BBC Sports Personality of the Year: Five cricketers who have won
- Published
The cricketer Ben Stokes has won BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
England's World Cup-winning cricket team were also named Team of the Year at the awards show, which took place in Aberdeen this year.
What a popular year for cricket! So we thought we'd take a look at previous cricketing winners. But first, why did Ben win this year?
1. Ben Stokes - 2019
Huge congratulations to this year's winner, Ben Stokes.
The all-rounder was man of the match as England won the World Cup for the first time with a dramatic super over victory against New Zealand at Lord's.
Stokes, 28, also hit an unbeaten 135 in the one-wicket third Ashes Test triumph against Australia at Headingley.
He said: "Me and many other people around England will always be able to look back on this year with amazing memories. I think we managed to inspire the next generation this year, which is an amazing thing to look back on."
2. Andrew Flintoff - 2005
It has been 14 years since another cricketer last won the award. In 2005, Andrew Flintoff was named Sports Personality of the Year.
The England all-rounder was the best player in the 2005 home Ashes victory over Australia.
Flintoff scored 141 runs in total in the second Test, a really important century in the fourth Test and took 23 wickets throughout the series to help England regain the Ashes.
He became the first cricketer since Sir Ian Botham, in 1981, to win the coveted BBC award.
3. Sir Ian Botham - 1981
Sir Ian Botham took home the award in 1981. He played a huge part in winning the Ashes that year.
He scored 399 runs and took 34 wickets in what became known as "Botham's Ashes".
Several years later, he was still so popular he was knighted in 2007.
It was to recognise his massive cricketing achievements and long-distance fundraising walks.
4. David Steele - 1975
In 1975, cricketer David Steele was named Sports Personality of the Year.
That was the year he played for England for the very first time.
He had a brilliant summer, scoring over 250 runs in three Tests.
Australia still won the Ashes, but David became a fan's favourite.
5. Jim Laker - 1956
In 1956, cricketer Jim Laker won the award. But in those days it was known as the Sports Review of the Year.
That year, in the fourth Ashes Test against Australia, Laker became the first bowler in history to take all 10 wickets in a Test innings.
He finished with bowling figures of 19-90 - that score had never been achieved before.
Laker went on to set the record of most wickets taken (46) in a five-match Ashes series, which remains unbroken to this day.
He was crowned Sports Review of the Year winner at the Grosvenor Hotel in London.
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