Devine and Southee take out top awards
White Ferns captain Sophie Devine and Black Caps seamer Tim Southee have been honoured by their peers for their achievements during the 2019-20 season.
A presentation ceremony was held online yesterday afternoon, where Devine received the Cricket Players’ Association Players’ Award and Southee received the Players’ Cap.
Devine has now won the Players’ Award for three seasons in a row, matching the feat of Black Caps captain Kane Williamson, who took out the Players’ Cap between 2015 and 2017.
She has been a standout performer with the bat in recent times, notching six consecutive 50-plus scores in Twenty20 internationals in February – a feat no other woman or man has accomplished.
Southee played in all but two of the Black Caps’ matches during the summer – a mark bettered only by Ross Taylor – and continued to be a consistent performer.
He previously received the Players’ Cap in 2013, the second year it was handed out. Players’ Association board member and former Rebecca Rolls presented Devine’s award and said ‘‘it is a real honour to be able to present this award to such a deserving recipient’’.
Southee joins Williamson and Taylor as repeat winners of the Players’ Cap, which was presented to him by former Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori.
The former all-rounder said ‘‘earning the right to receive The Players’ Cap is difficult – it requires consistency of form, fitness,
perseverance and above all else, meaningful contributions to the team on a regular basis, whatever the format’’.
‘‘Tim has had a remarkable year and is a truly deserving recipient of this award’’.