Adelaide host to Cricketers of the Year presentations

The South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) has tonight hosted the annual members Test Match dinner, which incorporated the presentation of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year awards and the Spirit of Cricket award.

Wisden Cricketers' Almanack (English edition) each year announces five Cricketers of the Year. For 2002, Australian Test players Jason Gillespie, Damien Martyn and Adam Gilchrist, were among the recipients. The two other awards going to Andy Flower of Zimbabwe, and India's V.V.S. Laxman, who did not attend the dinner.

The Wisden Cricketers' Almanack Australia each year announces an Australian Cricketer of the Year and, in 2002, the award went to Adam Gilchrist.

The editor of the Australian edition of Wisden, Warwick Franks, attended the dinner to present the awards.

In addition to the Cricketers of the Year, the gala dinner saw Australian captain, Steve Waugh, presented with the Spirit of Cricket award.

The Spirit of Cricket award is given periodically by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) to the player who best demonstrates a commitment to the spirit of the game of cricket, as well as to the laws of the game.

The award was presented by recent MCC President, and current Chairman of the MCC cricket committee, Ted Dexter.

The SACA chief executive, Mike Deare, said the award presentations reaffirmed that the Adelaide Test Match dinner is held in the highest regard by the world's cricketing elite.

"Having the MCC select the Adelaide Test Match dinner as the host venue for these awards, is an enormous honour for the SACA and the State," said Mr Deare.

"Both the Cricketers of the Year and the Spirit of Cricket awards are truly global and acknowledge the best cricketers in the world. We are very proud to have played host to these presentations to our world-class cricketers."