CMS CRICKET AWARDS 2017.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Which leads us to the main category in the white ball game, the FIVE ODI CRICKETERS OF THE YEAR.

5. AB DE VILLIERS of South Africa, a truly ground breaking limited overs bat, who missed much of the year with injury, but averaged 60 in 19 matches at a rate of 116, way beyond anything his contemporaries could match. His 176 against Bangladesh in Paarl off only 104 balls was his most notable innings of the year.

4. Joe ROOT of England, arguably his country's great limited overs batter ever, who was one of only two players to average over 70 in 2017. Unbelievably Joe was touted by many England fans to be dropped but was the fourth highest ODI run scorer in the world last year, in far fewer games than the three ahead of him.

3. That there is only bowler in the five ODI players of the year really demonstrates how thankless a task propelling the ball is now on limited overs pitches and in modern grounds. That it went to HASAN ALI of Pakistan is supremely well deserved for the 48 dismissals which made him the leading wicket taker in ODIs in 2017. His economy rate of 5.1 was exceptional for a bowler only operating at the back end of the innings, and he was the stand out bowler of the Champions Trophy.

2. Runner up is ROHIT SHARMA, who has now surely earned his right to walk out with Sachin Tendulkar as opener in India's all time limited overs XI... He was one of two batters to make six fifty over tons in 2017, and won the innings of the year award earlier in the night for his double century in Mohali.

1. And our best ODI player of the year, may well be the best ever. It's VIRAT KOHLI of course, who matched Joe Root's 70+ average and scored the same six centuries as Rohit, all at a strike rate of 99! For a game played at the absolute edge of sustainable attacking intent, his consistency is phenomenal and few would quibble at his recent status as the best limited overs player in the world. The debate to be had is whether he is the best ever.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Carried over until tomorrow.

The Best Test Innings and Bowling Performance of 2017.

The prestigious Five Test Players of the Year Awards.

And the big one, The CMS International Cricketer of the Year.

Join me tomorrow after I've woken up, sobered up and had my breakfast.

Thanks for joining me tonight for our rather fragmented ceremony.

[bigfluffylemon]

Good night AC. I look forward to the test awards, especially best test. It's been a year for one-sided contests, both in individual games and series, but there's a couple of possibilities, so I'm curious which will take it.

Out of interest, did my ODI votes count? I nominated Shrubsole's 6-46 as best ODI bowling and the women's world cup final as best ODI, but I wasn't sure if they counted as an 'ODI', or if it had to be a men's game. It's academic now the winners have been announced which is why I have left it until now to mention (my second picks wouldn't have won either, so it doesn't matter), but I was wondering for the record if they were eligible.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I counted all your first choices bfl, but yours were the lone women's game choices so didn't make it. Amir was clear winner in the ODI bowling section and Virat as captain. I found your entry very interesting and different, so thanks for sending it. If the women's game attracted a lot of votes across the whole poll, we could shelve the woman's category, but that's still some way off.

[bigfluffylemon]

I counted all your first choices bfl, but yours were the lone women's game choices so didn't make it. Amir was clear winner in the ODI bowling section and Virat as captain. I found your entry very interesting and different, so thanks for sending it. If the women's game attracted a lot of votes across the whole poll, we could shelve the woman's category, but that's still some way off.

I'm not at all surprised I was the only one to pick those, but thanks for counting them nonetheless. As I said, it doesn't matter, my second choices wouldn't have won either, but the winners are all well deserved. No complaints, just curiosity. I'm glad you enjoyed my somewhat unorthodox take on things this year

[Durhamfootman]

I picked some women last year, I think

[Arthur Crabtree]

The hangover never happened due to a lack of alcohol in the house and the lateness of the hour. In fact, I've been on an unintentional detox since the middle of December. Time to retox I think.

And back to the CMS poll, and we move onto the Test Match awards.

And we see that in 2017, schadenfreude was as widespread and rewarding as any other year. Most of the votes went for an unexpected defeat of a big three side. No. All the votes went to an unexpected turn over of one of the moneybags elite. We know the ones. And for the second year on the bounce, a BANGLADESH victory was the big winner, this time their triumph over AUSTRALIA in Dhaka last August. They snaffle the CMS TEST MATCH OF THE YEAR title for this debut Test win against the Baggy Greens. Not only was this an underdog's tale, it was a damn close game, with Australia dismissed for 244 in pursuit of 265 to win.

The hero for Bangladesh was Shakib-al-Hasan with two five wicket bags. Nathan Lyon took three then six on the losing side. Both had wonderful years at Test level, but it was NATHAN LYON who takes the BEST TEST BOWLING OF THE YEAR award for his 8-50 in another classic Test, Australia's 75 run defeat to India in Bengaluru in March. He took 8-50 in the India first innings, to set up a close game (with Australia already 1-0 up in the series) which was so close for three days but finally conceded by the tourists when dismissed for 112 chasing only 188 to win.

In 14 Tests, the balding off spinner has 64 wickets at 33.3 versus the Indian masters of spin. Shane Warne played India 14 times also, and took 43 wickets at 47.2. Who is the Greatest of All-Time?

We stay with this series for the CMS TEST INNINGS OF THE YEAR, which goes to STEVE SMITH for his 109 on a difficult pitch in Pune. No one else got past 31 in the second innings of the game, and there were only three other scores past fifty (out in the sixties) in the Test. And it was this innings that gave Steve O'Keefe the runs to win the game with the ball. This victory in the first Test was foreseen only by carnival clairvoyants and professional charlatans. It wasn't going to happen and Smith's innings lit the fire under what became the best series of the year. And there is no doubt that the Aussie captain was the best Test bat in 2017.

[Dr Cricket]

how did I forget about Steve smith 109 lol.
while picking the best innings I went for people scoring runs Away from home lol.
if I could change my vote I would go for that innings as well.

[Arthur Crabtree]

There has been a significant turn over in star performers in the last twelve months. Only one of our Test players of the year returns to the five in 2017. Only one in the ODI list is picked again, and it is the same player*.

5. JAMES ANDERSON of England. The Lancashire seamer's brilliant average last year came thanks to a parsimonious late career economy rate. His average of 17.6 was easily the best for any type of bowler. His home pitch average of 14.1 was even further ahead of the field. More than ever, at this late stage of his career, Anderson is the beast most perfectly evolved to hunt on English pitches and in its climate. At least, within living memory.

=2. VIRAT KOHLI* of India. The Indian captain had another quietly brilliant year in five day cricket, averaging 75 and passing 200 on three occasions. If he doesn't dominate the game at Test level as he does in ODIs, he still made over 1000 run. All ten of his Tests were on Asian pitches, and he is a master in those conditions. Only Pujara, Tendulkar, Azharuddin and Sidhu average more than Kohli in Asia among Indian bats.

=2. NATHAN LYON of Australia. 2017 was the year when Lyon went from being a cult bowler with a following of appreciative but slightly ironic advocates and plenty of entrenched detractors, to being recognised as among the very best spinners in the world. And he finally clearly stepped out of the shadow of Shane Warne. Lyon was the top wicket taker of the year, with the best strike rate of any spinner. He took a lot of wickets, not only at home, but also in Asia.

=2. KAGISO RABADA of South Africa. Rabada was the leading pace bowling wicket taker in the year with the best strike rate among all the bowlers, of 38. He didn't go without a wicket in any innings he bowled in. Injury on the tour of England was the only stumble in 2017, yet he still took 16 wickets in his three starts there. And all this without getting regular use of the new ball.

1. STEVE SMITH of Australia. Smith was unquestionably the star Test player of 2017 under the huge burden placed upon him at the buttress of the Australian batting. His consistency and appetite for runs was astonishing. His six hundreds and three fifties (note that conversion rate) in 17 completed innings is even more than Bradmanesque. And his hundred in Pune was rated the innings of the year by CMS voters. He has emerged from the pack of his most illustrious contemporaries to become the best Test match batsman of his generation.

And finally, the CMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR, is a tie between Virat Kohli, last year's winner and Steve Smith.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Thanks to all who voted- much appreciated.

And felicitations to all who read.

That was 2017.

Goodbye.

Welcome 2018...

[meninblue]

Thanks to all who voted- much appreciated.

And felicitations to all who read.

That was 2017.

Goodbye.

Welcome 2018...

With the amount of cricketing formats i follow, matches that i watch, the international and domestic teams of so many countries, the T20 global tournaments, the cricket content i read , post , discuss , not to mention the few matches i get to dream etc. etc. there is so much cricketing content in the head that at times a lot is forgotten as well as jumbled. In that sense it was a very nice cricket recap for me apart from recollecting the loss to Pakistan in CT 2017.

This awards concept is nice, good that is continued. Superbly conducted.

[yuppie]

What a great read AC, a real treat to read. Thanks for that, very entertaining.

[Durhamfootman]

Is it too late to slip my little black dress back on?

great work AC

[bigfluffylemon]

Is it too late to slip my little black dress back on?

great work AC

*click* One for the front pages I think...

Thanks again AC, you're a star. It appears as if my test selections were a little more orthodox than my ODI ones...

Well done to the winners, all well deserved. One day, when the CMS awards eclipse Wisden, the winners will look back and say it all started here...

[Arthur Crabtree]

Fellas.