Bichel wins Pura Cup Player of the Year prize

Andy Bichel, who was today named the Pura Cup Player of the Year, is in line to become the first Queenslander in Australian first-class history to achieve a 500-run, 50-wicket season. Bichel needs only five dismissals and 51 runs in the final starting on Friday to join Greg Matthews, the New South Wales allrounder who entered the exclusive list in 1992-93.

Bichel last played for Australia in 2004, but he has continued to out-perform most of his domestic rivals this summer, finishing the regular rounds in second place on the wicket table and boasting four half-centuries and a batting average of 37.41. Bichel's 16 votes narrowly beat Darren Lehmann (15), Brett Dorey (13) and Michael Kasprowicz (13) for the main individual prize. In a further boost to Queensland before the final against Victoria, the Bulls were given the Benaud Spirit of Cricket award at the Gabba.

Mark Cosgrove, who collected 591 runs including two hundreds and four fifties, took the ING Cup Player of the Year gong on a countback after being tied with Lehmann, his South Australia captain. Both batsmen picked up 26 votes but Cosgrove was deemed the winner because he had more maximum hauls in the 3-2-1 system. Karen Rolton, the new Australia women's captain, dominated the WCNL Player of the Year category, registering 27 votes and a nine-point buffer over Alex Blackwell.

Simon Taufel was the Cricket Australia Umpire of the Year for his "exceptional international season" while New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia tied for the Women's Spirit of Cricket prize. The Benaud spirit awards were voted on by the match officials who judged how teams followed the game's traditions and values.

Pura Cup Player of the Year
Andy Bichel 16 votes
Darren Lehmann 15
Brett Dorey 13
Michael Kasprowicz 13

ING Cup Player of the Year
Mark Cosgrove 26
Darren Lehmann 26
David Hussey 25
Phil Jaques 21

WCNL Player of the Year
Karen Rolton 27
Alex Blackwell 18
Melissa Bulow 17
Shelley Nitschke 17
Lisa Sthalekar 17