Queensland Cricket Awards Gala for 2023-24

The son of a Test gun and a fast emerging women’s allrounder were among the winners at the annual Queensland Cricket Awards Gala ceremony for 2023-24

Ben McDermott of Queensland scooped the pool at the awards’ night. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)

Ben McDermott has iced a dream returned to his home state by scooping the pool at the Queensland Cricket Awards Gala ceremony.

Churchie old boy McDermott, whose father Craig took 291 Test wickets, returned from Hobart to win the Ian Healy Trophy and Queensland’s Marsh One Day Cup player of the year awards for the first time.

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Rising allrounder Charli Knott, a Brisbane State High School from the Valley juniors, claimed her inaugural win in the Jodie Purves Trophy for performances across the season with the Queensland Fire and WBBL Brisbane Heat.

Charli Knott of the Fire hits a boundary. (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)

Knott, currently playing club and county cricket in England for the first time, was joined as a maiden winner by fellow allrounder Georgia Voll, who was awarded the Queensland Fire player of the year trophy.

Voll is a Toowoomba junior who attended school at Fairholme before moving to BSHS in the final year of he schooling.

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Continuing the first-time trend, Bulls batter and BBC old boy Jack Clayton took out the Marsh Sheffield Shield award while wicket-keeper Jimmy Peirson was presented with his inaugural Bulls players’ player honour.

In acknowledgment of his achievement, Peirson received the Andrew Symonds Medal, which was presented for the second time since the untimely passing of the Queensland and Australian allrounder.

Symonds was a thrill a minute cricketer on the field, and one of the best blokes you’d meet in a day’s march off the paddock.

Xavier Bartlett of Queensland. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

BBL13 championship winner Xavier Bartlett’s effort in finishing as the competition’s leading wicket taker was further highlighted with his inaugural win as the BBL Heat MVP to cap off a memorable campaign. Gold Coast boy Barlett hails from the extraordinary The Southport School First XI system.

Breaking the trend, New Zealand star Amelia Kerr was awarded the WBBL Heat MVP award for the second season in a row, producing key innings across the competition including top scoring in two Finals matches.

Mikayla Hinkley of the Fire. (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)

Other awards presented on the night included the Pike-Maher Medal to Fire and Heat batter Mikayla Hinkley for her strong commitment to advancing the growth and impact of Indigenous cricket.

Hinkley featured in the development of Queensland Cricket’s inaugural Reconciliation Action Plan launched last year and the ongoing education and promotion process around the Brisbane Heat’s Indigenous playing strip worn in the WBBL and BBL that she helped to design.

The Pike-Maher Medal is named in honour of former Queensland and Australian players Kirsten Pike and Jimmy Maher and presented to a Queensland male or female player who has played a major role in creating a positive difference in their communities through charitable and community contributions.

Wicket-keeper Georgia Redmayne capped off a triumphant return from a serious achilles injury with the Queensland Fire voting her their Players’ Player in light of her determination to return to the playing arena, culminating in her captaincy of the Fire in the WNCL Final.

Palmwoods cricket president Mel Shelley. Picture: Patrick Woods.

In other representative cricket recognition at the dinner, Queensland Country Cricket’s feat of winning both the male and female titles at the Toyota Australian Country championships for the first time was acknowledged.

Townsville A Grade cricket final Wests against Brothers at Riverway. Wests Sam Lowry. Picture: Evan Morgan

Experienced Townsville batter Sam Lowry and Sunshine Coast wicket-keeper Mikayla Wrigley each received the respective male and female player of the year awards for the success enjoyed by the Brahmans and Brolgas at the championships.

The enormous contribution of volunteers to cricket was again celebrated at the event, with Palmwoods CC president Mel Shelley named as the Queensland Cricket Volunteer of the Year.

She was joined at the dinner by other members of ‘Kaspa’s Crew’, the Queensland Cricket Volunteer Recognition Program that came into existence 21 seasons ago when Queensland and Australian pace bowler Michael Kasprowicz agreed to be the face of the inaugural initiative.

2023-24 Queensland Cricket Award Winners

Ian Healy Trophy – Ben McDermott

Jodie Purves Trophy – Charli Knott

Pike-Maher Medal – Mikayla Hinkley

Queensland Fire Player of the Year – Georgia Voll

Marsh Sheffield Shield Player of the Year – Jack Clayton

Marsh One Day Cup Player of the Year – Ben McDermott

Andrew Symonds Medal (Bulls Players’ Player) – Jimmy Peirson

Queensland Fire Players’ Player – Georgia Redmayne

Brisbane Heat WBBL MVP – Amelia Kerr

Brisbane Heat BBL MVP – Xavier Bartlett

Qld Country Player of the Year (male) – Sam Lowry

Qld Country Player of the Year (female) – Mikayla Wrigley

Queensland Cricket Volunteer of the Year – Mel Shelley, (Palmwoods CC, Sunshine Coast)

Graham Dixon Award for Staff Achievement – Trent van Hout

Originally published as Queensland Cricket Awards Gala for 2023-24