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Cricket is a sport that has evolved a lot in recent years, with players from over 100 nations competing to make their countries and franchises proud. While traditional awards such as Man of the Match are common in cricket tournaments, some competitions have introduced unique and funny awards in cricket to recognise outstanding performances.
These awards range from juicers and blenders to washing machines, making for a lighthearted and entertaining aspect of the sport. With the growing popularity of cricket, these funny awards have become a staple in the game and are something that fans look forward to. Let’s glance at five of them:
Unique and Funny Awards in Cricket
Snacks Voucher
In the Caribbean Premier League of 2017, a unique and kinda funny award in cricket was given to the player who hit the most impressive shot in a match. The sponsor, Sunshine, presented the player with a snack package called the ‘Sunshine Snacks Power Shot of the Day’. Many notable cricketers, such as Darren Bravo, Martin Guptill and Kevon Cooper, were among the recipients of this award.
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Green and White Belt
The International League T20 tournament, organised by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), recognises the top performers in batting and bowling with special awards. The batter who scores the most runs is awarded a green belt, similar to a wrestling championship belt, and the bowler who takes the most wickets is awarded a White Belt. Currently, Robin Uthappa holds the Green Belt for the most runs, and Imran Tahir holds the White Belt for the most wickets.
Blender
During a league in Dhaka, England all-rounder Luke Wright played for Abahani Limited. For his outstanding performance in one of the matches, he was presented with a blender as a prize. This is one of the most unusual rewards given to a cricketer. It is possible that the tournament had a kitchen appliance manufacturer as a sponsor, resulting in Wright receiving this unusual prize.
A Lawnmower
In a tour match against Ireland in 2003, Makhaya Ntini, the South African fast bowler, performed exceptionally well. He took 3/21 and had a hand in dismissing Jeremy Bray, Andre Botha and Peter Gillespie, as well as in the run-out of Niall O’Brien. He was named Man of the Match for his outstanding performance.
However, to Ntini’s surprise, his prize for the match was a lawnmower, which the sponsor, Viking, a lawnmower brand provided. According to Cricket Europe, Ntini decided not to take the lawnmower with him to South Africa and instead, exchanged it for cash with the sponsors.This picture in the tweet says it all about how one of the unique and funny awards in cricket it was.
Washing Machine
In 1978, Ireland and Denmark faced off in a three-day match. The sponsor, ‘Candy’ had a unique prize for the man of the match, a washing machine. Dermott Monteith, who had scored a half-century and taken four wickets, was the front-runner for the prize.
But, the competition became intense when John Elder took six wickets in the second innings. Monteith, being the team’s captain, decided to take Elder off the attack and resumed bowling himself, taking two more Danish wickets, ultimately securing the washing machine prize.
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