Johannesburg - When the dust had settled after the Cricket South Africa (CSA) awards event, wicketkeeper/batsman Quinton de Kock had won all but the one award he probably should have been given – that of patron saint of lost causes.
Throughout South Africa’s international season, his calling card with the bat was a sting in the tail after the top and middle order had been shunted out, as was the case in the Test series away in Australia and the Test series against New Zealand in their backyard.
But because the judges in these matters don’t give such an award, Quinny had to settle for the other five awards: South African Cricketer of the Year; Standard Bank Test Cricketer of the Year; Standard Bank ODI Cricketer of the Year; SA Player’s Player of the Year and SA Fans’ Player of the Year.
Leading Proteas performer
What would ordinarily have been an exercise in cleaning up was slightly overshadowed by Kagiso Rabada’s haul last year – the fast bowler took home an unprecedented six awards.
However, when it came to the leading Proteas performer across all formats this season, there was no looking past the 24-year-old De Kock.
The International Cricket Council ODI Cricketer of the Year had a sensational year, coming within 11 runs of beating Gary Kirsten’s record for the most runs scored in a one-day international by a South African (188 not out) with an astonishing 178 against Australia at SuperSport Park.
The only awards he didn’t get were the Standard Bank T20 International Player of the Year Award, which went to the evergreen and impressive Imran Tahir for the second year in a row, and the KFC Award of Excellence, which went to his mucking mate Temba Bavuma for that low-flying runout of David Warner in the Test series against Australia.
Much as he seemed to like the feeling of donning a Superman suit, De Kock wasn’t eligible for the Ram Delivery of the Year Award, which went to familiar face Rabada for castling Australian batsman Usman Khawaja in the Perth Test of the Aussie tour.
Debut season
Suné Luus was named SA Women’s Cricketer of the Year, while Lizelle Lee was named SA Women’s Players’ Player of the Year, with the International Newcomer of the Year awards going to left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj and lusty hitter Laura Wolvaardt.
In domestic cricket, Proteas and Knights fast bowler Duanne Olivier was named Sunfoil Series Cricketer of the Year, with Titans coach and former Proteas wicketkeeper Mark Boucher named the Pitchvision Coach of the Year in his debut season.
Titans players Farhaan Behardien and Henry Davids won the CSA T20 Challenge Player of the Year and the Momentum One-Day Cup Cricketer of the Year, respectively, with Aiden Markram winning Domestic Newcomer of the Year. The Titans also won the CSA Fair Play Award.