Clarke reaps the rewards

Michael Clarke last night won his third Allan Border Medal, and also a second Test Player of the Year award, for a mighty period in which he towered above all his specialist-batsmen teammates.

While Clarke was beaten on a countback for the ODI award by Shane Watson - he then beat Ricky Ponting for the Test award in the same circumstances - and no longer plays Twenty20 Internationals, he comfortably beat Mike Hussey and Watson to claim the overall award.

The last time Clarke won the top award, in 2009, he shared it with the man he replaced as captain: Ponting. Last night it was announced the pair were split in Tests, although in all but the top award ties are discouraged.

A year ago, after both endured miserable Ashes campaigns, Clarke was fifth in the Test award and Ponting 10th.

This year, the pair sat atop that category after scoring 2006 runs between them: 1167 runs at 68.65 by the new captain, 837 at 52.31 by the old one.

In the same period only India's Rahul Dravid, with 1225 runs at 51.04, outscored Clarke in Tests, albeit from nine more innings.

Clarke and Ponting were also the batsmen that tormented India in the past Test series, combining in a 288-run partnership in Sydney and then 386 in Adelaide.

When both batsmen were locked on votes for Tests - which also occurred in the Twenty20I and ODI categories - a countback separated the players based on who had recorded most top votes, which ensured Clarke received the award ahead of Ponting.

''No doubt it's very special,'' Clarke said last night after receiving the award from one of his predecessors as captain of Australia, Allan Border.

''You work hard as an individual player but, as I've said this summer, the most pleasing thing for me … is to play in a team that has success, and that's one of the things 'Punter' [Ponting] taught me. He said to me for a long time that when you lead a team and your team has success it's actually irrelevant how you perform individually. To see the team win is the most satisfying thing.''

One of the key reasons for Clarke's stunning year was his conversion rate.

Of the six occasions he reached 50 in his 18 innings he went on to make a century in all but one of them, most notably in his masterful 329 not out in the SCG Test.

''It was fantastic to score my highest score on my home ground in front of my family and friends. I enjoyed that,'' he said.

Results-wise, Australia won seven of its 12 Tests, winning series against Sri Lanka (away) and India (home) and drawing series against South Africa (away) and New Zealand (home).

Veteran Mike Hussey finished in third position for Tests, as he did last year.

James Pattinson played in only four of Australia's 11 Tests for the period but still snared fourth position, while Australia's other young gun paceman, Pat Cummins, snared top votes for his only Test appearance.

Ben Hilfenhaus (sixth), Ryan Harris (seventh) and Peter Siddle (eighth) ensured bowlers filled half of the top 10 positions.

Last year's top Test player, Shane Watson, finished in 12th position.

Having scored so many runs, Clarke was relieved to have led by example. "I think it’s an important part of leadership. You don’t necessarily have to be the captain to want to lead from the front but I think it’s important as a senior player, especially with some young guys coming into our team this summer," he said.

"With some young guys coming into the team this summer it’s been crucial that the senior players have stood up. I think it’s a great reflection when you look at that leaderboard for the Allan Border Medal you’ve got myself, Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Shane Watson - the senior players are on that board. I think that’s played a big part in the success we’ve had over the past 12 months."

The Australian captain added: "I think my training and my preparation this year has been as good as any year, if not better. The added responsibility of captaining the team has probably made me stand up and lead from the front.

"As a whole, over the past 12 months I thought we played some really good cricket, but there’s been patches we’d like to forget as well. But in saying that, I think we’re heading in the right direction as a team."