Annabel Sutherland wins the Belinda Clark Award after a monster year of runs against the red and white ball

She made history on the MCG last weekend with a splendid Test hundred and now a player some are touting could be Australia’s best has netted cricket’s top award.

Two days after making history on the MCG, Annabel Sutherland’s Test match dominance was rewarded with a maiden Belinda Clark Award for an unforgettable 12 months.

Sutherland, who rewrote records this year by becoming the first woman to hit a Test hundred at the MCG as Australia sealed an Ashes whitewash over England, won ahead of two-time winners Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney.

She collected every possible vote across both Tests in the eligibility period to beat Mooney and Gardner, who have alternated winning the award for the past four years.

The 23-year-old became the youngest female Australian, and second youngest overall, to make a double century when she scored an epic 210 against South Africa.

Annabel Sutherland of Australia raises her bat after making a century during day two of the Women's Ashes Test Match between Australia and England at Melbourne Cricket Ground. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

She followed it up in January when she belted England for a magical 163 on the grand stage of the MCG in a day-night Test match.

Sutherland edged out Gardner (second) by 25 votes and Mooney by 53.

Such was her dominance in the Test arena, Sutherland finished equal third in the One-Day and sixth in the T20 Player of the Year awards.

Touted as a future Australia captain, having already taken control of the Melbourne Stars in the WBBL, Sutherland was still taking in the enormity of her MCG achievement when the award was placed around her neck on Monday night.

Annabel Sutherland at the Australian Cricket Awards. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images for Cricket Australia)

Sutherland felt joining some of her childhood heroes — and now teammates — as winners of the award didn’t feel right.

“It doesn’t sit very well, to be honest,” she said.

“Similar to what Trav (Head) said in there, I would much rather just be out there playing the game, not sort of on stage but it comes with it doesn’t it?

“You listen to those names, it’s pretty cool – I think if you could be half as good as any of those you’d be pretty happy.

“Growing up watching those girls play, that’s more what stands out, they were role models for me growing up and still are so it’s pretty cool to kind of sit alongside them.”

Gardner’s two dominant 50-over matches during the Ashes, which Australia won 16-0, the first time such a result has been achieved, propelled her ahead of Kim Garth for the One-Day Player of the Year award.

Gardner, who polled with 31 votes, claimed maximum votes in the first and third ODI against England.

The all-rounder’s final six votes, courtesy of a matchwinning century in Hobart, won her the award outright after entering the match tied with Garth.

Gardner suffered the same fate as Garth in the T20 Player of the Year Award however, as Mooney surged home in the final three matches to claim the award.

Mooney polled a total of 13 votes in the three Twenty20s against England, including a maximum six votes in the final game, to burst ahead of Gardner by 10 votes.

Annabel Sutherland celebrates with the MCG crowd after her century on Friday. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

“The T20s this year were probably a bit disappointing for us, obviously with that T20 World Cup and the little bit of soul searching not only personally but as a group,” Mooney said in her acceptance speech.

“The Ashes whitewash was pretty excellent and that T20 series was amazing from the group to be able to post incredible scores and defend well with the ball.

“I thought our bowlers were excellent all throughout the year so wouldn’t have been too upset if a bowler got the award tonight.”

AUSTRALIAN CRICKET AWARD WINNERS

Belinda Clarke Award: Annabel Sutherland

Allan Border Medal: Travis Head

Women’s ODI Player of the Year: Ashleigh Gardner

Women’s T20 Player of the Year: Beth Mooney

WBBL Players of the Tournament: Ellyse Perry (Sydney Sixers), Jess Jonassen (Brisbane Heat)

Shane Warne Men’s Test Player of the Year: Josh Hazlewood

Men’s One-Day International Player of the Year: Travis Head

Men’s International T20 Player of the Year: Adam Zampa

BLL Players of the Tournament: Cooper Connolly(Perth Scorchers), Glenn Maxwell (Melbourne Stars)

Community Award: Cameron Green