Muruwari cricket star Ash Gardner has been recognised for an outstanding Women's Big Bash Season, receiving the Player of the Tournament award.
Gardner's WBBL|08 season was by far her most complete, delivering multiple match-winning contributions with both bat and ball whilst also being lethal in the field for the Sydney Sixers.
Across 13 innings the all-rounder smashed a personal best 339 runs at 30.81 to finish fifth on the WBBL|08 run scoring table.
Striking at 153.39 with 14 sixes and 32 fours for the season, her strike rate was the highest amongst the 31 players to surpass 200 tournament runs.
Gardner on her way to a season-high 85 (48) against the Sydney Thunder. Matt King / Stringer.
Gardner registered two WBBL|08 half-centuries, scoring 85 (48) and 53 (37), with both knocks coming against the Sixers' cross-town rivals Sydney Thunder.
Her performances against the Thunder were two of the five performances for which Gardner received Player of the Match awards in WBBL|08.
Gardner's batting prowess was matched by the influence of her off-spin, which claimed 23 wickets to finish as the joint BKT Golden Arm winner alongside Adelaide Strikers swing bowler Megan Schutt.
Gardner's 23 wickets is an equal-highest number of dismissals taken in a Women's Big Bash League season. Image: Daniel Pockett / Stringer.
Her haul of wickets was more than double her previous benchmark of 11 in a season, while while she was one of just three players to take multiple 4+ wicket hauls.
Highlighted by a career-best 4-23 against the Hobart Hurricanes, Gardner's 54 tournament overs at an average of 15.09 at an economy of 6.43 was a telling factor in the Sixers claiming 11 victories from 14 matches.
She was also a strong contributor in the field for the Sixers, claiming 11 catches to finish only three short of team-mate Ellyse Perry's 14 tournament fielding dismissals.
Gardner was one of the Sixers' best in the field throughout WBBL|08, effecting 11 dismissals. Will Russell / Stringer.
Gardner took out the Player of the Tournament award with 33 votes, eight clear of Brisbane Heat's Amelia Kerr on 25 votes with the Perth Scorchers' Beth Mooney and Adelaide Strikers' Megan Schutt tied for third with 21 votes each.
Gardner's all-round performance with bat, ball and in the field was a significant factor in her Sydney Sixers finishing atop the WBBL|08 ladder and automatically qualifying for Saturday's tournament final.
They await the winner of the The Challenger, which is being fought out by the Adelaide Strikers and Brisbane Heat at Adelaide's Karen Rolton Oval today.
Weber WBBL|08 Player of the Tournament top 10:
Ashleigh Gardner, Sydney Sixers, 33 votes
Amelia Kerr, Brisbane Heat, 25
Beth Mooney, Perth Scorchers, 21
Megan Schutt, Adelaide Strikers, 21
Ellyse Perry, Sydney Sixers, 20
Heather Graham, Hobart Hurricanes, 18
Alyssa Healy, Sydney Sixers, 18
Mignon du Preez, Hobart Hurricanes, 18
Annabel Sutherland, Melbourne Stars, 16
Hayley Matthews, Melbourne Renegades, 16
