HOME CRICKET AUSTRALIA THE AB MEDAL BY THE NUMBERS
Fox Sports Stats crunch the numbers in a bid to find the Allan Border Medal winner for 2012
By Martin Smith & Fox Sports Stats FOX SPORTS
February 24, 2012
Australia have had plenty of standout performers in the past 12 months, but who will take home the highest individual prize in the game - the Allan Border Medal?
The AB Medal is based on votes from peers, umpires, match referees and selected media representatives across all forms of the game over the past 12 months.
Votes are weighted to reflect the varying number of Tests, ODIs and T20s so that players have a fair chance to win the Allan Border Medal.
Will Michael Clarke win his third AB Medal? Can Ricky Ponting win it for a record fifth time? Or will Mike Hussey or Peter Siddle become a first-time winner?
To help you decide, Fox Sports Stats has crunched the numbers from the past 12 months and come up with the star performers from the 11 Tests, 24 one-day internationals and six Twenty20s Australia played since the 2011 Allan Border Medal.
Check out the contenders for the Test Player of the Year
MICHAEL CLARKE
Matches: 32
Innings: 37
Runs: 1966
Average: 65.53
Highest: 329*
Centuries: 6
Fifties: 6
Strike-rate: 70.23
Catches: 28
Fox Sports Stats says: Was easily Australias leading run scorer in this period with 1966 runs (more than 500 runs ahead of Ponting in second place). He scored six centuries (most) and six fifties at an average of 65.53. He was player of the series in the India Test matches, finishing with 626 runs, a highest score of 329* and an average of 125.20.
MICHAEL HUSSEY
Matches: 30
Innings: 34
Runs: 1372
Average: 45.73
Highest: 150*
Centuries: 4
Fifties: 6
Strike-rate: 66.08
Catches: 23
Fox Sports Stats says: Had an up-and-down year but Australias third highest run scorer in this period with 1372 runs. He scored four centuries (second most) and six fifties at an average of 45.73. Hussey picked up all three man of the match awards and the player of the series in the Sri Lanka Test matches. He finished that series with 463 runs and two centuries at an average of 92.60.
MITCHELL JOHNSON
Matches: 26
Overs: 334.2
Maidens: 36
Runs: 1342
Wickets: 47
Average: 28.55
Best: 6-31
Economy rate: 4.01
Fox Sports Stats says: Despite missing the whole Australian summer, Johnson was Australias leading wicket-taker for the 12 months with 47 wickets. Johnson bowled 40 more overs than any other Australian bowler, finishing with an average of 28.55, an economy rate of 4.01 and a strike rate of 42.6.
RICKY PONTING
Matches: 33
Innings: 39
Runs: 1459
Average: 40.52
Highest: 221
Centuries: 3
Fifties: 8
Strike-rate: 61.58
Catches: 23
Fox Sports Stats says: Was Australias second highest run scorer in this period with 1459 runs. Despite struggling for runs for most of the period, and eventually being dropped from the ODI team, Ponting scored 544 runs at an average of 108.80 against India in the Test series.
PETER SIDDLE
Matches: 9
Overs: 295.2
Maidens: 77
Runs: 934
Wickets: 40
Average: 23.35
Best: 5-49
Economy rate: 3.16
Fox Sports Stats says: Was Australias second highest wicket taker in this period, with 40 wickets from just nine matches. He bowled almost 300 overs, including 77 maidens, at an average of 23.35, an economy rate of 3.16 and a strike rate of 44.3.
SHANE WATSON
Matches: 25
Innings: 28
Runs: 1134
Average: 42.00
Highest: 185*
Centuries: 1
Fifties: 9
Strike-rate: 102.43
Catches: 14
Overs: 208.1
Maidens: 33
Runs: 796
Wickets: 26
Average: 30.61
Best: 5-17
Economy rate: 3.82
Fox Sports Stats says: Despite missing most of the Australian summer, Watson was Australias fourth highest run scorer with 1134 runs. He scored nine fifties, but just the one century (185* against Bangladesh). He had a strike rate of 102.43, including 47 sixes. To go with that he took 26 wickets (the seventh most) and was also awarded the man of the match in five matches (the most).
