ASHLEIGH Gardner has taken top honours at the Australian Cricket Awards in Melbourne, winning the prestigious Belinda Clark Award.

At a ceremony which celebrated a remarkable year of achievement for Australian cricket, Gardner added a second Belinda Clark Award to the one she won in 2022.

In an off-the-cuff acceptance speech, the all-rounder delivered a heartfelt tribute to her family and partner Monica for their continued support.

“Firstly, just to thank my cricket family – going away for a lot of the year, it’s a lot easier with all of my teammates and all the support staff,” she said.

“My family – you obviously know what you mean to me, you’re always there…