Adelaide Strikers captain Matt Short has earned back-to-back KFC BBL Player of the Tournament awards, off the back of an outstanding season that saw him make over 170 more runs than the next highest runscorer.
Short has become just the third player to win this award in consecutive years, joining his BBL|13 opening partner D’Arcy Short and first drop Chris Lynn in achieving this feat.
Already recognised for his season after being named captain of the BBL|13 Team of the Tournament, Short received the Player of the Tournament Award on Wednesday night at the Australian Cricket Awards.
In BBL|13, Short made 541 runs in 11 innings, at an average of 60.11 and with a strike-rate of 153.26.
That earned him the BKT Golden Bat Award for leading run scorer, as he became the first man in BBL history to score four scores of 70+ in one season.
Short now has the most runs by a Striker in a single season, all of this achieved in his first year as official captain of the Strikers.
Not just a contributor with the bat, the off-spinner took five wickets and bowled many crucial overs in Power Plays, while also taking six catches in the field, including some hangers.
Short’s run of form helped his team to five consecutive big wins at the end of the tournament, leading them to an unlikely spot in the finals and Knockout Final victory over the reigning champions the Scorchers in Perth.
At the Awards ceremony in Melbourne, Short reflected on his outstanding season.
"I put a big emphasis on starting the tournament well and getting that momentum and I was able to keep that momentum going and it's something I'm proud of this year," Short said.
"I'm really grateful for the opportunity the Strikers gave me at the top of the order a few years ago and the captaincy this season.
"It suits my game pretty well at top of order and it's really nice to bat at Adelaide Oval for half the games.
"Hopefully we can build on what we've achieved this year and go one or two better next year."
Rewarded for his fantastic seasons with Australian selection in white ball squads, Short is likely to be back on Adelaide Oval for a T20I against the West Indies on Sunday, February 11. Get your tickets here.