NEWS
Follow UsTim Southee claimed his third Winsor Cup for First-Class bowling, while Tom Latham won his first ANZ New Zealand Cricket award on day two of the 2020 honours.
Wellington Firebirds batsman Devon Conway was named the Men’s Domestic Player of the Year for a second straight year, after becoming the first man to top all three domestic run-scoring charts in the same season.
The supreme women’s domestic award was claimed by Northern Spirit’s Katie Gurrey, who also took out the Ruth Martin Cup for batting after she totalled 992 runs across the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield and Dream11 Super Smash campaigns.
Title-winning Wellington Blaze seamer Jess Kerr was rewarded for her break-out season by winning the Phyl Blackler Cup for domestic bowling, after topping both the women’s and men’s Dream11 Super Smash wicket-taking tables with 20 wickets at an impressive average of 10.
A man at the other end of the international experience spectrum, Tim Southee proved a red-ball bowler for all conditions this season, claiming 41 wickets at an average of 22 on pitches in Sri Lanka, Australia and at home in New Zealand.
“It’s a great honour,” Southee said, upon receiving the Winsor Cup (virtually) from BLACKCAPS coach Gary Stead.
“When you see the great players who have won the award in the past it’s pretty humbling to see my name on it,” Southee said.
“The Test win in Colombo was really special as we were able to bounce back from a defeat in Galle in challenging conditions.
“The way we played our Test cricket at home this summer was especially pleasing. To beat England first up was a great effort and then to perform so well against a very good Indian side was immensely satisfying.”
While Southee took the wickets, Latham was the BLACKCAPS Test runs scoring machine with 875 First-Class runs from 12 matches, with three centuries, including a match defining hundred in Colombo.
During the award presentation Stead said it wasn’t just the big scores that stood out for him.
“This season we faced some of the very best bowling attacks in the world and Tom was an absolute rock at the top for us,” he said.
“Even in Australia when we were under severe pressure he managed to dig in and deny them for extended periods of time - it’s that courage and determination I really admire.”
Latham’s season was also notable for his selection in the ICC Test Team of the Year 2019 alongside BJ Watling and Neil Wagner, as well as being awarded his 50th Test cap in the New Year’s Test against Australia at the SCG.
Staying with left-hand batsmen, Devon Conway’s supreme domestic men’s award made it two honours in two days after the Wellington Firebirds star claimed the men’s Dream11 Super Smash Player of the Year award on Tuesday.
Conway’s brilliant batting year featured 701 Plunket Shield runs at an average of 87, including a highest score of 327 not-out against Canterbury; 553 Ford Trophy runs at 55 and at a strike-rate of 99, and 543 Dream11 Super Smash runs at 67, and at a strike-rate of 145.
He said it was more than just the runs that made the season satisfying.
“It was a brilliant season for the Firebirds,” he said.
“We’ve got a great culture in the team and to claim two of the three trophies was a huge effort; especially winning the Plunket Shield after something like 16 years which was really special.
“I didn’t ever expect to win this award two years in a row so it’s certainly something I’ll cherish and it’s a pretty awesome feeling to be honest.
“I’ve got to say thank-you to the team management, support staff and my teammates – I couldn’t have achieved these awards without their help so I’m really grateful to them.”
Conway becomes eligible for New Zealand A and BLACKCAPS selection in August.
Katie Gurrey said it was a dream come true to be named the Women’s Domestic Player of the Year.
“It means a lot,” she said.
“To win any award at this level is a great honour. It’s one of those awards that you hope you may win one day - and now to have achieved it is an amazing feeling.”
Right-arm swing bowler Jess Kerr made the 2019-20 season her own with the ball earning her maiden ODI and T20 International call ups to the WHITE FERNS.
Kerr is the elder sister of leg-spinning star Amelia, who also won the Phyl Blacker Cup for domestic bowling the past season.
