Photo Credit: Melbourne Renegades Media
Three Melbourne Renegades were rewarded for their fine international and domestic campaigns with recognition at the Australian Cricket Awards.Men’s captain Aaron Finch, teammate Shaun Marsh and women’s star Molly Strano each took home awards from the game’s night of nights in Melbourne.
Aaron Finch (Men’s ODI Player of the Year)
As captain, Finch led the Australian men’s team to a place in the World Cup Semi-Finals midway through 2019.
He finished the voting period for the award with 1,141 runs at an average of 51.86, with four centuries and six 50s from his 23 appearances.
During that time, he twice made scores of 153 – his highest ever total in ODI cricket.
It’s the first time Finch has claimed the award, having debuted back in 2013.
As a Renegade
One of the premier T20 players in the world, Finch was again pivotal in his ninth season as a Renegade. He made three half centuries and one huge ton against the Sydney Sixers in the penultimate match of the campaign, finishing third on the club’s run scoring tally despite missing five matches while in India captaining the Australian one day team. His 109 against the Sixers was his second Big Bash ton, and came off just 68 deliveries as he pounded the bowlers to all corners of the SCG. Finch capped off the season with a Player of the Match performance against the Heat, guiding the ‘Gades to a seven wicket victory by batting through the innings.
Shaun Marsh (Male Domestic Player of the Year)
You can’t put a price on experience. Just ask Shaun Marsh.
Nearly 20 years after his First Class debut, the 36-year-old enjoyed one of his finest domestic seasons yet.
He is the leading run-scorer at the halfway mark of the Sheffield Shield with 600 runs at an average of 66.66. Not content with that, in the aptly named Marsh Cup, he was the fifth-highest run-scorer and was named Player of the Match for his 101 not out for Western Australia against Queensland in the final.
As a Renegade
One of the highest profile recruits of the off-season made every run count in BBL|09. Batting at the top of the order, Marsh was typically elegant on his way to 449 runs, finishing equal second alongside the Thunder’s Alex Hales and behind only Marcus Stoinis of the Stars (607) on the overall leaderboard. Marsh made three half centuries and was rarely dismissed without making a start. He made a season-high 63 in the loss to the Stars at Marvel Stadium, while his final innings of the tournament, 56 from just 30 balls against the Hurricanes in the Indigenous Match, was played while hampered by a hamstring injury that forced him to sit out the last two matches.
Molly Strano (Female Domestic Player of the Year)
A senior member of both the Victorian and Melbourne Renegades’ outfits, Strano has enjoyed a standout season with ball in hand.
Across the 24 matches she played within the voting period, she took 30 wickets at an average of 21.87, and was recognised for her efforts with selection for Australia A against both England and India at different stages across the past eight months.
Still on the verge of international selection, Strano, who is still only 27, looks set to play a key role in Australian cricket for years to come.
As a Renegade
The leading wicket taker in the competition’s history was again in fine form in WBBL|05, topping the charts for wickets taken (24). Whether it was opening the bowling or shouldering the load at the death, Strano was a reliable option for skipper Duffin all season long, and even captained the side herself in the last-ball win over the Sixers. She was an easy selection in the WBBL|05 Team of the Tournament.
Molly Strano was named the Female Domestic Player of the Year.
