State Otago Volts newcomers Craig Cumming and Craig Pryor last night jointly headed off national player of the year Mark Richardson to be named Cricketers of the Year at the annual State awards function in Dunedin.

Cumming, from Canterbury, and Pryor, from Auckland, both found all-round success with bat and ball in their first season with the Volts.

Cumming averaged 44.71 runs and took 13 wickets at an average of 23.69 in Shell Trophy, whilst in Shell Cup he averaged 25.44 and took seven wickets.

Pryor, in his best season to date, captured the highest number of Trophy wickets for the Volts with 29 at an average of 23.58. In Shell Cup he averaged 34.14 with the bat and took six wickets.

New Zealand cricketer of the Year, Mark Richardson, was named Batsman of the Year with a Shell Trophy average of 56.25 (675 runs) and Cup average of 50.66 (152 runs).

The bowler of the year is Warren McSkimming, with 26 first-class wickets at an average of 22.50 and 14 Shell Cup wickets for a 21.92 average.

Up-and-coming wicket-keeper/batsman Brendon McCullum was named Rising Star for the State Otago Volts. McCullum, who captained the New Zealand Under-19 side against South Africa, will attend the New Zealand Cricket Academy this winter with brother Nathan and Warren McSkimming.

New Zealand women's representative and winner of the most outstanding female player in domestic cricket award, Rachel Pullar, captured the State Otago Sparks player and batsman titles. Pullar was the leading run-scorer for the Sparks, with 195 runs at an average of 32.50. She had a bowling average of 28 in the State Insurance Cup, and took 10 wickets.

Sparks bowler of the year went to English international Clare Taylor, with 14 wickets at an average of 22.35.

Sarah Tsukigawa, a Sparks all-rounder and captain of the Otago Under-21 side, was named Rising Star.

The prestigious Outstanding Contribution to Cricket award was presented to Elaine Scurr who has been instrumental in the development of women's cricket in Otago. Scurr, who works in a voluntary capacity for cricket, heads the women's management committee and has established the intermediate girls and senior women's competitions in Dunedin.

© CricInfo