SUTHERLAND and Australian batsman Steve Smith capped off a sensational year of personal success when he was named 2015 Allan Border Medallist at Cricket Australia's annual awards.
In a clean sweep, Smith, 25, also won the ODI and Test Player of the Year awards on Tuesday night at Carriageworks, Eveleigh, becoming only the third player to win all three major awards in the one year (after Ricky Ponting in 2007 and Shane Watson in 2011).
The medal recognises the most outstanding player of the past season as voted by his peers, the media and umpires.
"I thought I would be up there but I certainly didn't think I'd be collecting the one-day, the Test and the A.B. Medal," Smith told Fairfax Media.
"I've joined a pretty illustrious group of players that have come before me."
Smith polled 243 votes for the medal, beating opening batsman David Warner with 175.
Smith's awards mark a tremendous record for Sutherland District Cricket Club. Three of its players have won the Allan Border Medal since its inauguration in 2000, including Watson and Glenn McGrath.
McGrath is from Narromine while Smith is a Sutherland junior. It also makes Sutherland the only club to have produced two medallists (Watson started his career in Brisbane).
Sutherland club historian Tom Iceton said everyone at the club was very proud of what Smith had achieved over the past year.
"To have a local junior appointed as Australia's Test captain was one of the highlights of the club's 50-year history," Iceton said.
"When you add all of the achievements that Steve has had over this season, it was not surprising that he scooped the pool."
In the voting period, Steve's stats were: nine Test matches with 1212 runs, 86.57 average and five centuries; and 11 ODI matches, 522 runs, 52.20 average and two centuries.
