Harris and Tiffen take top Canterbury awards

Chris Harris and Haidee Tiffen shared Canterbury Cricket's major season awards at a function held tonight.

Harris, who is in Sharjah with the CLEAR Black Caps was unable to attend and pick up the Canterbury Draught Men's player of the year award, but it was accepted by his brother Ben, who said that when Chris was contacted in Sharjah and told that he was a contender for the award he especially wanted to thank his Canterbury manager John Thompson and his coach Gary MacDonald for their help during his career.

"John had been Chris' manager since under-17 level for Canterbury and Chris felt he deserved special mention for having to put up with a player like Chris," Ben Harris said.

Harris also won the Air New Zealand men's batsman of the year away having averaged 113.0 in Shell Trophy matches and 64.25 in Shell Cup games and the international against Zimbabwe.

Tiffen won the Christchurch Star women's player of the year award, having earlier been named the Canterbury of New Zealand women's fielder of the year and the Christchurch Casino women's bowler of the year.

Tiffen said it had been a difficult year for the Canterbury women's team having lost, through retirement or transfer to other provinces, five players.

"While we've had legends like Debbie Hockley retire there will be more legends in the future and we have gained five young and enthusiastic players which is great for the future of our game," she said.

Tiffen said the absence of experienced players had given her the chance to bowl more than usual but she had still be reliant on the fielding support of all the members of her team and she thanked those players for their assistance.

The Christchurch Casino men's bowler of the year was won by Stephen Cunis. He wasn't able to attend but on accepting his prize coach MacDonald said: "Stephen is not the most talented bowler in our our side but he's a competitor and he's tough."

The Air New Zealand women's batsman of the year was Paula Flannery who scored 402 runs at 44.66 while Marcel McKenzie was named the Canterbury of New Zealand men's fielder of the year.

The State Insurance outstanding individual performances were won by Jarrod Englefield for the men for his 172 and 90 in the Shell Trophy match against Central Districts in Blenheim while Hannah Rae took five for 25 in eight overs for Canterbury to help dismiss Wellington for 131 in the first match of their State Insurance Cup double-header this summer.