Australia batsman Steve Smith wins Allan Border Medal
Tuesday 27 January 2015 15:45, UK
Steve Smith swept the board at Australia's seasonal awards in Sydney, claiming the coveted Allan Border Medal and the Test and One-Day player of the year.
Smith was firm favourite to scoop the night's top award, which is voted for by players, umpires and media representatives, comfortably beating David Warner and 2014 winner Mitchell Johnson.
Stand-in captain Smith won 243 votes, with Warner second on 175 and Johnson completing the top three with 126.
The 25-year-old has enjoyed a stellar year, kick-started with a century against South Africa at Centurion last February and culminating in a record-breaking Test summer against India.
He scored hundreds in all four Tests and set a new runs record for a four-Test series, piling on 769 at an average of more than 128.
Smith also captained the side for the final three games, elevated in Michael Clarke's injury absence, marking him out as the future Baggy Green heir.
In one-day cricket he has scored three hundreds and three half-centuries in the past four months, again marking a first taste of captaincy with a ton against England last week.
The only senior award Smith did not claim was Twenty20 player of the year, which went to big-hitting all-rounder Glenn Maxwell.
Meg Lanning claimed the Belinda Clark award for women's cricketer of the year, while Sean Abbott accepted the gong for young player of the year.
Abbott was the unfortunate bowler whose bouncer killed Australia batsman Phillip Hughes but, despite fears of his future in the game, has returned strongly from the incident and is expected to have a big international future.
Abbott said: "I am thankful for the support of the Australian cricket family and wider community, as well as my own family, close friends and team-mates, and especially my girlfriend Brier.
"I feel privileged to receive such an award, especially after a couple of good seasons in a row on the field and some tough off seasons pushing myself to continually improve. I feel that this is a reward for a lot of good work and finally putting some consistent good."
