‘Pretty surprised’ Annabel Sutherland wins top gong in 11-year first

Australian all-rounder Annabel Sutherland has capped off another impressive 12 months in the national side by winning a second-consecutive Belinda Clark Award.

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The 24-year-old, who also received the prestigious honour last year, narrowly beat out Beth Mooney for the prize, earning 77 votes to Mooney’s 74. Leg-spinner Alana King, who took record-breaking figures of 7-18 against South Africa during the World Cup, finished third on the tally with 55 votes.

Sutherland becomes the first cricketer to win back-to-back Belinda Clark Awards since former captain Meg Lanning achieved the feat in 2015.

She was also awarded the ODI Player of the Year honour, while Mooney was named T20I Player of the Year, winning on countback having tied with rising star Georgia Voll. It marks the fourth time Mooney has received the T20 prize, comfortably a record.

“I was pretty surprised to be honest,” Sutherland told reporters on Sunday.

“It’s a special feeling, and super grateful to receive the award.”

She added: “It’s pretty cool and very surreal at the moment.”

Sutherland was Australia’s leading wicket-taker during last year’s World Cup campaign in India, taking 17 scalps at 15.82 while also cracking an unbeaten 98 against England in Indore. During March’s T20 whitewash of New Zealand, she claimed consecutive four-wicket hauls against the White Ferns in Mount Maunganui and Wellington, including career-best figures of 4-8 from 2.1 overs.

During the voting period, she contributed 27 wickets at 15.63 and 250 runs at 41.66 across formats.

The Victorian, who leads the Melbourne Stars in the Women’s Big Bash League, was touted as one of the candidates to replace the retiring Alyssa Healy as national captain, but the honour went to state teammate Sophie Molineux.

The Australian women’s team turns its attention towards the multi-format series against India, which gets underway with a T20 at the SCG on Sunday evening. It will be Molineux’s first opportunity to lead the national side, with Healy set to captain Australia for the three ODIs and lone Test at the WACA.

“I’m so excited for Sophie,” Sutherland said.

“She’s an outstanding leader from what I’ve seen in the Victorian set-up and the Renegades girls can’t speak highly enough of her.

“She has an ability to bring people together, and most importantly, she brings the best out of people.”

Asked if she had aspirations for the national captaincy, Sutherland responded: “I haven’t put much thought into it at all.”

Belinda Clark Award 2026 votes

1st - Annabel Sutherland (77 votes)

2nd - Beth Mooney (74 votes)

3rd - Alana King (55 votes)

4th - Ashleigh Gardner (54 votes)

5th - Phoebe Litchfield (42 votes)

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