Steve Smith and Beth Mooney have taken out Australian cricket’s top awards, winning the Allan Border Medal and the Belinda Clark Award respectively.
Key points:
- Steve Smith edged Pat Cummins to win his third Allan Border Medal
- Beth Mooney’s win over Meg Lanning was even tighter, with just two votes separating them
- Mooney was player of the tournament at the Women’s T20 World Cup, while Smith’s ODI record was key to his win
Smith won his third Allan Border Medal, on the back of his performances in all three formats of the game, while Mooney won the highest award in the Australian women’s game for the first time.
Last year, batsman David Warner won the Allan Border Medal, while all-rounder Ellyse Perry took out the Belinda Clark Award.
The COVID-19 pandemic affected the 2020 season — the main awards are weighted towards Test performances, but Australia’s men’s team only played four Tests against India in the qualification period, while the women’s team played three ODIs and 14 T20 Internationals but no Tests.
Across all formats, Smith made 1,098 runs at an average of 45.75. He had four fifties and four centuries, with a top score of 131 in an ODI against India on the sub-continent.
He was the highest poller for the Allan Border Medal, getting 126 votes compared to 117 for paceman Pat Cummins, with limited overs skipper Aaron Finch third with 97.
Smith also won the men’s ODI player of the year, despite missing ODI matches against England with concussion.
His total for the season was 568 ODI runs at 63.11
Mooney took centre stage at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, where she was player of the tournament.
She just outpolled Australian skipper Meg Lanning, winning the Belinda Clark award by 60 votes to 58, with Georgia Wareham third (50). It is the first time since 2013 that someone outside of Lanning, Perry and Alyssa Healy has won the top award.
Cummins, who was the star with the ball in Australia’s losing Test series against India, was the men’s Test player of the year. He also topped the overall bowling performances for 2020 with a total of 41 wickets at 27.60.
Ashton Agar won the men’s T20 international player of the year, while Mooney took out the same category for women.
Rachael Haynes won the women’s ODI player of the year award.
