The 2015 CSA awards graced the Gallagher Estate on Wednesday night, and it was to no great surprise that AB de Villiers was the big winner, taking the SA Cricketer of the year award for the second successive year, on top of four other awards, writes Tom Sizeland.
De Villiers became the fourth player to win it twice after Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini and Hashim Amla, and the second to win it back-to-back (after Ntini in 2005 and 2006), while he emulated Amla’s tally of five awards he achieved in 2010.
The 31-year-old ODI captain won all the awards he was nominated for, including the ODI cricketer of the year and the KFC ‘So Good’ awards. Teammates and the public alike believed he was deserving too, as he won the SA Players’ Player of the Year and SA Fans’ Player of the Year awards.
He won the ‘So Good’ award courtesy of achieving the fastest ODI century in history, against West Indies, and it was his exploits in that match and again in the World Cup that went a long way towards him receiving the accolades.
His ton in January was achieved off just 31 balls, as he scored the quickest 50 in that innings too, off just 16 balls. He would then achieve the quickest ever 150 against the same opposition in the Australasia showpiece.
Other notable winners included Hashim Amla, who won the Test Cricketer of the Year award for a successful first season as captain of the five-day side, while Cape Cobras paceman Dane Paterson was acknowledged for his efforts in the Sunfoil Series, earning the Domestic Players’ Player of the Season and the SACA Most Valuable Player of the Year award.
There was also a fitting tribute from Graeme Smith to Jacques Kallis and his 18 years in the green and gold, which brought about a standing ovation inside the convention centre, to appreciate a career in what turned him into one of the finest all-rounders in the history of the game.
National awards:
SA Cricketer of the Year: AB de Villiers
Test Cricketer of the Year: Hashim Amla
Castle Lager ODI Cricketer of the Year: AB de Villiers
Ticketpro T20 International Cricketer of the Year: Morne van Wyk
SA Players’ Player of the Year: AB de Villiers
SA Fans’ Player of the Year: AB de Villiers
KFC ‘So Good’ Award: AB de Villiers (fastest ever ODI century v West Indies at the Wanderers)
RAM Delivery of the Year: Dale Steyn (third Test against West Indies at Newlands)
Momentum women’s Cricketer of the Year: Shabnim Ismail
Domestic awards:
Sunfoil Series Cricketer of the Season: Stephen Cook (Highveld Lions)
Momentum One-Day Cup Cricketer of the Season: Robin Peterson (Cape Cobras)
RAM SLAMMER of the Season: Kieron Pollard (Cape Cobras)
Pitchvision Coach of the Year: Geoffrey Toyana (Highveld Lions)
Domestic Players’ Player of the Season: Dane Paterson (Cape Cobras)
CSA Fair Play Award: The Titans
SACA Most Valuable Player Award: Dane Paterson (Cape Cobras)
