Who was Thunder’s best player of BBL|09?
Sydney Thunder is set to announce the winner of the Mike Hussey Medal for BBL|09 on Friday 3 April.
The winner will be announced through online channels after Cricket NSW cancelled its annual awards evening in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Here’s a closer look at the contenders for the Mike Hussey Medal, won last year by Callum Ferguson.
Alex Hales
The big-hitting Englishman was a welcome addition to the Thunder Nation this season.
Hales finished as the second leading run-scorer in the competition with 576 runs at an average of 38.40, including seven half-centuries and five consecutive innings of 47+ runs.
His consistent performances saw him recognised as the third best player of the tournament by match officials.
Hales also grabbed one of the best catches of the summer at Blundstone Arena in Hobart.
Daniel Sams
The left-arm quick’s brilliant form throughout BBL|09 saw him smash the record for the most wickets taken in a season.
Sams took 30 wickets from 17 games at an average of 15.37, overtaking Kane Richardson’s record of 24 wickets.
His best figures of 4/34 came against the Hobart Hurricanes at Blundstone Arena.
Alex Ross
Ross took no time to find his place in the Thunder set up after crossing from the Brisbane Heat.
The classy middle-order batsman scored 372 runs at an average of 37.20, including two half-centuries.
One of his best performances came against the Melbourne Stars in the Challenger Final at the MCG when he struck 58 to keep Thunder right in the game until the very end.
Chris Morris
In his debut Big Bash season, the South African all-rounder claimed 22 wickets at an average of 19.36 and scored a handy 112 runs at a strike rate of 147.37.
Morris proved to be a match-winner with bat and ball, helping Thunder reach finals for the second time in the club’s history.
Past winners of the Mike Hussey Medal:
BBL|08 – Callum Ferguson
BBL|07 – Shane Watson
BBL|06 – Pat Cummins
BBL|05 – Shane Watson and Usman Khawaja
BBL|04 – Jacques Kallis
BBL|03 – Gurinder Sandhu
BBL|02 – Dirk Nannes
BBL|01 – Chris Gayle
Name of Author: Sydney Thunder
The Sydney Thunder is an Australian professional cricket team competing in the Big Bash League (BBL). Based at Sydney Showground Stadium, the Thunder, along with the Sydney Sixers, succeeded the New South Wales Blues from the defunct KFC Twenty20 Big Bash.