Daniel Vettori, MS

It’s been raining accolades for New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori. Earlier this month he won three of New Zealand Cricket's major awards for the 2009-10 season. And on Thursday night he was presented with an honorary Master of Science (Sport and Exercise Science) by Wintec in Hamilton.

Incidentally Vettori, the teenager, had planned to do a first-year course at Waikato University in health science, working towards a pharmacy degree. That was of course, before cricket took a complete hold over his life. "It's been a while since I've had to sit an exam so I'm very glad I haven't had to work too hard to get this,” he said.

Vettori joins Wintec's elite group of honoraries, which includes Sir Edmund Hillary, Dame Te Atairangikaahu, Colin Meads and the Topp Twins.