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Cape Town – Aviwe Mgijima received his franchise's top accolade on Friday when he was named the Cape Cobras’ Player of the Year for the 2016/2017 season.
The 28-year-old also received the Players’ Player of the Year trophy at the season-ending awards ceremony in the President’s Suite at Newlands.
Veteran Justin Ontong, a former South African Test, One Day International and T20 player, walked away with the spoils as Sunfoil Series Player of the Year.
Ontong struck 593 runs at an average of 53.90 and finished fourth on the national list of batting averages. His Cobras top-order colleague, Stiaan van Zyl, hammered 709 runs while averaging 47.26 and finished 12th on the national list of averages.
Richard Levi was explosive at the top of the order in the Momentum One Day Cup competition and blasted 412 runs at an average of 51.50, subsequently named the One Day Cup Player of the Year.
Wayne Parnell, a member of the South African team since his international recall in the Caribbean triangular tournament in 2016, struck 159 runs at an average of 31.80 for the Cobras at the top of the order in the CSA T20 Challenge.
As a fast bowler, he nipped out six batsmen and his haul came at an impressive average of 18.16. He was duly named the Cape Cobras’ CSA T20 Challenge player of the year.
Parnell has been a consistent member of the South African team that beat all-comers in the 2016/2017-season, whitewashing Australia and Sri Lanka and edging New Zealand in the land of the Long White Cloud. Parnell would cherish the team photo of the class of 2016/2017, as the Proteas have supplanted Australia as the number 1 ranked team in the world in the 50-over format.
Mgijima struck eight
half-centuries during his season.
In the Sunfoil Series, he was the glue that kept the lower order together and inspired them to spirited fight-backs with a number of excellent contributions, including his best of 73 for the season.
He struck 431 runs at an average of 28.73 in the Sunfoil Series, and assembled 246 runs at an average of 30.75 in the One Day Cup competition.
"I wish to congratulate all the recipients of the major
trophies for their well-deserved accolades," said Nabeal Dien, chief executive
officer of the Western Province Cricket Association.
"As the Western Province Cricket Association, we are immensely proud of the contributions by Aviwe. During the pre-season, he worked extensively with Ashwell Prince and his consistent excellence was reward for his work ethic, his self-belief and his commitment to make the Cobras great again."
Cape Cobras Award Winners:
Sunfoil Series Player of the Year: Justin Ontong
CSA T20 Cricket Challenge Player of the Year: Wayne Parnell
Momentum One Day Cup Player of the Year: Richard Levi
Players’ Player of the Year: Aviwe Mgijima
Player of the Year: Aviwe Mgijima
