2002-03 Annual R eport 2002-03 Annual R eport - Australian Sports ...

Tributes and Milestones
Young talent time. Queensland
Bulls off-spinner Nathan Hauritz
continues to impress. Not only
did he gain selection for tours to
the World Cup and West Indies,
but was recognised as the year’s
most outstanding young
cricketer.
Back-to-back success: National
women’s vice-captain Karen
Rolton again dominated
international and domestic
cricket in 2003. It was her
second-consecutive Women’s
International Player of the Year
award.
NATHAN HAURITZ
BRADMAN YOUNG CRICKETER
OF THE YEAR
A second Queenslander was honoured on Allan Border Medal night, with 22-year-old off-spinner
Nathan Hauritz being named the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year.
Hauritz made a solid impact for his state in both domestic competitions during the voting period,
taking 44 wickets at an average of 23.91 in Pura Cup and ING Cup cricket.
He claimed eight wickets in his five Pura Cup games and went on to finish the season as
Queensland’s equal highest ING Cup wicket-taker with 14 at an average of 18.14.
His ING Cup haul was the best return by a spin bowler in the competition.
Such performances certainly captured the attention of the national selectors, and it was no
surprise when Hauritz was called up for Australia’s successful ICC Cricket World Cup campaign,
and a subsequent trip to the West Indies in April/May.
Playing three matches in the Caribbean, he worked hard with the ball (claiming two wickets) and
gained valuable experience in testing conditions.
He joins Brett Lee, Nathan Bracken and Shane Watson as winners of the award.
All contracted first-class Australian players cast one vote for the award, on the criteria that the
player must be under 24-years-of-age and have played less than 10 first-class matches at the time
of voting.
KAREN ROLTON
WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL
CRICKETER OF THE YEAR
For the second consecutive year, dynamic left-hand batter Karen Rolton was voted Australia’s most
outstanding female cricketer of the past 12 months.
After claiming the inaugural Women’s International Cricketer of the Year award in 2002, the 29year-old
Australian vice-captain continued her batting dominance during the Rose Bowl series
between Australia and New Zealand.
During the six-match Rose Bowl series, Rolton made more runs than any other player, scoring 330
at an average of 66.00, with a strike-rate of 87.30.
In the last match at Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln, she scored an unbeaten century (105 from 102
balls) to steer the Australian team, the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars, to victory and help
the side record its highest limited-overs score against New Zealand (253) on the last ball of the
game.
From 67 one-day international appearances for Australia (equal second highest), Rolton has now
scored 2278 runs – second only to Australian captain, Belinda Clark.
In domestic competition, the Southern Scorpions captain was the leading run-scorer in the
Women’s National Cricket League for the third consecutive year, with 468 runs at 78.00. Rolton
also finished the season as the competition’s third highest wicket-taker, her left-arm mediumpacers
capturing 15 wickets at 8.60 apiece.
The Women’s International Cricketer of the Year is voted by Australian team members, umpires
and national selectors.
42