Photo Credit: Cricket NSW
Two proud Country cricket products, Blues fast bowler Chris Tremain and Breakers all-rounder Maitlan Brown, received the major prizes at tonight’s annual Cricket NSW awards at The Star.
In a special night which celebrated the 20th staging of the awards, the late Keith Miller – the dynamic all-rounder who shone as a member of Don Bradman’s legendary 1948 Invincibles – became the 44th member of the Cricket NSW Hall of Fame. Former NSW and Australia representative, Sally Griffiths, who became a destructive batter in the 1980s and early 90s after an injury put an end to her formidable fast bowling, was inducted as Hall of Fame member number 45.
Tremain, who grew up in Yeoval – a township of 430 people near Dubbo in the state’s central west – was awarded the prestigious Steve Waugh Medal after accumulating the most votes by his peers, coaches, and match officials, across the Marsh One-Day Cup and Marsh Sheffield Shield competitions.
In her first summer as a member of the Breakers and Sixers, Brown, from Wingham on the state’s mid-north coast, and who learnt to bat using an old axe handle on her grandfather’s property, was honoured to receive the Belinda Clark Medal after starring in the WNCL and WBBL arenas.
International players dominated Sydney Thunder’s two awards with India’s superstar batter Smriti Mandhana taking out the Alex Blackwell Medal for Thunder’s WBBL Player of the Tournament, while England’s wicketkeeper/batter Sam Billings received the Mike Hussey Medal for Thunder’s BBL Player of the Tournament.
Sydney Sixers duo Nicole Bolton – who starred in her first season in magenta – and Hayden Kerr, who grew up only a few doors away from Bradman’s childhood home in Bowral, both received medals for their inspirational performances throughout their respective WBBL and BBL campaigns.
Kerr also celebrated being named the inaugural recipient of the Michael Bevan One Day Player of the Tournament Medal, while Tremain – who waited 18 months between his 65th and 66th Sheffield Shield match – was named the NSW Sheffield Shield player of the tournament.
Erin Burns, who became a mother during the season, had extra reason to celebrate her summer after being named the WNCL Player of the tournament.
Aidan Cahill from Newcastle was named the Josh Hazlewood Country Player of the Year, while Ebony Hoskin from Howlong in the Riverina received the Alex Blackwell Country Player of the Year.
