (190) second and Alyssa Healy (178) third.
Rachael Haynes was named the Lend Lease Breakers’ WNCL Player of the Year. The NSW vice-captain impressed with both bat and ball, hitting 238 runs at 47.60 and taking 10 wickets at 7.20. She was named Player of the WNCL Final for her double of 33 not out and 3-20.
Haynes (102 votes) won this award by just one vote from Leah Poulton (101) with all-rounder Ellyse Perry (73) third.
Alyssa Healy won her second consecutive Lend Lease Breakers WT20 Player of the Year trophy. The wicketkeeper-batter scored 304 runs at 27.64 and had 13 dismissals behind the stumps, with four catches and nine stumpings.
Healy was a clear winner in this category with 141 votes with Erin Osborne (128) and Alex Blackwell (122) second and third respectively.
Cricket NSW Chief Executive Andrew Jones congratulated both Abbott and Poulton on their Awards.
“Sean and Leah have both had fantastic seasons for NSW,” said Jones.
“Sean has always had enormous potential and this has been a break-out season for him. He played a major role for the Blues with the ball in the Ryobi Cup and he was then able to transfer that form to the Shield, where his ability to take important wickets was a big part of our eventual success. He is an impressive young man and has the skill and temperament to be a vital part of our squad for a long time to come.”
“Leah also had a superb season. She is a great role model, setting a tremendous example with her attitude, skill and will-to-win. To be the leading Breakers’ batter in the WNCL – including a big-match performance in the final – and back that up with strong performances in the T20 competition, shows what a quality player she is. She deserves all the praise she gets and I warmly congratulate her on this achievement.”
During the evening Cricket NSW also presented Alan McGilvray Memorial Scholarship Awards to Alex Glendenning and Lauren Smith.
Alex Glendenning is a powerful left-arm fast bowler from the Western Suburbs club, while Lauren Smith is a talented all-rounder with the Northern District club.
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
This year there are three inductees into the Cricket NSW Hall of Fame:
Brian Booth
For NSW
- Made his First Class debut in 1954
- Played 93 First Class matches between 1954 and 1968/69, which at the time of his retirement was a record for most appearances for NSW
- Captained NSW in 12 matches
- Scored 5,577 runs at 43.77 with 11 centuries and 30 half-centuries
For Australia
- Played 29 Tests between 1961 and 1966
- Scored 1,773 runs at 42.21 with five centuries and 10 half-centuries
Geoff Lawson
For NSW
- Played 115 First Class matches and 44 Domestic Limited Overs matches between 1977/78 and 1991/92
- Took 395 First Class wickets and 53 Domestic Limited Overs wickets for NSW
- Captained NSW 40 times in First Class cricket and 16 times in Domestic Limited Overs matches
For Australia
- Played 46 Tests and 79 One Day Internationals between 1980 and 1989
- Took 180 Test wickets at 30.56 and 88 ODI wickets at 29.45
The Late Margaret Peden
- Was Australia’s first Female Test captain
- Shared in Australia’s first century stand in women’s Tests
- Her name has been immortalised in the Peden-Archer Medal which is awarded to the Player of the Series in the Women’s Ashes
- First captained NSW in a one-off match against Victoria in 1929/30
- Driving force behind creation of women’s interstate carnival
STEVE WAUGH MEDAL DINNER
AWARD WINNERS
Steve Waugh Medal
1. Sean Abbott – 169 votes
2. Steve Smith – 161 votes
3. Ryan Carters – 133 votes
Belinda Clark Medal
1. Leah Poulton – 205 votes
2. Erin Osborne – 190 votes
3. Alyssa Healy – 178 votes
Bupa Sheffield Shield Player of the Year
1. Ryan Carters – 130 votes
2. Doug Bollinger – 78 votes
3. Steven Smith – 69 votes
Ryobi Cup Player of the Year
1. Sean Abbott – 112 votes
2. David Warner – 99 votes
3. Steve Smith – 87 votes
Sydney Sixers Player of the Tournament
1. Nic Maddinson – 90 votes
2. Josh Hazlewood – 87 votes
3. Brett Lee – 74 votes
Sydney Thunder Player of the Tournament
1. Gurinder Sandhu – 107 votes
2. Mike Hussey – 94 votes
3. Dirk Nannes – 74 votes
Women’s Twenty20 Player of the Year
1. Alyssa Healy – 141 votes
2. Erin Osborne – 128 pts
3. Alex Blackwell – 122 pts
WNCL Player of the Year
1. Rachel Haynes – 102 pts
2. Leah Poulton – 101 pts
3. Ellyse Perry – 73 pts
Alan McGilvray Scholarship Awards
Alex Glendenning
Lauren Smith
Cricket NSW Hall of Fame Inductees
Brian Booth, MBE
Geoff Lawson, OAM
The Late Elizabeth Peden
Media Awards
Blues Electronic Story – Tim Gilbert C9
Blues Print Story – Chris Barrett – SMH
Best Photograph – Steve Christo
Best Lend Lease Breakers Story – David Sygall – Sun Herald
Best Regional/Suburban Story – Andrew Prentice – Manly Daily
In NSW, drink-driving kills more than 50 people and injures more than 1,000 every year. Make sure you have a safe Plan B option before you head out. Catch public transport, call a taxi or ring a friend to come and get you. There’s no excuse for drinking and driving.
