Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Australia opening batsman David Warner won the Allan Border Medal for the second successive year following his impressive performance with the bat.

Warner is just the fourth player to win the award in consecutive years after Ricky Ponting, Shane Watson and Michael Clarke.

Warner claimed the award ahead of captain Steve Smith and left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc. The 30-year-old received 269 votes, while Smith and Starc got 248 and 197 votes respectively.

During the voting period, which ran from January 8 last year to January 7, 2017, Warner struggled to have an impact with the bat in the longest format, but quickly made up for his lean spell with back-to-back hundreds against Pakistan in Melbourne and Sydney.

He also slammed the fastest half-century by an Australian player in Test history in the Test match in Sydney, requiring just 23 balls to do so.

He also amassed 1,388 runs in ODIs, which earned him the ODI Player of the Year award, and ended up finishing with 2,420 runs in total across all three formats.

“Thanks to my team-mates and Steve Smith – without you all I wouldn’t be here, as it’s a team game,” he said at the award ceremony in Sydney. “To the fans: we love the support you give, we love entertaining you and I think the game’s in a great state at the moment.”

Meanwhile, Starc did not leave empty-handed as he was bestowed with the honour of being named the Test Player of the Year.

Starc claimed a total of 52 wickets in Tests during the voting period and is the first bowler to win the award since Brett Lee back in 2008.

As for the T20I Player of the Year award, veteran all-rounder Shane Watson claimed the coveted prize.

Watson retired from international cricket at the end of the World Twenty20 in India last year. But, it was his performance in that tournament that earned him the award as he scored 96 runs in four matches at an average of 48 and picked up five wickets at an average of 20.60.

Meanwhile, David Boon, Matthew Hayden and Betty Wilson were all inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Full List of Awards

Allan Border Medal – David Warner

Belinda Clark Award – Meg Lanning

Test Player of the Year – Mitchell Starc

ODI Player of the Year – David Warner

T20I Player of the Year – Shane Watson

Men’s Domestic Player Award – Cameron White

Women’s Domestic Player Award – Meg Lanning

Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year – Hilton Cartwright

Betty Wilson Young Cricketer of the Year – Sophie Molineux