ALL rounder Elton Chigumbura was on Friday night named Zimbabwe’s top cricketer for 2010 at the CBZ Bank Cricket Awards.
Vusi Sibanda was named the batsman of the year while Graeme Cremer was
the bowler of the year.
Chigumbura, who plays for Northamptonshire in the English county cricket, received his gong from the guest of honour -- the former West Indies skipper Brian Lara.
The Kwekwe-born 24-year-old has had more success in ODI cricket, playing some memorable innings.
Aged just 18 in May 2004, he scored 77 against Australia in Harare but arguably his greatest performance came later in the year against Sri Lanka in the Champions Trophy.
In a man of the match winning effort, he made 57 with the bat and took 3/37 with the ball. The next year in a game against Bangladesh in Harare he put on 165 runs for the 6th wicket with Stuart Matsikenyeri as they successfully chased down 246 to win with 5 balls in hand. Chigumbura contributed 70 off 68 deliveries.
At the same ground against the same opponent in February 2007, he equalled his highest ODI score of 77 in an innings that included 7 sixes. At the conclusion of the game, only three other Zimbabwean cricketers had hit more sixes than Chigumbura in their one day careers.
Chigumbura was part of the Zimbabwean squad for the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies. He registered new career-best ODI bowling figures of 3/25 and scored 38 runs from 34 balls in Zimbabwe's shock win against the West Indies on November 30, 2007.
On March 15, 2010, Chigumbura signed for Northamptonshire county cricket club as an overseas player, giving him the chance to play in England for the first time.
Full list of Awards
Cricketer of the Year — Elton Chigumbura
Batsman of the Year — Vusi Sibanda
Bowler of the Year — Graeme Cremer
Best Schools Cricketer — Tino Mutombodzi
Administrator of the Year — Kevin Atkinson
Umpire of the Year — Russel Tiffin
Most Promising Cricketer — Tendai Chatara
Rookie of the Year — Tendai Chatara
Coach of the Year — Steve Mangongo
Female cricketer of the Year — Sharne Meyers
Scorer of the Year — Sithembile Singo
Groundsman of the Year — Silvia Munyama
Best Administered Franchise — Southern Rocks
Franchise Team of the Year — Mountaineers
Provincial Association of the Year — Midlands