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
Censored Often
Roar Rookie
C'mon Candice ease up!
Censored Often
Roar Rookie
He's a bottom feeder but he has plenty of cave dwellers to support him. Unfortunately.
Censored Often
Roar Rookie
Just how?
mickey of mo$man
Guest
harvey wilson your a gimp bro!
Nudge
Roar Rookie
You’re going to have to go to bed real early tonight to recuperate Spruce. Lol
Nick
Roar Guru
Pete It's more than just averages. It's how individual performances matched up against others in the team in the same match, and then the inescapable fact that tests are weighted twice as much as ODI's and 3 times as much as T20Is. Half of his tests are deplorable, while he was only the best in 2 of the 5 tests in Australia. There were clearly 3 better Australian performances in Perth and Melbourne, and two better performances than him in Sydney. No doubt his ODI stuff has helped, but it doesn't account for bridging the difference. According to the count he got 14 votes in tests this year. He gets at most 1 for his Ashes series. Are you honestly believing he got 13 out of 15 for the remaining 5 tests?
Pete
Guest
While Cummins did deserve this I really don't think it's as big of a surprise as some are making out. Even with his terrible Ashes series he averaged 48 in 2019 which is very good. Then you take into account ODI's where he averaged 70+ and T20 where he averaged a ridiculous 287, it's not that hard to see that why he won.
Tanmoy Kar
Roar Rookie
There were so much talk about Patrick Cummins, why he has not got any medal?
Nick
Roar Guru
James, Over the 5 tests this summer...he at most gets 7 votes. He had a superb series against Pakistan (probably gets 3 for each), but was actually quite middling against NZ until he got a cheap 2nd innings century against them at Sydney. Even then, in that match alone he was bested by Labu who got 215, and Lyon who got a 10 wicket haul. Considering tests are weighted twice as much as ODI's and 3 times as much as T20I's they are legitimate questions. Where did the test votes come from?
JamesH
Roar Guru
A lot of people on social media seem to be losing their mind over this, apparently forgetting that the medal is a three-format award. One awful test series (where he might still have picked up a vote or two at Headingley for top scoring in the first dig) doesn't mean we just ignore everything else. He had a great World Cup and performed strongly over summer.
Damo
Guest
How about if you do the wrong thing, take your medicine and come back a better person?
Nudge
Roar Rookie
“Cheat and you’ll be rewarded” how did you work that one out bright spark. More like cheat and you’ll be caught, but if you have the mental toughness and the skill you’ll get the opportunity to redeem yourself. That’s pretty much what’s happened
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
Booooo. Not a great message for youngsters. Cheat and you will be rewarded.