Amla joins SA cricket's unique circle

Hashim Amla joined Makhaya Ntini and Jacques Kallis and rose above Shaun Pollock, Dale Steyn and Graeme Smith at Cricket South Africa's awards banquet in Johannesburg last night.

Amla's worth to the national cause was handsomely underlined when he was named Cricketer of the Year for the second time.

Only Ntini and Kallis have earned the accolade twice, while Pollock, Steyn and Smith have done so once each since the awards were instituted in 2004.

The No1 ranked batsman in Test and one-day cricket was also crowned Test Cricketer of the Year, and he won the Fans' Cricketer of the Year and the So Good awards - the latter specifically for his 311 not out against England at the Oval last year, the record Test score by a South African.

Not that Amla had matters all his own way: he was nominated for the ODI Player of the Year award, but lucked out to AB de Villiers.

Amla played 11 Tests - from the series in England last July to the end of the home series against Pakistan in February - and scored 1321 runs at an average of 82.56, well above his career mark of 52.11.

He scored five centuries and four half-centuries in 18 innings. In Amla's other nine trips to the crease, only once was he dismissed for a single-figure score.

CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat was quoted earlier as saying: "It is not easy to keep finding special words to speak about Hashim's best attributes".

"The greatest quality he brings to the game is his attitude and humility. This transcends all his international statistics and we are indeed very lucky to have such a wonderful role model for our children to emulate."

De Villiers was also the SA Players' Player of the Year, and Steyn scooped the T20 International Player prize.

Geoff Toyana, who ended the Lions' dry run of five seasons with the local T20 title, was named domestic Coach of the Year.

International Delivery of the Year: Jacques Kallis (dismissed Ricky Ponting on first day of second Test against Australia)

SA Newcomer of the Year: Kyle Abbott

Women's Cricketer of the Year: Marizanne Kapp

Domestic First-Class Cricketer of the Season: Johann Louw (Cobras)

One-Day Cup Cricketer of the Season: Richard Levi (Cobras)

T20 Player of the Season: Quinton de Kock (Lions).