Bond wins New Zealand's top award

Shane Bond has been named New Zealand's Player of the Year for the first time since 2003. Bond, who was his country's leading wicket-taker in one-day internationals during the voting period, ended Daniel Vettori's chances of winning the title for the third consecutive year.

Bond claimed 38 limited-overs victims since April 1, 2006, including 13 at the World Cup. He also became the second New Zealander to take an ODI hat-trick when he removed three Australians in the 50th over of a match at Hobart in January.

He managed only two of New Zealand's five Test matches during the year, having played no part in the tour of South Africa last April due to a knee injury. When he returned to Test cricket, he immediately made an impact with seven wickets in a Man-of-the-Match performance against Sri Lanka at Christchurch, in his first Test in his home city.

Bond also earned the Walter Hadlee Trophy as the country's best ODI bowler, beating the other two nominees, Vettori and James Franklin. The limited-overs batting award went to Scott Styris, who was preferred ahead of Peter Fulton and Ross Taylor. Despite having an injury-plagued season - he played only seven of New Zealand's 20 ODIs prior to the World Cup - Styris recovered from his back problems and made 655 runs at an average of 54.58. He was comfortably his country's leading run-scorer at the World Cup, where his 499 came at an average of 83.16 and included an unbeaten 111 against the eventual finalists, Sri Lanka.

Chris Harris, who captained Canterbury to the State Championship final, was named the State Cricketer of the Year. Harris made 428 runs at 42.80 during the season, and also took 13 wickets. His Canterbury team-mate Michael Papps won the Redpath Cup as the most meritorious batsman in first-class cricket. Papps topped the State Championship run tally with 1005 at 91.36, including four centuries. Chris Martin was given the Winsor Cup for first-class bowling, having managed 31 dismissals at 21.70 for Auckland as well as 16 wickets in five Tests.

Maria Fahey won the Ruth Martin Cup as the best women's batsman, having scored 387 runs for New Zealand and 380 for Canterbury. Another Canterbury player, Helen Watson, received the Phyl Blackler Cup as the best women's bowler for her 11 New Zealand wickets and 14 state victims. Sophie Devine, who claimed 22 State league wickets for Wellington, was named Women's State Cricketer of the Year.

Mike Shrimpton, who played ten Tests during the 1960s and 70s, was honoured with the Sutcliffe Medal for outstanding services to cricket. After a first-class career spanning nearly 20 years, Shrimpton coached the New Zealand women's team to their World Cup triumph in 2000.