Smith’s second medal an epic
EPIC Test performances in India and again during an Ashes demolition have elevated national captain Steve Smith to a two-time winner of the Allan Border Medal.
Smith secured maximum votes in six of 23 Test, one-day and Twenty20 matches during the 12-month voting period to join runner-up David Warner in collecting a second award last night in Melbourne.
Warner, who finished 84 votes behind Smith, and the skipper were judged by teammates and media as the best players in 11 of the matches.
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon, the leading Test wicket-taker in the world last year, finished third, six votes behind Warner despite no limited-overs cricket.
Smith also secured his second Test player of the year award, while Warner went back-to-back in one-day player of the year honours.
The pair’s 12-month hauls of 1754 runs (Smith) and 1586 runs (Warner) were well ahead of any other Australian player.
Travis Head, one of only three batsmen to play more than 20 games, was next on the run-scoring list with 640.
Accolades flowed for Smith after his team’s efforts in India in April which didn’t result in a series win but saw the young captain put his stamp on the team.
Australia played in-yourface cricket on the subcontinent and Smith walked the walk too with centuries in three of the four Tests.
A long year was interrupted by the bitter pay dispute with Cricket Australia and Smith was deemed a soft voice for his limited input in the stoush.
He hit back with a roar during the Ashes and reeled off numbers which had not been seen on home soil for decades.
Smith made a matchwinning 141 not out in Brisbane, before pounding the England bowlers to all parts of the WACA in Perth, scoring a 239.
Smith made 687 series runs, the first skipper since Don Bradman in 1946/47 to score 600 runs in an Ashes series.
He was also the first Australian to score three hundreds in an Ashes series since opener Matthew Hayden in 2002-03.
Ellyse Perry won the Belinda Clark award for the best female player, Victorian slugger Aaron Finch was named T20 player of the year for a second time and Tasmanian veteran George Bailey won the domestic player of the year award.