The dynamic left-hander has had a superb year and will lead the Redbacks into the Sheffield Shield final on Saturday
Head named Shield player of the year
Young South Australia captain Travis Head has been named Sheffield Shield player of the year, after a breakout campaign for the Redbacks.
With 699 runs to his name, the 22-year-old took out the award based on umpires' 3, 2, and 1 votes after each match. He polled 16 votes, ahead of the Shield's leading run-scorer Ben Dunk, young Bulls’ opener Matt Renshaw and Bushrangers’ seamer Scott Boland who each picked up 14 votes.
After notching his maiden first-class century, Head struck another two tons against the red ball this summer, helping South Australia reach their first Sheffield Shield final in 20 years.
The young gun has also impressed in limited-overs formats this season, with his sensational 53-ball ton in the KFC Big Bash League for the Adelaide Strikers on New Year’s Eve arguably the highlight of the domestic summer.
He also blasted a Matador Cup double-ton against Western Australia in October.
Meanwhile, the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) have announced their 2015/16 All Star Teams, which were voted on by Australian and state-contracted players around the country.
Coincidentally, the ACA Sheffield Team of the Year is the exact same side that was selected by cricket.com.au yesterday. The only difference is that George Bailey was named captain of the ACA side, while cricket.com.au opted for Head as skipper.
Quick Single: Our Sheffield Shield team of the season
Southern Stars captain Meg Lanning has been named as captain of the teams of the year for both the Women’s National Cricket League and the Rebel Women’s Big Bash League. She was also player of the tournament for both competitions.
The Tasmania Tigers and the Breezair South Australia Scorpions won the Benaud Spirit of Cricket awards in the male and female categories respectively.
Queensland fast-bowler Brendan Doggett is the Lord’s Taverners Indigenous Cricketer of the Year, New South Wales batsman Nick Larkin is the Toyota Futures League Player of the Year, while Simon Fry, who’s currently in India officiating at the World T20, has received the Cricket Australia Umpire Award for the third successive time.
ACA Sheffield Shield All*Star Team of the Year
- Cameron Bancroft (Western Australia)
- Ben Dunk (Tasmania)
- Kurtis Patterson (New South Wales)
- Travis Head (South Australia)
- George Bailey (Tasmania)
- Jake Lehmann (South Australia)
- Chris Hartley (Queensland)
- Joe Mennie (South Australia)
- Joel Paris (Western Australia)
- Jackson Bird (Tasmania)
- Scott Boland (Victoria)
- James Hopes (Queensland)
Captain: George Bailey
Vice-captain: Chris Hartley
ACA Matador Cup All*Star Team of the Year
- Shaun Marsh (Western Australia)
- Nic Maddinson (New South Wales)
- Steve Smith (New South Wales)
- Callum Ferguson (South Australia)
- Nathan Reardon (Queensland)
- Moises Henriques (New South Wales)
- Matthew Wade (Victoria)
- John Hastings (Victoria)
- Mitchell Starc (New South Wales)
- James Pattinson (Victoria)
- Jon Holland (Victoria)
- Ben Dunk (Tasmania)
Captain: Steve Smith
Vice-captain: Callum Ferguson
ACA BBL All*Star Team of the Year
- Usman Khawaja (Sydney Thunder)
- Shaun Marsh (Perth Scorchers)
- Chris Lynn (Brisbane Heat)
- Travis Head (Adelaide Strikers)
- Michael Hussey (Sydney Thunder)
- Dwayne Bravo (Melbourne Renegades)
- Tim Paine (Hobart Hurricanes) (wk)
- Andre Russell (Sydney Thunder)
- Adil Rashid (Adelaide Strikers)
- Andrew Tye (Perth Scorchers)
- Clint McKay (Sydney Thunder)
- Aaron Finch (Melbourne Renegades)
Captain: Michael Hussey
Vice-captain: Chris Lynn
Player of the Tournament: Chris Lynn
ACA WNCL All*Star Team of the Year
- Nicole Bolton (Western Fury)
- Meg Lanning (VIC Spirit) (Captain)
- Alyssa Healy (NSW Breakers) (WK)
- Alex Blackwell (NSW Breakers)
- Ellyse Perry (NSW Breakers)
- Jessica Jonassen (Queensland Fire)
- Sarah Coyte (SA Scorpions)
- Rene Farrell (NSW Breakers)
- Megan Schutt (SA Scorpions)
- Amanda Wellington (SA Scorpions)
- Nicky Shaw (Western Fury)
- Elyse Villani (Western Fury)
Captain: Meg Lanning
Vice-captain: Alex Blackwell
Player of the Tournament: Meg Lanning
ACA WBBL All*Star Team of the Year
- Meg Lanning (Melbourne Stars)
- Charlotte Edwards (Perth Scorchers)
- Beth Mooney (Brisbane Heat) (wk)
- Sara McGlashan (Sydney Sixers)
- Ellyse Perry (Sydney Sixers)
- Alex Blackwell (Sydney Thunder)
- Sarah Coyte (Adelaide Strikers)
- Rene Farrell (Sydney Thunder)
- Molly Strano (Melbourne Renegades)
- Kristen Beams (Melbourne Stars)
- Lauren Cheatle (Sydney Thunder)
- Veronica Pyke (Hobart Hurricanes)
Captain: Meg Lanning
Vice-captain: Alex Blackwell
Player of the Tournament: Meg Lanning