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Martyn wins WA cricketer of the Year

Source: smh.com.au - April 5, 2005

Damien Martyn capped an extraordinary 12 months when he won the Carlton & United Beverages Gold Cup at a gala dinner at the Hyatt Regency on Monday night.

Martyn polled 39 out of a maximum 40 votes to be crowned Western Australia's most outstanding cricketer for 2004-05.

He beat Justin Langer on 30 votes, Adam Gilchrist on 25 and Michael Hussey with 14.

Martyn won the award in 1991-92 and 1992-93, but 2004-05 was the finest season of his brilliant career.

He starred on the tour of India when he was instrumental in the historic series win. He made 444 runs at an average of 55.50 with two centuries.

The 33-year-old followed that with 310 runs at 103.33 in the three Test series against Pakistan and 235 runs at 78.33 in the three Test series in New Zealand.

"It is a huge honour to win it because West Australian cricket is still very much in my heart," Martyn said.

"But it is also a weird feeling because the international scheduling doesn't allow Gilly (Adam Gilchrist) and I to play State cricket.

"We can't get back to WA much but it is still great to win. It is very satisfying though because Justin and Adam both had such good years and at the start of the year I was under a fair bit of pressure and then had big challenges in Sri Lanka and India."

Hussey, the Warriors' vice-captain, was the other major award winner on the night taking out the prestigious Laurie Sawle Medal for a superb domestic season.

The Laurie Sawle Medal is voted on by the players, Umpires, Coach and a Selector after each match.

In a cliffhanging finish Hussey polled 48 votes to just edge out Marcus North on 47. Murray Goodwin was third with 35, Adam Voges fourth with 21 and Kade Harvey fifth on 20.

In the other awards Brad Hogg took out the President's Award for the most outstanding individual performance of the season when he single-handedly won a Pura Cup match for WA against South Australia in Adelaide in December.

Hogg made 109 and 61 before taking three second innings wickets and executing a brilliant run out in the low-scoring match.

North won the Excalibur Award for best upholding the spirit of the Retravision Warriors and all-rounder Peter Worthington claimed the Coaches Award for his never say die attitude.

The Western Fury's Zoe Goss made 205 runs at 34.16 in six Women's National Cricket League matches and was awarded the PW Freeman Perpetual Trophy for her efforts.

The Trophy goes to WA's most outstanding female cricketer each season.