Mark Richardson's sensational first summer of international cricket has been acknowledged with his selection as the National Bank New Zealand player of the year.

A successful winter tour to England with New Zealand A, in which he scored a double century, set Richardson, a latecomer to international cricket, up with the chance to secure a place as an opening batsman.

Richardson, who had every reason to think that international cricket had passed him by, played with genuine hunger, and delight, at the opportunity given him.

After scoring a triple century in a first-class game in Zimbabwe he was controversially given out when on 99 in his second Test, against Zimbabwe, but continued to impress against the fire of the South African pace attack before returning home to begin the most successful opening sequence of scores in New Zealand's Test history.

To cap it all, he and his opening partner in the record-breaking sequence, Matthew Bell, scored their debut Test centuries within an hour of each other in the third Test victory over Pakistan in Hamilton last week.

In all first-class cricket Richardson was the leading run scorer in New Zealand with a total of 1035 at an average of 60.88 while in Test matches for the summer he scored 710 runs at 54.61.

The award was announced at New Zealand Cricket's end of year function in Christchurch tonight.

Richardson also won the Redpath Cup, the prize awarded for the best first-class batsman of the summer.

The Winsor Cup for the best first-class bowler of the season was awarded to Daryl Tuffey, who became an established Test bowler during the season when having to carry much of the load when injuries denied New Zealand the use of Christopher Cairns, Dion Nash, Shayne O'Connor and Daniel Vettori.

He took 16 wickets in the Pakistan series at an average of 23.0.

In the Walter Hadlee awards for One-Day Internationals, Roger Twose won the batting award while Tuffey picked up another award with the bowling prize.

Walter Hadlee, a former New Zealand player, selector, manager and chairman of the former New Zealand Cricket Council, was himself awarded the Bert Sutcliffe Medal for outstanding services to cricket.

The State Insurance Medal for the most outstanding player in men's domestic cricket went to Northern Districts stalwart Grant Bradburn who, after a fine all-round season in both Shell Trophy and Shell Cup cricket, won a recall to Test cricket against Pakistan, playing in the second and third Tests.

The recipient of the women's equivalent, the State Insurance Plate, was won by CLEAR White Fern Rachel Pullar of Otago.

The Ruth Martin Cup for the most outstanding batsman in women's cricket went to CLEAR White Ferns CricInfo Women's World Cup champion captain Emily Drumm. Her national team-mate Katrina Keenan won the Phyl Blackler Cup as the season's most outstanding women's bowler.

During the evening a tribute to the work done by outgoing chief executive Christopher Doig was made by the chairman of New Zealand Cricket, Sir John Anderson.

© CricInfo