Short named best in BBL

BALLARAT product and Adelaide Strikers opening batter Matt Short has been named the Big Bash League’s player of the tournament at the Cricket Australia Awards.

The BBL tallied votes from umpires in each game to determine Short as the winner ahead of nominees Josh Inglis and Aaron Finch.

“I’ve got Adelaide to thank,” Short said. “I’ve been there for five years now. The first few years didn’t go to plan but to be given the chance up the top of the order there, that’s where I thrive.”

Short backed his last BBL summer up with another stellar campaign, most notably recording a new personal best score of 100 not out against the Hobart Hurricanes, and scoring two other half-centuries.

Short’s ton against the Hurricanes helped the Strikers pull off the highest successful run chase in tournament history with 230 and to date, only two other men have scored centuries in the Big Bash this summer.

At the end of the regular season, Short had scored the most runs of any player this BBL summer with 458 as well as the second-most fours at 42, and second-most sixes with 18.

The part-time offspinner found success opening the bowling for Adelaide as well and took for three for 14 against the Brisbane Heat in December – the best figures of his T20 career.

He also took the first wicket in the Strikers’ demolition of the Sydney Thunder early in the tournament, sparking a record-breaking bowling performance from the Adelaide attack.

Short’s latest accolade comes after he was selected in the BBL’s team of the tournament last summer but ultimately lost out to rival opening batter Ben McDermott in the MVP stakes.

– BY JASPER BRUCE/ AAP