13) Brendon McCullum blitzkreig
Brendon McCullum knocked out Sri Lanka on Boxing Day with the fastest century in New Zealand's Test history. Not content with that, he nearly broke the world record for the quickest double-hundred, but fell five runs short - for 195 off 134 deliveries. With 18 fours and 11 sixes in his innings, he missed another record of hitting maximum sixes in an innings which is currently in the name of Wasim Akram who hit 12 sixes.
New Zealand finished on 429 for 7 in the 80th over - the second-highest they have ever made in a day's Test cricket - having maintained a run-rate of 6.63 in the final session despite McCullum's exit. He also became the first New Zealander to score 1000 test runs in a calendar year.
The English have hailed Brendon McCullum as international cricket's player of the week, the Australians have labelled him "a mould unto himself" and Asian cricket writers suggest he is "the best batsman in the world".
McCullum's previous test innings was 202 against Pakistan in Sharjah in November.
The kiwi skipper capped a remarkable year for himself and his team.
