Wicketkeeper-batsman Brendon McCullum is the 2007-08 National Bank Player of the Year as well as winner of the Walter Hadlee Trophy for one-day batting.
The trophies were presented at the National Bank New Zealand Cricket awards dinner in Auckland this evening.
National selector Dion Nash, who was also on the awards selection panel, said that McCullum was outstanding at all levels of the game, be itboth as a batsman andor an all-rounder.
"In the domestic and international one-day and Twenty/20 competitions he outperformed everyone else. Who will forget his 170 from 108 balls for the Otago Volts in the State Shield final or his 80 from 28 balls against Bangladesh in Queenstown."
"While his batting was breathtaking at times, so were some of the wicketkeeping catches he took. During a long and demanding season he retained his extremely high standards throughout, including the test series against England in England," he said. Included in the awards ceremony for the first time is the J.R. Reid Best Allrounder categoryaward, which goes to Jacob Oram. The new category recognises the standings all-rounders have in the game, and it also proved extremely difficult to judge with the calibre of candidates that included Daniel Vettori and McCullum.
Other award winners were:
Sutcliffe Medal
For outstanding services to cricket:
Sir Richard Hadlee
State Cricketer of the Year - Women
Awarded to the most outstanding player in women's domestic cricket:
Sara McGlashan, who plays for State Central Hinds, finished the inaugural Twenty20 season with an average of 115.5 including a whirlwind 91 not out off 49 balls against Wellington. She's been a White Fern since 2002 and her highest ODI score in 2007 was 97 not out against England.
State Cricketer of the Year - Men
Awarded to the most outstanding player in men's domestic cricket:
Nathan McCullum, an offspinning allrounder from Otago. He had a sensational season in all three aspects of the game. With the bat he averaged 36.10 in first class cricket, 27.37 in State Shield and 35.25 in State Twenty/20. At the bowling crease he had 17 wickets at 37 in first class, 14 wickets at 32.92 in State Shield and five wickets at 28.80 in Twenty/20.
The Phyl Blackler Cup
Awarded to the bowler whose performances in women's cricket have been the most meritorious:
Helen Watson, who retired at the end of last season, played in the 2000 World Cup winning team. A canny right-arm medium pacer, her best ODI figures were 3-14 (against South Africa in 2000). She played 66 ODIs during her career with the White Ferns and represented both Canterbury and Auckland. She won this award the previous season also.
The Ruth Martin Cup
Awarded to the batsman whose performances in women's cricket have been the most meritorious:
Nicola Browne, who plays for State Northern Spirit, has been in the White Ferns for seven years and was a finalist in the 2008 ICC Women's International Player of the Year. In the State League she had an average of 51.28 runs while in ODIs her average is 30.21. She is also a useful right-arm medium pacer.
Gillette Young Player of the Year
Kane Williamson captained the New Zealand Under-19 team through to the semi-finals of the World Cup in Malaysia, and followed this up with strong batting performances on the U-19 tour to England, including 75 and 151 in the second test, and a match-winning 52 in the final ODI.
Sir Jack Newman Award
Presented to an outstanding junior cricket administrator in New Zealand each year for past and present services to the game:
Michael Cotter of Paeroa received the 2007 award for his outstanding service to the development of junior cricket in the Waikato Valley, having coached young cricketers since 1961.
Redpath Cup
Awarded to the batsman whose performances in men's first-class cricket have been the most meritorious:
Ross Taylor, who wasn't selected for the first two tests against Bangladesh, bounced back against England at Hamilton to score a century that was instrumental in setting up a BLACKCAPS victory. His next century at Manchester played New Zealand into a dominant position.
Winsor Cup
Awarded to the bowler whose performances in men's first-class cricket have been the most meritorious:
Chris Martin, who was one of three test players who played in all 10 test matches, captured 34 test wickets – 24 of those were top six batsmen.
Walter Hadlee Trophy
Awarded for the most meritorious batting by a New Zealand player in One-Day Internationals:
Brendon McCullum's outstanding year included the match-winning innings in the State Shield final, 80 not out off 28 balls against Bangladesh in Queenstown, and another 80 not out against England and a dazzling 158 off 73 balls in the opening match of the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament.
