Williamson secures backtoback honours
KANE Williamson has been awarded the Sir Richard Hadlee medal for player of the year at the second year in a row at the New Zealand cricket awards in Auckland.
The Black Caps captain also won the Redpath Cup for firstclass batting, and was named twenty20 player of the year.
A telling example of his influence came in the test series against South Africa which finished on Wednesday.
Williamson’s centuries in Dunedin (130) and Hamilton (176) resulted in draws in which New Zealand led on the first innings and was in contention for victory until rain ruined the respective fifth days.
Those innings bookended his lowest test aggregate of three during the defeat inside three days in Wellington.
In April, Williamson was appointed captain in all formats. He led New Zealand to a largely successful home summer.
The side won four tests at home (two against Pakistan and two against Bangladesh) for the first time in 87 seasons; beat Pakistan in a test series for the first time in 31 years; and regained the ChappellHadlee Trophy.
The latter triumph was helped by Williamson’s lastwicket run out of Josh Hazlewood in the Marcus Stoinisextravaganza at Eden Park when Australia needed seven runs to win from 19 balls.
Williamson’s record of six wins from 13 tests in charge (46%) is the best of any New Zealand test captain, albeit with four victories coming against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
He missed the second test against India in Kolkata due to illness.
The 26yearold maintained his batting excellence to average 59.94 in tests during the period, including four centuries. He averaged 40.88 in 18 oneday internationals and 52.66 at a strike rate of 114 in four T20 internationals.
Neil Wagner claimed the test player of the year prize and the Winsor Cup for firstclass bowling.
He took 56 wickets from 13 tests and became the secondfastest New Zealander to 100 wickets in 26 matches behind Hadlee’s 25.
Martin Guptill was named ODI player of the year with an aggregate of 570 runs at an average of 47.50. His season was highlighted by a matchwinning 180 not out against South Africa in Hamilton.
White Fern Amy Satterthwaite’s historic season has resulted in her being recognised as women’s ODI player of the year. Satterthwaite finished the judging period with 935 runs at an average of 103.88, and strikerate of 96.
Her four consecutive centuries, scored against Pakistan and Australia, equalled the world record set by Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara across men’s and women’s ODI cricket.
Satterthwaite’s captain Suzie Bates won the women’s T20 player of the year after leading her side to a series victory in Australia.
Taranaki Cricket Association life member Neil Sulzberger received the Bert Sutcliffe medal for outstanding services to cricket after dedication spanning more than 50 years.