Opening batsman David Warner has put the exclamation point on a triumphant return to the Australian cricket side, winning his third Allan Border medal.
The honour puts him one behind joint record-holders Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke, who both won the medal four times. Shane Watson and Steve Smith are the only other people to win the Allan Border medal more than once.
The 33-year-old was suspended for 12 months over his integral role in 2018’s ball-tampering scandal and looked to be past his best upon his initial return after enduring a historically bad Ashes series. He averaged just 9.5 runs across the five-Test series, with 61 of his meagre 95 innings coming in the first innings at Leeds – making his average for the other nine innings a scarcely believable 3.8.
But he was able to turn his fortunes around once he returned home, pulverising Pakistan with scores of 154 and 335*, before averaging 59.4 against New Zealand in the three-Test triumph. Warner’s imperious T20 form also contributed the medal – and also saw him crowned T20 player of the year – as he was dismissed just once in six matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, scoring 287 runs.
His ODI form was strong too, averaging 72 across 13 innings, including four centuries. The ODI player of the year honour went to Aaron Finch, however.
Marnus Labuschagne’s incredible Test summer saw him awarded Test player of the year, while Elyse Perry won her third Belinda Clark medal, also putting her one behind joint record-holders Karen Rolton and Shelley Nitschke.
Allan Border medal: David Warner
Belinda Clark medal: Ellyse Perry
Men’s Test player of the year: Marnus Labuschagne
Men’s ODI player of the year: Aaron Finch
Men’s T20 player of the year: David Warner
Bradman young player of the year: Wes Agar
Betty Wilson young player of the year: Tayla Vlaeminck
Male domestic player of the year: Shaun Marsh
Female doemstic player of the year: Molly Strano
The mammoth rise of Jake Fraser-McGurk - his enormous potential and the destructive shot-making that he possesses makes him a very tempting option.
Marcus Stoinis produced his first IPL century and it was a beauty. He went 6, 4, 4, 4 to finish off the Lucknow Super…
Test great Steve Smith is to play for Washington Freedom in the second season of Major League Cricket as the Australian influence in the…
Nathan Lyon has revealed his disappointment that Australia's cricket chiefs have prevented him from playing his first full season of county cricket in England…
Some of you may have watched the recent Fox Sports Series 'A Brief History of Australian Cricket: the Eighties'. If not, I’d definitely recommend…
Nathan Lyon's spell with English county Lancashire has been halved as Cricket Australia looks to protect the fitness of the star spinner. The Australian,…
