Amelia Kerr Leads Winners at NZC Awards 2026

New Zealand women’s captain Amelia Kerr was the standout performer at the New Zealand Cricket Awards, claiming multiple honours, including the Debbie Hockley Medal for Women’s Cricketer of the Year for the fourth consecutive time.

On the men’s side, seamer Jacob Duffy received the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal after surpassing Hadlee’s record for the most wickets by a New Zealand bowler in a calendar year during 2025.

Kerr’s recognition follows a strong season in which she settled into a full-time leadership role. She delivered Player of the Series performances in home T20I series against Zimbabwe and South Africa, and also earned the same award in the ODI series against Zimbabwe.

“Quite simply, we’re talking about a dominant force in every facet of the game, and one of the most influential players in women’s cricket history,” Debbie Hockley said as she presented the medal to Amelia.

Duffy’s award came after stepping up as New Zealand’s leading bowler during a period when injuries affected the attack in the Test series against West Indies. He claimed 23 wickets in six innings at an average of 15.43, including a demanding 43-over spell in the final innings of the Christchurch Test.

“Jacob’s durability, consistency, and ability to take wickets in pressure moments made him the most complete bowling performer of the season,” Hadlee said.

Duffy also secured the Test Player of the Year award and the Winsor Cup for men’s first-class bowling, making him one of the few players to collect three major honours on the same night.

Wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert was named Men’s T20I Player of the Year after playing a key role in New Zealand’s run to the final, scoring 326 runs in eight innings at an average of 46.57 and a strike rate of 166.32.

Kerr added to her achievements by winning the Women’s T20I Player of the Year award, while her sister Jess Kerr was recognised as Women’s Domestic Player of the Year and Super Smash Women’s Player of the Year.

Former New Zealand seamer and administrator Martin Snedden was honoured with the Bert Sutcliffe Medal for outstanding services to cricket.

“It’s widely agreed the time, energy, and passion Martin’s provided, as well as the scope of his influence, places him in a very small club of those who have made the greatest single contribution to cricket in New Zealand,” NZC Chair Diana Puketapu-Lyndon said of Snedden.

New Zealand Cricket also inducted former allrounders Jeremy Coney and Haidee Tiffen into the NZC Hall of Fame, marking the first additions since the inaugural intake last year.