Marshall enjoys 'surprise' win in County awards
A MODEST Hamish Marshall admitted that he was a little stunned to be named Gloucestershire's player of the year.
The former New Zealand Test star made it an award double, having already scooped the gong for batsman of the year.
Marshall topped the county charts in the first-class game, scoring 822 runs at an average of 37.36 in Division Two of the LV=County Championship.
He also skippered the side in the Friends Life t20, a competition in which he led the way with an impressive 239 runs in seven games at 34.14 as Gloucestershire reached the quarter-finals.
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And while the 33-year-old was delighted to scoop the prestigious award, he revealed that it came as a bit of a shock.
"I am delighted and a little surprised," he said, "If I'm honest, when it came time to name the player of the year I didn't think it would be me.
"Some of the bowlers performed well and some of the other batsmen put their hands up, so it was by no means a forgone conclusion."
As one of few senior professionals in the squad, Marshall bore an extra weight of responsibility to deliver with the willow.
And the winner of 13 Test and 66 One Day International caps with New Zealand paid tribute to his young team-mates for their invaluable contribution to his personal success.
He also affirmed his commitment to the club he first joined in 2006 and said that he was looking forward to another profitable season in 2013.
"It's a nice accolade for me, but you can only make runs if someone at the other end is staying with you, so I have a lot of players to thank," Marshall said.
"Gloucestershire is my career at the moment, the place where I am and want to stay, so it means a lot to me.
"You play the game to win trophies with your team and if individual ones come along from time to time you know they have been achieved with the help of your team-mates."
Ian Saxelby scooped the bowler of the year trophy after a steady comeback season after his injury nightmares of previous years.
The flame-haired seamer bagged 35 championship wickets at 25.62, adding seven CB40 scalps at 33.42 and 11 t20 wickets at 14.54.
Dan Housego was also rewarded for a fine first season since he made the switch to Nevil Road from Middlesex, lifting the Ray Parsons Cup for young player of the year.
After missing much of the early season with injury, the 23-year-old became a solid performer at number three, the highlight of which was a superb 132 against the touring South Africa in a one-day clash in August.
Spinner Tom Shrewsbury took the final award of the evening, the 17-year-old off-break bowler taking the Collis Cup as academy player of the year.
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