Steve Smith bags the top awards at Allan Border Medal ceremony

Sport360 staff 07:41 28/01/2015
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Extraordinary year: Steven Smith wins the trifecta at the Allan Border Medal Ceremony.

    Steven Smith yesterday capped a remarkable season by sweeping the main awards at the annual Allan Border Medal ceremony, including Australian player of the year.

    – Cricket World Cup Countdown: 18 days to go 
    – All eyes on Shikhar Dhawan as India prepare to defend World Cup 

    The prolific batsman, who was promoted to national captain in the absence of the injured Michael Clarke, also took out the one-day and Test player awards.

    He was a runaway winner for the Border Medal – judged on per­formances in Tests and one-dayers throughout the season – by polling 243 votes, ahead of David Warner (175) and Mitchell Johnson (126).

    He is only the third player to win the trifecta in the 10 years it has been running, following in the foot­steps of Ricky Ponting in 2007 and Shane Watson in 2011.

    Other Border Medal winners include Glenn McGrath, Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist, and Clarke.

    The 25-year-old smashed 1,756 runs in 21 matches last year at an average of 67.54 including eight 50s and seven hundreds.

    He narrowly held off Warner as Test player of the year and Aaron Finch for the one-day honour. “I thought I would be up there but I certainly didn’t think I’d be collect­ing the one day, the Test and the AB Medal,” Smith said.

    “I’ve joined a pretty illustrious group of players that have come be­fore me. I used to sit back as a kid and watch the Allan Border Medal and see some of my childhood stars appearing on the TV receiving these awards. To have received one now, it’s a pretty amazing feeling to be honest.”

    Glenn Maxwell was rewarded for his efforts with bat and ball to win Twenty20 player of the year.

    The emotional high-point of the night came when Sean Abbott was named the Bradman Young Crick­eter of the Year.

    The New South Wales allrounder has shown courage and maturity to bounce back from the tragic death of Phillip Hughes during a Sheffield Shield match in November.

    Abbott bowled the ball that killed Hughes and there were initially fears that the 22-year-old may be too traumatised to continue his career.

    Recommended