Test star Chase dominates player awards

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Jul 8, CMC – Rising Test star Roston Chase swept four awards – including Cricketer-of-the-Year – to dominate the West Indies Players Association/Cricket West Indies player awards here Friday night.

The right-hander, the Caribbean’s side’s leading Test batsman in recent times, also walked away with awards for Test Cricketer-of-the-Year, Regional Four-Day Cricketer-of-the-Year and Emerging Cricketer-of-the-Year.

“I’m extremely delighted to win these awards. I wasn’t expecting four in one night but I’m happy that my contributions to my teams, Barbados Pride and West Indies have been recognised,” the the 25-year-old said afterwards.

Roston Chase receives his Test Cricketer-of-the-Year award from Cricket West Indies president, Dave Cameron. (Photo courtesy West Indies Players Association)

“I have been enjoying my cricket and I’m enjoying my success. It’s not just my success but the success of my team-mates and the teams I play in. A year ago I started my Test career, and I have been able to settle and find my way.

“It’s never easy. You have to work really hard off the field and when you get on the field, work even harder to get your success.”

Chase announced himself on the international scene in a major way last August when he struck a superb unbeaten hundred on the final day of the second Test against India, to avert defeat for West Indies.

Following a modest three-Test series against Pakistan later that year in the United Arab Emirates, he stamped his authority against the touring Pakistanis in the Caribbean recently with a series-high 403 runs at an average of 100 with two hundreds.

The Barbadian said his 10-Test career had been a learning experience and he was now looking forward to the challenging upcoming tour of England.

“When I got my first century here in Jamaica, it was wonderful feeling and I also took five wickets,” he explained.

“I didn’t do so well in UAE but I believed in myself and was determined to come back strong against Pakistan. In UAE, [Misbah-ul-Haq] set defensive fields for me and I wasn’t as patient as I should be. I went back and worked hard, especially on the sweep shot and I knew I had to be more patient when I batted against them [in the Caribbean].

“We have England coming up in a few weeks and I want to do well there as well.”

Test and One-Day International skipper Jason Holder picked up the ODI Cricketer-of-the-Year honour while Andre Russell, currently serving a one-year anti-doping “whereabouts” ban, took the Twenty20 International Cricketer-of-the-Year award.

Women’s captain Stafanie Taylor, meanwhile, took all three women’s awards up for grabs, clinching the Women’s ODI Cricketer-of-the-Year, T20I Cricketer-of-the-Year and Cricketer-of-the-Year.

Awards:

Under-19 Team of the Year: Guyana

Under-19 Cricketer of the Year: Joshua Bishop

WIPA in the Community Award: Kameah Cooper

First-Class Team of the Year: Guyana

Regional Four-Day Cricketer of the Year: Roston Chase

Regional Limited-Overs Cricketer of the Year: Ashley Nurse

Regional T20 Cricketer of the Year: Dwayne Bravo

Emerging Cricketer of the Year: Roston Chase

ODI Cricketer of the Year: Jason Holder

Test Cricketer of the Year: Roston Chase

T20 International Cricketer of the Year: Andre Russell

Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year: Stafanie Taylor

Women’s T20 International Cricketer of the Year: Stafanie Taylor

Women’s Cricketer of the Year: Stafanie Taylor

Men’s Cricketer of the Year: Roston Chase

Windies Foundation Award: The Chris Gayle Foundation

CWI Lifetime Award: Walter Eden St John

WIPA Lifetime Award: Cleveland Davidson