Watson wins second Allan Border Medal

Hussey bags the award for Twenty20.

MELBOURNE: Shane Watson won the Allan Border Medal as the Outstanding Australian Cricketer of the season for the second year in a row.

Watson was also named Player of the Year for Tests and One-Day Internationals (ODI) at a gala ceremony in Melbourne while David Hussey prevented a clean sweep by winning the Twenty20 award.

The 29-year-old Watson has accumulated 2,067 runs at an average of 39 over the three forms of international cricket since the voting period began last February, 451 more than the second most prolific run-maker Mike Hussey.

Despite opening the batting, Watson also took 47 wickets at an average of 26.53 for his country, Australia’s fourth highest wicket-taker over the same period. One of the highlights of his year was the unbeaten 161 he scored to help Australia make a winning start in the ODI series against England, Watson sealing victory with a six at the start of the 50th over.

The all-rounder was eventually named Player of the Series on Sunday. Watson will have been less happy with the three run outs he was involved in during the Ashes series. Australia captain Ricky Ponting (2006 and 2007) is the only other player to have won the Allan Border Medal, which is decided by votes from players, umpires and media, two years in a row.

Former captain Mark Taylor and middle-order batsman Doug Walters were also inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame at the ceremony.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 8^th, 2011.