It was a top night for prolific Taranaki batters at the 2023 Central Districts Cricket Awards with NATALIE DODD named Central Hinds Player of the Year and TOM BRUCE lifting the award for Central Stags Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.

Set to captain the Stags in the rescheduled Ford Trophy Grand Final against Canterbury in Napier on Tuesday - before leading New Zealand A against Australia A in Lincoln, Bruce was also voted by his peers as the Players’ Player of the Year for the second year in a row.

CDCA Board Member Michele Frey presents Natalie Dodd with the Hinds Player of the Year award

Hallyburton Johnstone Shield captain Dodd received the premier Hinds award for the second time in her career, having won the same silver salver in 2021 - her first year with the team.

Several players were first-time winners of major awards, presented on Saturday evening at the Napier War Memorial Centre.

Hometown left-arm spinner JAYDEN LENNOX was named the Stags’ Super Smash Player of the Year after his best T20 season. It was one that yielded 16 wickets from nine games and a career best haul of 4/28.

CDCA Board Member Simon Porter presents Jayden Lennox with his award

Lennox was the equal top wicket-taker nationally in this summer’s competition.

BRETT RANDELL was named The Ford Trophy Player of the Year in his first season with the Stags, after having switched from Northern Districts in order to get more playing opportunities across all formats.

Randell is the equal top wicket-taker nationally in the one-day format, with 18 wickets from eight games including a five-wicket bag.

The other major awards saw Manawatu and WHITE FERNS star HANNAH ROWE named Hinds’ Super Smash Player of the Year, after a season in which the allrounder posted her maiden half century to go with her outstanding work in the field and with the ball.

 

Fellow Manawatu allrounder JESS WATKIN received the trophy for Hallyburton Johnstone Shield Player of the Year for the second year in a row, after a summer in which she scored four half centuries with a best of 96 to go with 13 wickets, often making key breakthroughs for her side with her dangerous off-spin.

And another Manawatu allrounder, MIKAELA GREIG, took home the coveted Shrimpton Bat trophy after having been voted by her peers as the Hinds Players’ Player of the Year, an award that considers overall contribution to the team, on and off the field.

Young Hawke’s Bay left-hander FLORA DEVONSHIRE was named Central Hinds Emerging Player of the Year.

Stags acquisition JACK BOYLE picked up the trophy for Hawke Cup Player of the Year in his first season in Hawke’s Bay and Manawatu's BEVAN SMALL collected his award for Chapple Cup Player of the Tournament.

With one match still to play in their extended first-class season, the Central Stags’ Plunket Shield Player of the Year will be named in April, with the team in position to lift the national first-class title if they can defeat the Auckland Aces in Nelson, on 1-4 April.

The evening ended with a presentation of a specially commissioned artwork to AJAZ PATEL to mark the Test spinner’s rare feat of 10 wickets in a Test innings, in Mumbai with the BLACKCAPS in 2021.

 

 

 

2022/23

Central Districts Cricket Awards in full

Central Hinds

Player of the Year: Natalie Dodd (Taranaki)

Super Smash Player of the Year: Hannah Rowe (Manawatu)

Hallyburton Johnstone Shield Player of the Year: Jess Watkin (Manawatu)

Emerging Player of the Year: Flora Devonshire (Hawke’s Bay)

Players’ Player of the Year: Mikaela Greig (Manawatu)

Central Stags

Player of the Year: Tom Bruce (Taranaki)

Super Smash Player of the Year: Jayden Lennox (Hawke’s Bay)

Ford Trophy Player of the Year: Brett Randell

Plunket Shield Player of the Year: to be announced in April 2023

Players’ Player of the Year: Tom Bruce (Taranaki)
 

Central Districts Cricket Age-Group and Inter-Districts

Men’s Under-17 Player of the Year: Jacob Cotter (Hawke’s Bay)

Men’s Under-19 Player of the Year: Sam Cassidy (Hawke’s Bay)

Women’s Under-17 Player of the Year: Caitlin Marshall (Taranaki)

Women’s Under-19 Player of the Year: Emma McLeod (Wairarapa)

Mike Shrimpton Trophy Player of the Year: Jessica Ogden (Manawatu)

Hawke Cup Player of the Year: Jack Boyle (Hawke’s Bay)

Chapple Cup Player of the Year: Bevan Small (Manawatu)

Officials

Umpire of the Year: John Dempsey (Nelson)

Scorer Recognition Award: Euan West (Nelson)

Special Achievement Presentation

Ajaz Patel

• 10 wickets in a Test innings, New Zealand v India, Mumbai, December 2021

• Only the third player in Test history to achieve this rare and outstanding feat

 

 

Article added: Sunday 26 March 2023