Ravindra and Kerr Shine Bright at New Zealand Cricket Awards
Rachin Ravindra and Amelia Kerr emerged as the shining stars at the New Zealand Cricket Awards, held in Christchurch on Wednesday. Ravindra, at just 24 years old, became the youngest recipient of the prestigious Sir Richard Hadlee Medal, the highest honor in men’s cricket in New Zealand. Kerr, on the other hand, retained her Debbie Hockley Medal for the second consecutive year, recognizing her exceptional contributions to women’s cricket.
Ravindra’s award capped a remarkable season where he made an indelible mark on the international stage. He emerged as a rising star at the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, amassing 578 runs at an impressive average of 64, including three centuries. His maiden Test hundred, a magnificent 240 at Bay Oval, played a pivotal role in New Zealand’s historic Test series victory against South Africa.
Kerr’s dominance extended beyond the Debbie Hockley Medal, as she also swept the ODI and T20I Player of the Year awards, along with the Super Smash Women’s Player of the Year honor. She led New Zealand’s ODI run-scoring charts with 541 runs at an average of 67, while also being their joint-highest T20I wicket-taker and second-highest T20I run-scorer with 252 runs at a strike rate of 118.
Kane Williamson, the New Zealand Test captain, was named Test Player of the Year and also received the Redpath Cup for men’s first-class batting. Williamson’s consistent performances yielded 619 runs at an average of 56, including four centuries in the six Tests considered for the award. Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner were recognized as the ODI and T20I Players of the Year, respectively.
The Bert Sutcliffe Medal for outstanding service to cricket was bestowed upon Trudy Anderson, who played a pivotal role in the operations of Canterbury Cricket for 21 years. Her contributions extended to major events such as the 2015 ODI World Cup, the 2022 Women’s World Cup, and the 2010 and 2018 Men’s U-19 World Cups.