Photo Credit: Sydney Thunder
Who was Thunder’s best player of BBL|10?
Sydney Thunder is set to announce the winner of the Mike Hussey Medal for BBL|10 at the Cricket NSW Awards on Friday evening.
Here’s a closer look at the contenders for the player-voted award, won last year by star all-rounder Daniel Sams.
Sam Billings
The England star was signed to bolster Thunder’s middle order and he didn’t disappoint.
Billings shone with 260 runs, the highlight of which was his innings against the Perth Scorchers when he hammered 83 runs off 48 deliveries, and 10 dismissals.
Brendan Doggett
The pace bowler waited until Thunder’s ninth game of the season before getting his chance to play and he didn’t waste a second. Doggett removed Perth’s Liam Livingstone with his first delivery, bowled 14 dot balls and finished with 4-22.
The 26-year-old finished the season with nine wickets and was the third-most economical bowler in the competition.
Alex Hales
Hales finished BBL|10 as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 543 runs, including a brilliant century against the Sydney Sixers.
The big-hitting Englishman achieved the BKT Golden Cap at a strike rate of 161.61, the best among the top 25 run-scorers.
He also pocketed the record for the most sixes in a single season with 30 maximums.
Usman Khawaja
Khawaja increased his lead as Thunder’s highest-ever run-scorer by accumulating 338 runs during BBL|10.
The club’s sole remaining foundation player also proved invaluable as the ‘steadying influence’ that allowed his opening partner, Alex Hales, to light up the competition.
His experience and passion for the club ensured Khawaja was also a positive force in Thunder’s senior leadership group.
Daniel Sams
Sams epitomized the fighting qualities of his team when he instigated an early season miracle against the Brisbane Heat. With Thunder struggling at 5-80, the powerful all-rounder hit 65 quick-fire runs – including seven sixes – to help chase down the total.
Despite missing five games due to injury, Sams finished the tournament with 11 wickets and 200 runs at a tournament-best strike rate of 188.68.
Tanveer Sangha
Teenage leg-spinner Sangha went from BBL debutant to Australian squad member in a little more than two months after a breakout season for Thunder.
He claimed 21 wickets at an economy rate of a touch over eight an over to finish as Thunder’s leading wicket-taker and as the leading spin bowler in the competition.
Past winners of the Mike Hussey Medal:
BBL|09 – Daniel Sams
BBL|08 – Callum Ferguson
BBL|07 – Shane Watson
BBL|06 – Pat Cummins
BBL|05 – Shane Watson and Usman Khawaja
BBL|04 – Jacques Kallis
BBL|03 – Gurinder Sandhu
BBL|02 – Dirk Nannes
BBL|01 – Chris Gayle
