Kallis sweeps the board at awards ceremony

Jacques Kallis was the night's big winner at the inaugural South African Cricket Awards on Thursday night, as he collected four trophies including the prestigious Mutual and Federal South African Cricketer of the Year Award.

Kallis's peers also recognised his achievements this year, in which he scored 1354 runs in 12 Tests, including five centuries in consecutive matches against West Indies and New Zealand. He also received the Players Player Award, as well as the SuperSport Fans' Award, and the Castle Lager/MTN Player of the Year.

"Jacques is without doubt one of our finest-ever cricketers," said Gerald Majola, the chief executive of the United Cricket Board. "His performances in the last year have been phenomenal and put him among the game's current greats. These awards show not only what a fine year he has had, but also how well-respected he is by his fellow players and by our loyal fans. We should all be very proud of him, he is a great ambassador for our game and South Africa."

Among the other notable award-winners were Jacques Rudolph, the International Newcomer of the Year; Makhaya Ntini, the Standard Bank ODI Cricketer of the Year; and Adam Bacher, a double winner in domestic cricket. "I congratulate all the winners on their fantastic achievements," added Majola. "They all richly deserve the accolades and praise for the hard work and dedication they have put in to reach the top in their respective fields of expertise."

"The last year has been one of great challenges for all of us in cricket," he continued. "There has also been tremendous growth in the game around the country and these winners reflect that. They have pushed themselves to reach the top and succeeded and we look forward to further growth and even greater achievements over the next twelve months. The UCB is very proud of these young South Africans."

Two lifetime achievement awards were also handed out. South Africa's most-capped Test player, Gary Kirsten, was honoured for his achievements and contributions to the game over the last ten years, along with the previous South African team manager, Goolam Rajah, who received the UCB President's Award in recognition of his service over the past decade.