Morgan outclasses Kane, Virat to win captain of the year award

Eoin Morgan, who led England to their first World Cup title, on Monday won the captain of the year award for 2019 announced by ESPNcricinfo.

After losing to Sri Lanka and Australia in the tournament, England needed to win four straight games to lift the trophy -- which they did, winning the title after a tied thriller against New Zealand at the iconic Lord's last year.

In the 13th edition of the annual ESPNcricinfo Awards, the ODI batting performance of the year award went to Ben Stokes for his nerveless performance in the tied World Cup final. He made an unbeaten 84 in the regulation 50 overs and a further seven in the Super Over.

Matt Henry, whose three-wicket spell in the World Cup semi-final knocked India out of the tournament and during which he was almost unplayable, won the award for the ODI Bowling performance of the year.

In the Test batting category, Stokes' epic rearguard in the Headingley Ashes Test lost out narrowly to Kusal Perera who made the landmark 153 not out against South Africa in Durban to take the title. Sri Lanka were 52 for 3 chasing a steep 304 to win, when Kusal came in to bat in the fourth innings. With 9 wickets down and 78 runs to chase, Perera played one of his greatest knocks to see them home.

Jofra Archer, who was voted the debutant of the year, also starred in the World Cup, with three-wicket hauls in five of England's first six games. He finished the tournament as their leading wicket-taker, and took that form into the Ashes series that followed, producing six-fours in two Tests and finishing with 22 wickets at an average of 20.07.

Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry of Australia won the women's batting and bowling performances of the year awards, respectively.

Lanning was consistent with the bat through the year, but it was her unbeaten 133 off 63 balls in the first T20I at Chelmsford, at the time the highest score in women's T20I cricket, that was her zenith. Perry's 7 for 22, also against England, were the best ODI bowling figures by an Australian woman cricketer.

The winners, across the 12 categories, were selected by a jury comprising former cricketers such as Ian Chappell, Ajit Agarkar, Daniel Vettori, Mark Butcher, Michael Hussey, Daryll Cullinan, Russel Arnold, Shahriar Nafees, Isa Guha, Snehal Pradhan and Peter Borren, and ESPNcricinfo's senior editors, writers, and global correspondents.