Melie Kerr and Matt Henry dominate NZ Cricket awards

10:01 pm on 9 April 2025

RNZ Sport

Black Cap Matt Henry, White Fern Melie Kerr and Black Cap Jacob Duffy Photo: Collage/Photosport

White Fern Melie Kerr and Black Cap Matt Henry have won eight awards between them at New Zealand Cricket Awards.

Kerr secured the Debbie Hockley Medal for an unprecedented third consecutive year as the 24-year-old dominated the awards night in Auckland and was recognised for her performances for the White Ferns and the Wellington Blaze.

The heartbeat of the White Ferns' 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup triumph, Kerr was named Player of the Final and Player of the Tournament and was later awarded the Rachel Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year, as well as being named ICC Women's T20I Player of the Year.

In the New Zealand awards, she swept the Women's ODI Player of the Year (14 wickets, average 33 with the bat) and Women's T20I Player of the Year awards, while her 441 runs and 15 wickets earned her the Super Smash Women's Player of the Year title.

"Melie's consistency, skill, and passion for the game are an inspiration to us all, and I couldn't be prouder to see her name etched alongside mine once again," noted Debbie Hockley as she announced the winner.

Henry matched Kerr's brilliance, earning the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal with a season of inspired success across all formats.

Leading the Black Caps' attack, Henry claimed Test Player of the Year honours with 25 wickets at 20.08 in five Tests, including an eight-wicket haul in Bangalore during the historic series win against India.

His 24 wickets at 15.50 secured the Men's ODI Player of the Year award. He was pivotal to the Champions Trophy final run, while 28 wickets at 21.5 earned him the Winsor Cup for men's first-class bowling.

"Matt's match-defining contributions in high-stakes matches across all formats underscored his status as the season's most influential bowler," commented the award judges.

New Zealand's Kane Williamson celebrates his century against England, Hamilton, 2024.

Kane Williamson Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Jacob Duffy's world-class 21 wickets at 9.71 in T20Is, elevating him to No.1 in the ICC T20I bowler rankings, earned him the Men's T20I Player of the Year, while Kane Williamson's consistency was recognised with the Redpath Cup for men's first-class batting.

Nothern Districts' Brett Hampton is Men's Domestic Player of the Year.

Eden Carson winner of Women's Domestic Player of the Year. Photo:

Otago Sparks' Eden Carson is Women's Domestic Player of the Year with her 40 wickets across the season and match-winning 59 in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield final a highlight.

Tom Bruce (Super Smash Men's Player of the Year), Maddy Green (Ruth Martin Cup), and Carson (Phyl Blackler Cup) rounded out a strong domestic contingent.

A poignant highlight was the Bert Sutcliffe Medal for Outstanding Services to Cricket, NZC's most prestigious non-playing honour, awarded to Francis Payne.

A cricket historian of global renown, the award recognised Payne's significant contributions to the documentation and preservation of New Zealand cricket history, most notably through his long-standing, 42-year role as co-editor of the New Zealand Cricket Almanack, a publication regarded as the definitive resource for followers of the New Zealand game.

Payne has also been a familiar figure in New Zealand's cricket community, frequently appearing as a contributor on radio and television to provide expert commentary and analysis from the 1980s onwards.

"Francis' meticulous approach to storytelling has brought to life, and continues to illuminate, the people and moments that underpin the game we watch and enjoy today," noted NZC chair, Diana Puketapu-Lyndon.