Warner beats Smith by one vote to win third Allan Border Medal
Marnus Labuschagne and Aaron Finch claimed Australia's Test and ODI honours while David Warner won the Allan Border Medal for his displays.
Published : Feb 10, 2020 19:04 IST
David Warner has won the Allan Border Medal for the third time after edging out team-mate Steve Smith by the narrowest of margins.
Australia opener Warner polled 194 votes, one more than Smith, while last year's winner Pat Cummins was also close behind with 185.
Marnus Labuschagne won the award for Men's Test Player of the Year, with Smith again coming a close second, while Aaron Finch claimed the ODI honour for the first time and Warner made it a double by landing the T20I gong.
Warner previously won the Allan Border Medal in 2016 and 2017, with four-time winners Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke the only players to have won the accolade, considered the most prestigious individual prize in Australian men's cricket, on more occasions.
The 33-year-old impressed across all formats during last season, scoring three centuries at the Cricket World Cup at an average of 71.88.
Warner struggled as Australia retained the Ashes in England but rebounded with superb home Test performances against Pakistan, versus whom he scored 335 not out in Adelaide, and then New Zealand.
The batsman's T20 form was spectacular, as he averaged 147.61 in three clashes with Sri Lanka and 140 in another trio of matches against Pakistan, helping him to see off 2019 winner Glenn Maxwell in the voting for the T20 honour in addition to the Allan Border Medal.
Warner and Smith both impressed as they returned from one-year suspensions in 2019 after their involvement in the ball-tampering affair the previous year.
The Australian Cricket Awards are voted for by players, the media and umpires after each Australia game.
Fast bowler Wes Agar was named The Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year, while in the women's game The Belinda Clark Award went to Ellyse Perry, who like Warner is a three-time winner of the top prize available.