Bond scoops major prize at New Zealand awards night

Fast bowler Shane Bond added another notch to his lengthening belt of honours when named the National Bank New Zealand Player of the Year at a function in Auckland.

Bond, who had earlier won the Winsor Cup awarded annually to the most meritorious bowling in men's first-class cricket and the Walter Hadlee Trophy for similar bowling in One-Day Internationals, carried off the award cap a great summer in which he broke the record of best bowling in ODIs for New Zealand with his six for 23 against Australia at the World Cup.

In Test matches he took five-wicket bags during both matches in the West Indies where New Zealand won a Test and a series against the home side for the first time. He took another 12 wickets in the two home Tests against India.

Bond faces a busy winter as after the tour of Sri Lanka he will travel to England to play for Warwickshire in the County Championship.

In the Walter Hadlee Trophy the other finalists were Jacob Oram and Scott Styris, who previously held the best one-day return record for New Zealand with six for 25 in the West Indies.

In the Winsor Cup the other contenders were Daryl Tuffey and Matthew Walker.

Walker, from Wellington, didn't go home empty-handed however. He won the State Medal which is awarded to the most outstanding play in men's domestic cricket and which is decided on a points system with opposition coaches voting throughout the summer.

The Redpath Cup for the most meritorious batting in first-class cricket went to Mark Richardson, who previously won the Cup in the summer of 2000/01. Richardson scored crucial half-centuries in the Test-match victories over the West Indies and India (first Test) and ended the period under consideration with 885 runs. Also in contention were Stephen Fleming and Tim McIntosh.

Fleming's emergence as a more consistent batsman in the one-day game was rewarded with the Walter Hadlee Trophy for One-Day International batting. It was his second win in the category. He headed off four-time winner of the Trophy Nathan Astle and Scott Styris.

Central Districts' women's cricketer Aimee Mason won the State Plate as the most outstanding player in women's domestic cricket as voted by opposition coaches during the summer.

The Ruth Martin Cup for most meritorious women's batting was awarded to Maia Lewis, ahead of Emily Drumm and Nicola Payne while the Phyl Blackler Cup for the most meritorious bowler saw left-arm spinner Rebecca Steele win, ahead of Drumm and Frances King.

Former international bowler and long-serving selector Frank Cameron was awarded the Sutcliffe Medal for outstanding services to cricket.