Melbourne:David Warner won his third Allan Border Medal, while Ellyse Perry claimed her second Belinda Clark Award at the Australian Cricket Awards, here on Monday.
Warner won the prestigious medal by beating Steve Smith by a solitary vote, while fast bowler and last year's winner Pat Cummins came third.
Warner made a stunning return to the cricket ground following a year's suspension because of the 2018 Cape Town ball-tampering scandal.Warner had a superb campaign during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019, scoring 647 runs across the tournament, second only to Rohit Sharma's 648, as well as smashing the highest individual innings of the tournament a mammoth 147-ball 166 against Bangladesh during the group stage.
He then struck the second-highest ever Test score by an Australian, carting 335* in 418 balls against Pakistan in Adelaide.
An emotional Warner fought back tears during his acceptance speech after claiming the AB Medal and said, "I couldn't be any prouder to stand here and receive the award ... (and) to see the rest of the other guys doing so well," Warner said, according to Cricket Australia.
"I really had a hunger and determination to come back and really put my foot forward ... so to have a summer like that really put a smile on my face, " he added.
Meanwhile, Perry won the Belinda Clark Award after her teammate Alyssa Healy bagged both the T20 and ODI Player of the Year awards for women's cricketers.Breakout batting sensation Marnus Labuschagne took the honour of Men's Test Player of the Year, after an incredible run of form in which he has scored 1249 runs in 15 innings, starting when he came in as a concussion substitute during the Ashes for Steve Smith.Warner also took home the Men's T20I Player of the Year award, while his opening partner Aaron Finch won the Men's ODI Player of the Year.(UNI)
