Alex Blackwell named T20 Player of the Year

Sports Shoot / Delly Carr

The 2009/10 State Cricket Awards were held in Melbourne today (March 15) with the NSW Breakers winning the Benaud Spirit of Cricket Award for the National League while vice-captain, Alex Blackwell, added the Women’s Twenty20 Player of the Year Award to the Belinda Clark Medal she won last night.

The Breakers won the Benaud Spirit of Cricket Award for the National League (50 over) competition with 80 points, two clear of Victoria. The Breakers also finished third in the Twenty20 Spirit of Cricket Division, which was won by the Queensland Fire.

The Spirit of Cricket awards are decided by the officiating umpires who at the end of each game during the season (at all levels), issue points on a 4, 3, 2, 1, 0 basis on the conduct of all members of a team, with sides rewarded for displaying the true spirit, traditions and values of cricket. The Breakers last won this award back in 2007/08.

After winning the Belinda Clark Medal as the NSW Breakers Player of the Year last night, opening batter Alex Blackwell added the Women’s Domestic Twenty20 Player of the Year gong to her list of accolades.

Blackwell was the third leading run scorer in the Twenty20 competition, with 191 runs at 47.75. She polled 19 votes during the season, five clear of Victorian Sarah Elliott and the ACT’s Kris Britt.

Sarah Elliott won the National League Player of the Year finishing two votes clear of Breakers duo Ellyse Perry and Lisa Sthalekar.