Wednesday, January 28th, 2015

Ex County T20 Player Smith Wins Allan Border Medal And Trio Of Awards

Ex County T20 Player Smith Wins Allan Border Medal And Trio Of Awards

Steve Smith, who played Twenty20 cricket for Worcestershire in 2010, completed a clean sweep of senior awards at the Allan Border Medal Cermony in Sydney last night.

The 25-year-old beat off the challenge of David Warner and Mitchell Johnson to win the Allan Border Medal itself and also claimed the Australian Test and One-Day International Player of The Year awards.

The stand-in Australian captain's match-winning century against England in the Tri-Series in Hobart on Friday was the latest in a long line of superb innings.

Since the start of 2014, Smith has scored 2,604 runs in all competitions for his country. In 26 matches during that period, he has amassed nine centuries and nine fifties at an average of 68.80.

Smith has also become the first player to score 100s in the first match as captain in Test and ODI cricket. He also scored a century in four successive Tests in the recent home series with India.

Smith said: "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.

"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."

Previous winners of the AB Medal are Mitchell Johnson, Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Steve Waugh and Glenn McGrath.

Smith polled 243 votes for the AB Medal, beating Warner with 175 and Johnson, who tallied 126. He won the Test player award, marginally ahead of Warner, and the ODI award ahead of Aaron Finch.

Paceman Sean Abbott was named the Bradman Young Cricketer Of The Year. He was thrust into the public eye when he sent down the delivery in Sydney to the late Phil Hughes who played for Worcestershire in 2012.