Mitchell Marsh and Ashleigh Gardner emerged as the big winners at the 2024 Australian Cricket Awards. Marsh became the first all-rounder since Shane Watson in 2011 to win the coveted Allan Border Medal whereas Gardner won the prestigious Belinda Clark Award, her second overall.
Marsh totalled 223 votes, 79 ahead of Pat Cummins who had a pretty incredible year himself. Gardner polled 147 votes to finish in front of Ellyse Perry (134 votes) and Annabel Sutherland (106 votes).
Marsh enjoyed a successful year all around, starting with his 118 in the third Ashes Test after missing the first two and then scoring a career-best 177* against Bangladesh in the ODI World Cup. Gardner, who returned figures of 12 for 165 against England, the second-best figures in the history of women’s Tests, picked more wickets than any of her colleagues during the eligible time-frame (56 scalps at 19.39 in 30 matches).
Nathan Lyon, who recently picked his 500th Test wicket and was instrumental in Australia winning the Indore Test, won the Shane Warne Men’s Test Player of the Year.
Ellyse Perry, whose batting lately has witnessed a rejuvenation, won the Women’s T20I Player of the Year and the Women’s ODI Player of the Year.
Marsh, who flourished as an opener and as one-down player in the white-ball formats, also won the Men’s ODI Player of the Year. Jason Behrendorff won the Men’s T20I Player of the Year.
Other awards:
Women’s Domestic Players of the Year: Elyse Villani and Sophie Day
Men’s Domestic Player of the Year: Cameron Bancroft
Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year: Fergus O’Neill
Betty Wilson Young Cricketer of the Year: Emma de Broughe
BBL Player of the Tournament: Matt Short (Adelaide Strikers)
WBBL Player of the Tournament: Chamari Athapaththu (Sydney Thunder)
