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David Warner wins Allan Border Medal

Warner also named Test Player of the Year, amid honours also bestowed on Ellyse Perry, Glenn Maxwell, Adam Voges and Alex Ross

David Warner is the 2016 Allan Border Medal, a surprise winner ahead of captain Steve Smith.

Warner also won the Test Player of the Year award. Warner polled an overall 240 votes (split evenly between those awarded by his teammates and those from umpires and media representatives) in the AB Medal count, 21 more than Steve Smith and 57 ahead of third-placed Mitchell Starc.

In the Test Player of the Year, Warner (30 votes) polled six more than Smith with Starc again placed third with 18 votes, while Josh Hazlewood was also a contender.

"My heart is racing. I honestly thought 'Smudge' had a terrific year and he would have taken this out," Warner said on stage at the Allan Border Medal event, presented by Crown Golden Ale.

"People said to me I can be one of the greats of the game but you just sit there and let that go through both of your ears. You can only control what you control and for me that's being the best person I can be on and off the field. "

Warner also paid tribute to wife Candice, with whom the pair have two daughters, Ivy Mae and newborn Indi Rae. His voice wavered as he called his wife "my rock" and added: "I probably wouldn't be playing cricket today without you."

"I love waking up every day and knowing I'm playing for Australia, and I wouldn't change a thing," Warner said.

"I'll try my best to keep entertaining everyone while I'm on the field, and try and keep my mouth shut a bit as well."

Andrew Ramsey: Warner blossoms on and off field

Warner had earlier in the day downplayed his chances of winning, saying he expected Smith to repeat his achievements from the 2015 ceremony and sweep the pool.

However, Smith went through the night without an individual award, with Glenn Maxwell picking up the One Day International Player of the Year Award.

Full details of the winners below the event's live blog.

LIVE blog direct from the event


Test Player of the Year: David Warner

Perhaps a surprise selection ahead of Australia's captain Steve Smith, but Warner got the nod and with it leapt to favouritism to win his first Allan Border Medal.

Watch: Warner wins Test Player of the Year

Warner scored 1,212 Test match runs in the voting period at 55.09, with a highest score of 253 coming against New Zealand at the WACA. And he did it all with a strike rate of 81.34.

Warner polled six more than Smith with 30 votes – even though the Test skipper scored three man of the match awards in the voting period to his deputy’s two. Mitchell Starc was placed third with 18 votes.

WATCH: Complete highlights of Warner's WACA epic 

Hall of Fame: Jeff Thomson and Wally Grout

Legendary Australian fast bowler Jeff Thomson and wicketkeeper Wally Grout were inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Allan Border Medal.

Thomson's speech brought the house down, a classic hark back to a bygone error with language as blue as the bruises he left on opposition bowlers.

Read Andrew Ramsey's fantastic profile piece on the inductees here.

Domestic Player of the Year: Adam Voges

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Quick Single: Year to savour for Adam Voges

It's been quite the 12 months for Western Australian Adam Voges, whose ascension to Australia's Test team had roots in a record-breaking Sheffield Shield season last summer, which was duly recognised tonight when he was named Domestic Player of the Year.

The fact that Voges was voted by his peers as the best state player of 2015 underlines just how dominant he has been for the Warriors and Scorchers.

His promotion to the Test side meant he’s missed most of the current domestic season due to international duty, yet he still did enough to win 32.41 per cent of the vote, ahead of WA teammate and fellow veteran Michael Klinger (30.56 per cent).

South Australia's Callum Ferguson was third placed with 12.04 per cent of the votes from peers.

Voges was the fourth-highest run-scorer across Sheffield Shield, Matador Cup and BBL cricket during the voting period with 1,232 runs, behind Klinger (1,568), Ferguson (1,316) and Tasmania's Ben Dunk (1,245).

WATCH: Voges hits a captain's knock in the Big Bash for Perth

Belinda Clark Award: Ellyse Perry

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Quick Single: A look at Perry's superb year

Ellyse Perry was named the top women's international player of the year at Wednesday night's Allan Border Medal Evening, the first time she has won the prized award, ending Australian captain Meg Lanning's two-year streak.

Her commitment to improvement was never more evident than during the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars' Ashes campaign last year, where over the course of the seven-match multi-format series Perry scored 264 runs at an average of 33 and took 16 wickets at 13.43 – more than anyone else in either discipline.

Her performances played a key role in the Southern Star's first Ashes win on British soil since 2001, and combined with a strong three-match Twenty20 series against Ireland, she was a clear standout during the voting period, capturing 33 votes to finish ahead of Lanning (20 votes) and pace bowler Rene Farrell (15 votes).

WATCH: Perry's six Ashes-winning wickets in England

Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year: Alex Ross

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Quick Single: Profiling Alex Ross

West End Redbacks and Adelaide Strikers 23-year-old young gun Alex Ross has been rewarded for a breakthrough 12 months in all formats.

It's been a remarkable 12 months for Ross, who tallied 31.86 per cent of the votes to beat Strikers teammate Travis Dean (24.24 per cent) and recent one-day international debutant Joel Paris (21.24 per cent), as voted by his peers.

He was presented with his award by former Australia captain Bill Lawry.

Awarded to the best player under 24 in Australian cricket (to have played less than 10 first-class matches at the start of the voting period), winning this award has been a precursor to many a successful career. Past winners include the likes of Brett Lee, Shane Watson and David Warner.

WATCH: 'Sweepologist' Ross inspires the Strikers in BBL|05

ODI Player of the Year: Glenn Maxwell

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Glenn Maxwell narrowly won the first award of the 2016 Allan Border Medal night, beating out Mitchell Starc to claim the One Day International Player of the Year award.

He finished with 28 votes across the 20-match polling window, three clear of World Cup Player of the Tournament Starc and a further two votes ahead of surprise third-place getter Mitchell Marsh.

Steve Smith polled 21 votes and Warner received 20.

Quick Single: Glenn Maxwell's superb year of ODI cricket

Our cricketers and their wives and partners have dazzled on the red carpet at the #ABmedal! FULL GALLERY: http://cricketa.us/23sATq9

Posted by Australian Cricket Team on Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Previous AB Medal winners

  • 2000: Glenn McGrath
  • 2001: Steve Waugh
  • 2002: Matthew Hayden
  • 2003: Adam Gilchrist
  • 2004: Ricky Ponting
  • 2005: Michael Clarke
  • 2006: Ricky Ponting
  • 2007: Ricky Ponting
  • 2008: Brett Lee
  • 2009: Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke
  • 2010: Shane Watson
  • 2011: Shane Watson
  • 2012: Michael Clarke
  • 2013: Michael Clarke
  • 2014: Mitchell Johnson
  • 2015: Steve Smith

Quick Single: Red carpet fashions from the AB Medal

Voting periods

  • Allan Border Medal - 16 January, 2015 – 7 January, 2016
  • Belinda Clark Award - 16 January, 2015 – 7 January, 2016
  • Test Player of the Year - 16 January, 2015 – 7 January, 2016
  • ODI Player of the Year - 16 January, 2015 – 7 January, 2016
  • Domestic Player of the Year - 1 January, 2015 – 31 December, 2015
  • Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year - 1 January, 2015 – 31 December, 2015