Hayden chosen as Mercantile Mutual Cup Player of the Series

Queensland Bulls batsman Matthew Hayden has been chosen as the Mercantile Mutual Cup Player of the Series.

Hayden won the award by topping a poll of umpires standing in Mercantile Mutual Cup matches through the season after an outstanding summer in the competition.

The Bulls left-hander collects $5000 for his efforts, together with a trophy from Mercantile Mutual.

Hayden scored 532 runs in six matches, including three hundreds, and easily headed both the averages and the run-aggregates for the competition this summer.

His form helped the Bulls to the Mercantile Mutual Cup Final, where they played the Western Warriors at the WACA in Perth on Sunday, and also earned him an international recall to the Coca-Cola Australian Tour of New Zealand 2000. Hayden responded to that call-up with two fifties in the opening two matches of the one-day series.

The award was voted upon by both standing umpires in each match on a 3-2-1 basis and Hayden's efforts left him well clear of his nearest rivals, the Western Warriors duo of Test batsman Justin Langer and Mike Hussey and the Tasmanian Tigers' all-rounder Shaun Young.

Hayden said: "The fact that I am currently in New Zealand shows the significance of the Mercantile Mutual Cup as it has helped me earn an international recall.

"I was able to put a decent run of scores together in a really competitive environment and that put me back into the minds of the selectors as a one-day player after almost six years out of that form of the game at international level.

"And now I've got that recall, with my performances in the competition playing a major part in that, it's up to me to make sure I now take my chance with both hands," Hayden added.