Michael Clarke did not need to wear a gold tie to a black-tie event to be noticed.

Australian cricket's young gun does that on the field, and if his achievements over the past year did not confirm his superstar status, then winning the 2005 Allan Border Medal certainly will.

The 23-year-old New South Welshman was named his country's best cricketer of the past year by polling 54 votes from teammates, media and umpires to beat batsman Damien Martyn (51), the favourite at the start of the night.

Vice-captain Adam Gilchrist was third, with 41 votes.

Clarke, accompanied by girlfriend Erina Lea-Connelly at the gala reception at Crown Casino, is the youngest winner of the coveted award and his victory was only the second occasion, after Steve Waugh won in 2001, when the medallist did not win either of the Test or one-day player awards.

Martyn, who scored six centuries in another year of Australian dominance in the traditional game, won the Test award, while Clarke was pipped by Andrew Symonds on a countback for the one-day award.

But Clarke was outstanding in both forms.

He scored a breath-taking 151 in his Test debut in Bangalore in October, took a remarkable 6-9 with his left-arm spinners in the same series in India and then produced a wonderful 141 in his first Test on Australian soil, against New Zealand in Brisbane in November.

Clarke, who also scored two limited overs centuries as an opener, edged past Martyn in the final match of the voting period when he earned a maximum six votes for his 75 not out in Australia's loss to Pakistan in Perth. The dashing batter and fielder produced a dashing finish.

In the other awards, Queensland's Andy Bichel won the state player title, South Australian Mark Cosgrove won the Bradman Young Cricketer trophy and Karen Rolton won a third Women's International Player of the Year award.

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