Rogers wins Victoria's top prize

Chris Rogers enjoyed the perfect end to his first season with Victoria by winning the Bill Lawry Medal as the state's best player in the Sheffield Shield competition. Rogers was comfortably Victoria's leading run scorer in a season when they dominated the four-day format.

He scored 1195 runs at 74.68 and his five centuries included a first-innings 105 in the drawn final against Queensland that ensured Victoria walked away with the Sheffield Shield. Rogers now heads to England where he will captain Derbyshire this season while hoping to be considered for Australia's Ashes squad.

The prolific home summer justified Rogers' decision to switch from Western Australia, where he was frustrated by a lack of opportunities in the one-day format. He dismissed any concerns about his limited-overs prowess by being named the FR Cup Player of the Year but strangely he wasn't given the Dean Jones Medal as Victoria's one-day player of the season.

That title went to the fast bowler Shane Harwood, who with 24 victims at 16.25 was the leading wicket taker in the competition. Brad Hodge picked up the Twenty20 award for his contribution of 262 runs at 65.50. Sarah Edwards won the Victoria Spirit award while the Lancashire batsman Gareth Cross, who spent the summer playing for St Kilda, won the Jack Ryder Medal as the best player in Melbourne's club competition.