Test Cricket's best performers of 2012

I would like to say that this isn’t a list of the best batsmen and bowlers in Test cricket. Otherwise, we’d constantly be putting Dale Steyn and Kumar Sangakkara in the list. I’m looking at the men who have performed above expectations and have delivered for their country over an equal number of matches as I think it’s unfair to just pick the players who have played the most matches and consequently rack up the most runs and wickets. So here are my top three batsmen and bowlers of 2012.

Top 3 Test batsmen of the year:

1) Michael Clarke (AUS)

If any batsman was the epitome of a machine, it would be Michael Clarke. The Australian captain was in frightening overdrive for the entire year. The new-found responsibility of Test captaincy has focused an already clear mind towards zenith levels and created a terrifying batsman that scored with such ease and aggression on the big occasions that the word ‘talisman’ doesn’t come close for the man tasked with leading Australia’s resurgence in the cricketing world.

As a curtain raiser innings, Clarke’s opener salvo could not have gone much better. At 37-3, Australia were in trouble against India in the 2^nd Test. 329 runs later, the captain had steered his side into an unbeatable position. The selflessness of the man who will always put the team first showed when he declined the opportunity to pass names such as Bradman and Taylor in the all-time highest Australian scores and declared giving his side enough time to bowl India out.

Most batsmen would live and dine on that remarkable score for the rest of the year, but Clarke was relentless with the bat when the pressure and the occasion demanded it. Although he failed to register a score past 50 against the West Indies, ‘Pup’ grew into a full grown wolf in 2012 passing triple figures four more times. Incredibly, three of these were double centuries – one more against India and back-to-back doubles against South Africa – who have the best attack in the world. In typical Clarke fashion, he finished off the year with a century against Sri Lanka carrying a hamstring injury in the process.

Clarke’s astonishing performances have put him alongside some of the all-time great 12-month performances. He’s already become Australia’s highest run scorer in a calendar year beating his mentor Ricky Ponting’s haul in 2005 and moved him to fifth on the all-time list behind names such as Richards and Yousuf with only 11 innings to his name. With Michael Hussey retiring at the end of the year, Clarke is the last of the senior batsmen representing Australia in Test cricket. But after watching the year Clarke has had, the baggy greens are certainly in good hands as they prepare for the upcoming Ashes double header in 2013.

2) Hashim Amla (RSA)

For almost two years, Amla was the overlooked dependable batsman in the Proteas’ top six with Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis grappling the headlines. 2012 was the year Amla came to the fore and was the main reason why South Africa are now the number one Test side in the world.

A solid campaign against New Zealand where he scored two half centuries didn’t exactly light flames amongst the cricketing fraternity, but at the Oval in London, the bearded wonder struck a giant blow into the minds of England’s fabled bowling attack. His utterly serene and effortless innings shot all the life out of England’s attack and in truth, Amla could have scored double the 311* he achieved if this had been a timeless Test of a bygone age.

He ended the tour as he started sealing the last Test match and the number one ranking for South Africa with a crucial second innings century. Now the hunted, South Africa were put on the defensive by a hungry young Australian side but Amla continued his great form with two centuries, the second – a brilliant 196 – effectively sealing the match and series when they had been under pressure in the last two matches.

Amla’s performances this year have shown there is light beyond the tunnel for South Africa when Kallis and Smith retire from Test cricket. With Kallis in particular reaching the long twilight of his illustrious career, it won’t be long until Amla becomes the sole middle order rock that bowling attacks quiver with dread before facing.

3) Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI)

When it comes to all-time greats of the West Indies’ cricket team, Chanderpaul is one of the men that almost everyone forgets to mention but I have no idea why. He’s scored more Test match runs than Richards, Sobers and Lloyd and only the indomitable Brian Lara is ahead of ‘the Crab’ in the all-time run scoring list.

At the start of 2012, Chanderpaul once again became a one-man stop-gap preventing the Australian and English bowling attacks from disintegrating the notoriously fragile West Indies batting line-up with and a 103* in the opening test of the year and five consecutive half centuries in three matches.

Although he had a disappointing tour of New Zealand, he found form once again against Bangladesh where he took full advantage of the inferior bowling attack of the Test playing minnows registering his highest ever score in international cricket of 203* as well as another century in his final match.

Of the entire list of batsman who played less than 10 matches, Chanderpaul was the best of the best just 13 runs short of reaching 1000 runs, or averaging 100 runs a match which is an incredible achievement. If he had played the same number of matches as some of the English batsman, I’m sure he would have pushed Alastair Cook to the position of second highest run scorer of the year. An average of 98.7 was bolstered by his two big not outs but he still deserves his place in the top three as the outstanding performer in a mediocre team.

Honourable Mentions: Alastair Cook, Jacques Kallis

Top 3 Test bowlers of the year

1) Vernon Philander (RSA)

What had the South African board been doing with Vernon Philander for the last five years? His ODI debut came against Ireland in 2007 but had to wait four years before his next taste of international cricket and boy did he take his chance. Brought in to reinforce Steyn and Morkel against Australia, Philander has been a sensation with the red ball ever since. He hasn’t quite matched the form he showed against Australia, but still has been supremely economical and has suffocated batsmen with his gentle swing that at times is even more deadly than swinging balls round corners.

Philander destroyed the New Zealanders with two 5-wicket and one 10-wicket haul with a career best finish of 6-44. Just like Amla with the bat, Philander bowled beautifully when it mattered against England ripping apart their top order at Lord’s in the second innings killing off their run chase before it even got going.

Philander had a solid series against Australia where he missed a Test through injury but still picked valuable wickets in the third and final Test. In Steyn and Morkel, South Africa always had two excellent bowlers – one of them is the best in the world. With Philander’s fantastic year in the bag, this three man seem attack could rule the world for at least a couple of years providing they stay fit of course.

2) Rangana Herath (SRL)

While Sri Lanka’s pace attack is at an all-time low, Herath has showed that there is still life in spin bowling after the great Muttiah Muralitharan and in my view was the best spinner of the year ahead of the other two quality spinners in the world – Saeed Ajmal and Graeme Swann.

Herath has amassed an incredible seven five-wicket hauls and two 10-wicket hauls in one year in 18 innings which means that half of Herath’s innings end in a five-wicket haul or better. No matter how good a bowler is or no matter how good the team is – that is astonishing.

With Sri Lanka’s well documented problems with Test cricket in 2013, this is likely to be Herath’s swan song in the Test cricket arena; but at the age of 34 having made his debut 13 years ago and always bowling in the shadow of the greatest spinner the world has ever seen, it must be nice for the quiet man to finally achieve a little piece of history.

3) Kemar Roach (WI)

The 24-year-old may not have the glamorous reputation of someone like Dale Steyn or Jimmy Anderson but in his seven Test matches against the powerhouses of Australia and England in the first half of the year and New Zealand in August, Roach picked up 39 wickets at an average of 22 runs – better than Morne Morkel, Ben Hilfenhaus and one less than Stuart Broad who played up to three Tests more than the Barbadian.

Yet a strike rate of 41 was the best by any bowler who had played more than five Tests and with three five-wicket hauls and one 10-wicket haul against Australia, Roach was one of the most consistent bowlers in the world who led the West Indies attack splendidly.

The young man was unfortunately hindered by a series of niggling injuries which prevented him playing the end of the year tour against Bangladesh and has the infuriating tendency of bowling no-balls just at the wrong moment. Although he definitely hasn’t got the speed and ferocity to match the likes of Ambrose, Walsh etc, 2013 could be the breakthrough year for the young man who could lead the line for a resurgent West Indies side that had a great 2012.

Honorable Mentions: Saeed Ajmal, Graeme Swann