KESH IS KING

LEFT-ARM spinner Keshav Maharaj was named South Africa’s Men's Player of the Year for the second time in three seasons at a glittering Cricket SA Awards at Emperors Palace on Thursday. 

Maharaj pipped fellow nominees Temba Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton and Marco Jansen after snaring 40 Test wickets at 20.57 last season.

The 35-year-old played just three ODIs during the judging period, but also enjoyed a solid T20 season with 14 wickets at 22.21.

Bavuma, who was a strong contender for the premier prize in SA cricket, was awarded the Test Player of the Year and SA Fans’ Player of the Year.

Rabada, meanwhile, was honoured by his teammates as the Players’ Player of the Year, while the white-ball awards were divided between Heinrich Klaasen (ODI Cricketer of the Year), Anrich Nortje (T20 Cricketer of the Year) and Ottniel Baartman (International Newcomer of the Year).

Nonkululeko Mlaba was the queen of the night on the women’s side. The Proteas star scooped four prestigious prizes after being crowned SA Women’s Player of the Year, Women’s Players’ Player of the Year, T20 Player of the Year and Women’s Best Delivery Fuelled by KFC.

Mlaba was consistent across all formats, starring with the ball in the Proteas’ sole Test match, claiming a maiden 10-wicket haul, while she also bagged 15 ODI wickets at an average of 22, and a further 16 T20 wickets at 18.62. 

She spearheaded the Proteas’ charge to a successive T20 World Cup final in the UAE last year, where the left-arm spinner finished as the tournament’s second top wicket-taker with 12 scalps at an average of 11.33. Mlaba broke the record for the most wickets by a South African at the T20 World Cup.

Seamer Ayanda Hlubi won the Women’s International Newcomer of the Year award.

Selected CSA award winners:

INTERNATIONAL MEN’S NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

• Ottneil Baartman

MEN’S T20 INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• Anrich Nortje

MEN’S ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• Heinrich Klaasen

MEN’S TEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• Temba Bavuma

MEN'S PLAYERS' PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• Kagiso Rabada

SA MEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• Keshav Maharaj

SA FANS’ PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• Temba Bavuma

MAKHAYA NTINI POWER OF CRICKET AWARD

• Dane Paterson

DOMESTIC MEN’S PLAYERS' PLAYER OF THE SEASON

• Dewald Brevis (Titans)

SA20 PLAYER OF THE SEASON (MVP)

• Marco Jasen

DIVISION 1 ONE-DAY CUP PLAYER OF THE SEASON

• Jon-Jon Smuts (Dolphins)

DIVISION 1 4-DAY DOMESTIC SERIES PLAYER OF THE SEASON

• Lhuan-dré Pretorius (Titans)

T20 CHALLENGE PLAYER OF THE SEASON

• Kwena Maphaka (Lions)

DIVISION 1 COACH OF THE YEAR

• Russell Domingo (Lions)