They were recognised as the country’s outstanding women’s and men’s cricketers of the year, carrying off the inaugural Debbie Hockley Medal and the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal.
Mitchell, who also won the Redpath Cup for men’s first-class batting, was recognised for a standout year across the board but particularly at test level.
He scored four centuries, played a leading hand in the Black Caps’ last-ball win against Sri Lanka in Christchurch, and rose to No8 in the world test batting rankings.
He ended the year with 913 test runs at an average of 70.23, including a highest score of 190 against England at Trent Bridge.
Kerr, the first player to be awarded the newly-minted Debbie Hockley Medal for the most outstanding women’s cricketer of the year, was also named the women’s T20I player of the year.
The leg-spinning all-rounder was her T20I team’s second-highest run-scorer with 423 runs at 32.53 (strike-rate 112.20) and equal second-highest wicket-taker with 17 at 20.41, achieved with an economy rate of 5.52. She also averaged 40.66 with the bat in ODIs.
Black Caps wicketkeeper Tom Blundell was recognised for his continued improvement in red-ball cricket with the test player of the year award.
Blundell totalled 849 runs at 60.64, including two centuries and six half-centuries, and effected 38 dismissals.
Tim Southee was the winner of the Winsor Cup for men’s first-class bowling after another strong year in the five-day format, taking 32 test wickets.
On the domestic front, Kate Anderson was recognised for a breakout year for Canterbury with the bat, winning the Ruth Martin Cup for domestic women’s batting, the women’s Super Smash player of the year award, as well as being named the women’s domestic player of the year.
Anderson’s Canterbury team-mate, Gabby Sullivan, was awarded the Phyl Blackler Cup for women’s domestic bowling.
Chris Brown was named the umpire of the year.
The Bert Sutcliffe Medal for outstanding service to cricket was awarded to the New Zealand Cricket Players Association long-standing chief executive, Heath Mills.
The citation, read by NZC chairman Martin Snedden, noted the way Mills had forged a trusting and constructive relationship with NZC, the likes of which has not been replicated anywhere else in the world.
Snedden said Mills was now recognised as the foremost authority on player advocacy in international cricket, and would without doubt be remembered as one of the most influential figures in the history of NZC.
