Cooper Connolly and Jake Lehmann have been recognised with two of Australian cricket’s most closely watched peer-voted awards, marking standout seasons that helped shape the domestic game over the past year.
Connolly was named the 2026 Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year after a rapid rise that culminated in his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Galle. The Western Australia all-rounder’s form across formats during the voting period set him apart in a competitive field.
Across four Sheffield Shield matches, Connolly scored 308 runs at an average of 44, registering four half centuries, and added three wickets. His impact was even more pronounced in the KFC BBL|14 with the Perth Scorchers, where he made 351 runs in 10 matches at an average of 50.14, striking at 131.46. He also contributed with the ball, taking six wickets at an average of 29.67 and an economy rate of 7.42.
International opportunities followed, with Connolly representing Australia in six ODIs and four T20Is during the period. One of the highlights was a composed, match-winning 61 not out against India at Adelaide Oval.
“The award is named after the Don so it’s special to be a part of that group and to see the previous winners, it’s always exciting to be part of that,” Connolly said. “There’s been a lot of cricket played over the last 12 months. I haven’t really had time to sit down and soak it all in. I’m just honoured to win this award, it’s special and it was nice to receive it from Richo (Jhye Richardson).”
He also acknowledged those around him, saying, “I’m enormously grateful for all the support I’ve had from coaches, teammates and support staff at WA Cricket.” Looking ahead, Connolly added, “I’m looking forward to the upcoming BBL finals campaign and am excited at the prospect of being a part of the Scorchers’ sixth BBL title.”
The Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year award is open to players aged 24 or under at the start of the period who have limited first-class and short-format experience and have not previously won the honour.
Jake Lehmann was named men’s Domestic Player of the Year after a prolific season that underpinned South Australia’s success in both the Sheffield Shield and the One-Day Cup.
Lehmann amassed 855 Shield runs at an average of 47.5, including five centuries, and added 237 runs in the One-Day Cup at 39.5 with two half centuries. His form stretched across seasons, with centuries in four consecutive Shield matches from the end of 2024–25, including the final, through to the opening game of 2025–26.
“It was a little bit of a shock,” Lehmann said. “I felt like I’ve been playing some really good cricket in the last 18 months, so to get recognised by people that you’re playing against and your peers is always something special and I’m grateful for the acknowledgement.”
Reflecting on the team environment, he said, “I feel like as a group we’ve played some really nice cricket, and that’s helped me a lot in being able to play the way that I would like to play. I’ve played the last couple of years with a smile on my face, enjoying myself and probably playing cricket the right way.”
Lehmann also paid tribute to those who supported him. “I’d like to thank SACA as a whole. They’ve supported me my whole career, and to Ryan Harris and the coaching staff, they put it in a lot of work, and backed me in what I’ve done over the last 18 months and given me the license to be myself and play the way I want to play,” he said, adding thanks to his family for “all the yards over all the years.” He described the award as “a great honour,” noting that to see his name alongside players he had long admired was “just an honour.”
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg said the awards reflected sustained excellence. “Congratulations to Cooper and Jake on their very well deserved awards,” he said. “Cooper is just one of the outstanding young players who has come through our pathway systems and he has an exciting future ahead of him. Jake has been a fantastic contributor to South Australia’s recent success and is one of the players who helps make our domestic competitions the best in world cricket.”
Australian Cricketers’ Association chief executive Paul Marsh highlighted the value of peer recognition. “Being recognised by your peers is incredibly special, and Jake and Cooper both thoroughly deserve their awards,” he said. He pointed to Lehmann’s season as “a way to cap off a year where after winning the Shield and the One-Day Cup” and described Connolly as “one of the most exciting young prospects in Australian Cricket.”
The voting period for both awards ran from 11 December 2024 to 13 December 2025, capturing a year in which both players left a clear mark on Australia’s domestic game.
Previous winners of the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year Award:
- 2000: Brett Lee
- 2001: Nathan Bracken
- 2002: Shane Watson
- 2003: Nathan Hauritz
- 2004: Shaun Tait
- 2005: Mark Cosgrove
- 2006: Dan Cullen
- 2007: Ben Hilfenhaus
- 2008: Luke Pomersbach
- 2009: Phillip Hughes
- 2010: John Hastings
- 2011: Trent Copeland
- 2012: David Warner
- 2013: Joe Burns
- 2014: Jordan Silk
- 2015: Sean Abbott
- 2016: Alex Ross
- 2017: Hilton Cartwright
- 2018: Jhye Richardson
- 2019: Will Pucovski
- 2020: Wes Agar
- 2021: Will Sutherland
- 2022: Tim Ward
- 2023: Lance Morris
- 2024: Fergus O’Neill
- 2025: Sam Konstas
Previous winners of the Men’s Domestic Cricketer of the Year Award:
- 2000: Darren Lehmann (South Australia)
- 2001: Darren Lehmann (South Australia)
- 2002: Darren Lehmann (South Australia)
- 2003: Martin Love (Queensland)
- 2004: Simon Katich (New South Wales)
- 2005: Andy Bichel (Queensland)
- 2006: Phil Jaques (New South Wales)
- 2007: Chris Rogers (Western Australia)
- 2008: Ashley Noffke (Queensland)
- 2009: Michael Klinger (South Australia)
- 2010: Michael Klinger (South Australia)
- 2011: Usman Khawaja (New South Wales)
- 2012: Rob Quiney (Victoria)
- 2013: Phillip Hughes (New South Wales)
- 2014: Cameron White (Victoria)
- 2015: Jason Behrendorff (Western Australia)
- 2016: Adam Voges (Western Australia)
- 2017: Cameron White (Victoria)
- 2018: George Bailey (Tasmania)
- 2019: Matthew Wade (Tasmania)
- 2020: Shaun Marsh (Western Australia)
- 2021: Shaun Marsh (Western Australia)
- 2022: Travis Head (South Australia)
- 2023: Michael Neser (Queensland)
- 2024: Cameron Bancroft (Western Australia)
- 2025: Beau Webster (Tasmania)
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