Melie Kerr, Jacob Duffy the big winners at New Zealand Cricket’s annual awards

Thursday, 26 March 2026

Barely 24 hours after crunching a memorable T20I century against South Africa, Melie Kerr’s accolades continued when she collected a remarkable fourth straight women’s player of the year award.

The White Ferns captain pocketed another Debbie Hockley Medal at New Zealand Cricket’s annual awards in Auckland on Thursday night, while Black Caps pace bowler Jacob Duffy won the supreme men’s award - the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal - for the first time.

Kerr contributed to the Wellington Blaze’s third straight Super Smash title while delivering consistently across all formats for the White Ferns.

She topped the White Ferns’ T20I run-scoring with 354 runs at an average of 70, earned the women’s T20I player of the year award, and ranked second in wickets taken in women’s T20Is over the season. Her knock of 105 off 55 balls ensured a 92-run victory over South Africa in Christchurch on Wednesday.

“Quite simply, we’re talking about a dominant force in every facet of the game, and one of the most influential players in women’s cricket history,” Hockley said as she presented the medal.

Duffy was rewarded for a season of relentless, high-quality bowling across all formats, claiming 25 test wickets at an outstanding average of 16, including three five-wicket hauls in just four tests.

The Southlander delivered over 150 overs in the three-test series against the West Indies, more than any other New Zealand bowler, highlighted by a marathon 43-over stint in Christchurch.

Duffy also picked up the test player of the year award and the Winsor Cup for men’s first-class bowling, becoming one of the few players to claim three major awards in a single evening.

“Jacob’s durability, consistency, and ability to take wickets in pressure moments made him the most complete bowling performer of the season,” Hadlee said.

While Kerr has dominated the women’s award, Duffy was the seventh different player to win the Hadlee medal in as many years, after Ross Taylor (2020), Kane Williamson (2021), Tim Southee (2022), Daryl Mitchell (2023), Rachin Ravindra (2024) and Matt Henry a year ago.

Tim Seifert claimed the men’s T20I player of the year after scoring 739 T20I runs (300 more than the next-best Black Cap) at a strike rate of 154 and average of 41. The power hitting opener was a central figure in the Black Caps’ charge to the T20 World Cup final against India.

Daryl Mitchell was a clear winner of the men’s ODI player of the year, piling up 692 runs at a remarkable average of 138 across eight innings, including three centuries. He was a key man in the Black Caps’ first ODI series win in India and also rose to be ranked No 1 ODI batter in the world.

Brooke Halliday took out the women’s ODI player of the year, leading the White Ferns’ run-scoring with 391 at an average of 71.

Canterbury’s Henry Nicholls swept the domestic batting honours, winning the Redpath Cup for men’s first-class batting (793 runs at 99, with four centuries and a high score of 226) and the men’s domestic player of the year award after also topping the Ford Trophy run charts.

Wellington’s Jess Kerr was the standout on the women’s domestic scene, claiming the women’s domestic player of the year, Super Smash women’s player of the year, and Phyl Blackler Cup for women’s domestic bowling.

Katene Clarke was named Super Smash men’s player of the year (431 runs at a strike rate of 172) while Kate Anderson won the Ruth Martin Cup for women’s domestic batting with 776 runs across the season.

Former New Zealand player, board director, board chair, and NZC chief executive Martin Snedden was recognised with the Bert Sutcliffe Medal for outstanding services to cricket.

Snedden’s involvement with NZC spanned a remarkable 46 years, since he was first selected in the national team in 1980.

Jeremy Coney and Haidee Tiffen were formally inducted into the NZC hall of fame, the first additions since the inaugural “First Eleven” class last summer.

Coney captained New Zealand through its first golden era in the 1980s, while Tiffen was one of the world’s premier all-rounders between 1999 and 2009.

NZC award winners for 2025-26

Debbie Hockley Medal (women’s player of the year): Melie Kerr

Sir Richard Hadlee Medal (men’s player of the year): Jacob Duffy

Bert Sutcliffe Medal (outstanding services to cricket): Martin Snedden

Test player: Jacob Duffy

Men’s ODI player: Daryl Mitchell

Women’s ODI player: Brooke Halliday

Men’s T20I player: Tim Seifert

Women’s T20I player: Melie Kerr

Men’s domestic player: Henry Nicholls

Women’s domestic player: Jess Kerr

Super Smash men’s player: Katene Clarke

Super Smash women’s player: Jess Kerr

Redpath Cup (men’s first-class batting): Henry Nicholls

Ruth Martin Cup (women’s domestic batting): Kate Anderson

Winsor Cup (men’s first-class bowling): Jacob Duffy

Phyl Blackler Cup (women’s domestic bowling): Jess Kerr

Umpire: Chris Gaffaney