Shaun Marsh and Elyse Villani take Australian domestic awards

Marsh was the only player to score more than 1,000 runs across the Marsh Sheffield Shield

Melbourne: Shaun Marsh won second successive male domestic player of the year titles at the Cricket Australia awards while Elyse Villani named as the female player of the year.

Nineteen-year-old Hannah Darlington was crowned as the Betty Wilson Young Cricketer of the Year while Victorian all-rounder Will Sutherland was voted by his peers as the 2021 Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year.

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Marsh was the only player to score more than 1,000 runs across the Marsh Sheffield Shield, Marsh Cup and BBL during the voting period, with 1,058 runs at 46.00, including five fifties and three tons.

The 37-year-old becomes just the fourth player to win the award on multiple occasions after inaugural winner Darren Lehmann, Michael Klinger and Cameron White.

Marsh said that the players placed an enormous value on the domestic game and this was reflected in their commitment and flexibility to get the game going through the impacts of Covid-19.

“This season is obviously a little bit different to what we’re used to. But for the sake of getting our season up and running and playing cricket, it’s a very small price to pay,” he said in a statement.

“We’re really fortunate that we’re getting an opportunity to play as much cricket as we can this summer. We’re very thankful to the ACA and Cricket Australia for the opportunity,” Marsh added.

Villani made 602 runs across 19 innings in the WBBL and WNCL at an average of 35.41, including four half-centuries, including a 99, all at a strike-rate of 97.25.

The veteran of many successful Australian champion teams, Villani said she has a huge amount of respect and admiration for the domestic players, the best cricketers around Australia.

“To be voted by them is a huge honour and something I don’t really take lightly. When my career does come to an end one day, I know I’m going to look back on it really fondly because it’s such a huge honour to be thought of by all the girls,” she said.