New South Wales, the Sixers and the Thunder pay tribute to their best performers of the 2016-17 summer
Cowan, Healy take out NSW awards
New South Wales Blues batsman Ed Cowan and Breakers wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy have been rewarded for their outstanding seasons in domestic cricket, honoured with the top gongs at the Cricket NSW awards night in Sydney.
Former Test opener Cowan was named the Steve Waugh Medallist for 2016-17 after falling just 41 runs shy of 1000 runs for the Sheffield Shield season, scoring 959 runs at 73.76 and finishing on top of the run-scorers list by a huge margin of 98 runs.
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He was also named NSW’s Shield player of the year, with his form after the mid-season break sensational; having not played in the KFC Big Bash League, the left-hander peeled off scores of 212, 0, 115, 51*, 125, 48*, 69 and 80 as the Blues fell agonisingly short of a spot in the final.
Cowan scored 264 runs at 33 for the Blues in the Matador BBQs One-Day Cup, posting four half-centuries as the Blues successfully defended their title.
Australian wicketkeeper Healy took out the Belinda Clark Medal as women’s player of the year after starring with the bat and behind the stumps for the Breakers in the Women’s National Cricket League and for the Sydney Sixers in the Rebel Women’s Big Bash League.
Healy scored 249 runs at 62.25 in five innings for the Breakers in the 50-over competition, while she skippered the Sixers to the WBBL|02 title in the absence of regular captain Ellyse Perry, topping the tournament’s most dismissals tally with eight stumpings and nine catches.
Elsewhere at the awards night, Doug Bollinger was named NSW’s best player from their successful Matador Cup campaign, while NSW Breakers captain Alex Blackwell was named WNCL player of the tournament after averaging more than 100 and leading the Breakers to their 18th title in 21 years.
Southern Stars wicketkeeper Healy was named the Sydney Sixers’ best player of WBBL|02, while India superstar Harmanpreet took out the gong for Sydney Thunders’ top WBBL performer.
Australia quick Pat Cummins claimed the Mike Hussey medal for the Thunder’s best player of BBL|06, and Daniel Hughes and Sean Abbott split honours at the Sydney Sixers.