New Zealand national cricket team

The reverend Henry Williams provided history with the first report of a game of cricket in New Zealand, when he wrote in his diary in December 1832 about boys in and around Paihia on Horotutu Beach playing cricket. In 1835, Charles Darwin and HMS Beagle called into the Bay of Islands on its epic circumnavigation of the Earth and Darwin witnessed a game of cricket played by freed Māori slaves and the son of a missionary at Waimate North. Darwin in The Voyage of the Beagle wrote:[19]

several young men redeemed by the missionaires from slavery were employed on the farm. In the evening I saw a party of them at cricket.

The first recorded game of cricket in New Zealand took place in Wellington in December 1842. The Wellington Spectator reports a game on 28 December 1842 played by a "Red" team and a "Blue" team from the Wellington Club. The first fully recorded match was reported by the Examiner in Nelson between the Surveyors and Nelson in March 1844.

The first team to tour New Zealand was Parr's all England XI in 1863–64. Between 1864 and 1914, 22 foreign teams toured New Zealand. England sent 6 teams, Australia 15 and one from Fiji.

On 15–17 February 1894 the first team representing New Zealand played New South Wales at Lancaster Park in Christchurch. New South Wales won by 160 runs. New South Wales returned again in 1895–96 and New Zealand won the solitary game by 142 runs, its first victory. The New Zealand Cricket Council was formed towards the end of 1894.

New Zealand played its first two internationals (not Tests) in 1904–05 against a star-studded Australia team containing such players as Victor Trumper, Warwick Armstrong and Clem Hill. Rain saved New Zealand from a thrashing in the first match, but not the second, which New Zealand lost by an innings and 358 runs – currently the second largest defeat in New Zealand first-class history.

In 1927 NZ toured England. They played 26 first-class matches, mostly against county sides. They won seven matches, including those against Worcestershire, Glamorgan, Somerset and Derbyshire. On the strength of the performances of this tour New Zealand was granted Test status.

In 1929/30 the M.C.C toured NZ and played 4 Tests all of 3 days in duration. New Zealand lost its first Test match but drew the next 3. In the second Test Stewie Dempster and Jackie Mills put on 276 for the first wicket. This is still the highest partnership for New Zealand against England. New Zealand first played South Africa in 1931–32 in a three match series but were unable to secure Test matches against any teams other than England before World War II ended all Test cricket for 7 years. A Test tour by Australia, planned for February and March 1940, was cancelled after the outbreak of the war.[20][21][22]

New Zealand's first Test after the war was against Australia in 1945/46. This game was not considered a "Test" at the time but it was granted Test status retrospectively by the International Cricket Council in March 1948. The New Zealand players who appeared in this match probably did not appreciate this move by the ICC as New Zealand were dismissed for 42 and 54. The New Zealand Cricket Council's unwillingness to pay Australian players a decent allowance to tour New Zealand ensured that this was the only Test Australia played against New Zealand between 1929 and 1972.

In 1949 New Zealand sent one of its best ever sides to England. It contained Bert Sutcliffe, Martin Donnelly, John R. Reid and Jack Cowie. However, 3-day Test matches ensured that all 4 Tests were drawn. Many have regarded the 1949 tour of England among New Zealand's best ever touring performances. All four tests were high-scoring despite being draws and Martin Donnelly's 206 at Lord's hailed as one of the finest innings ever seen there.[23] Despite being winless, New Zealand did not lose a test either. Prior to this, only the legendary 1948 Australian team, led by the great Don Bradman, had achieved this.

New Zealand played its first matches against the West Indies in 1951–52, and Pakistan and India in 1955/56.

In 1954/55 New Zealand recorded the lowest ever innings total, 26 against England. The following season New Zealand achieved its first Test victory. The first 3 Tests of a 4 Test series were won easily by the West Indies but New Zealand won the fourth to notch up its first Test victory. It had taken them 45 matches and 26 years to attain.

9, 10, 12, 13 March 1956 Scorecard

New Zealand	v	West Indies
255 all out (166.5 overs) John R. Reid 84 Tom Dewdney 5/21 (19.5 overs)		145 all out (78.3 overs) Hammond Furlonge 64 Harry Cave 4/22 (27.3 overs)
157 all out (80 overs) Sammy Guillen 41 Denis Atkinson 7/53 (40 overs)		77 all out (45.1 overs) Everton Weekes 31 Harry Cave 4/21 (13.1 overs)

New Zealand won by 190 runs Eden Park, Auckland Umpires: Clyde Harris (NZL) and Terry Pearce (NZL)

• New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat

In the next 20 years New Zealand won only seven more Tests. For most of this period New Zealand lacked a class bowler to lead their attack although they had two excellent batsmen in Bert Sutcliffe and Glenn Turner and a great all-rounder in John R. Reid.

Reid captained New Zealand on a tour to South Africa in 1961–62 where the five test series was drawn 2–2. The victories in the third and fifth tests were the first overseas victories New Zealand achieved. Reid scored 1,915 runs in the tour, setting a record for the most runs scored by a touring batsman of South Africa as a result.[24]

New Zealand won their first test series in their three match 1969/70 tour of Pakistan 1–0.[25]

Scoreboard - Basin ReserveFebruary 1978. NZ's first win over England

In 1973 Richard Hadlee debuted and the rate at which New Zealand won Tests picked up dramatically. Hadlee was one of the best pace bowlers of his generation, playing 86 Tests for New Zealand, before he retired in 1990. Of the 86 Tests that Hadlee played in New Zealand won 22 and lost 28. In 1977/78 New Zealand won its first Test against England, at the 48th attempt. Hadlee took 10 wickets in the match.

During the 1980s New Zealand also had the services of one of its best ever batsman, Martin Crowe and a number of good players such as John Wright, Bruce Edgar, John F. Reid, Andrew Jones, Geoff Howarth, Jeremy Coney, Ian Smith, John Bracewell, Lance Cairns, Stephen Boock, and Ewen Chatfield, who were capable of playing the occasional match winning performance and consistently making a valuable contribution to a Test match.

The best example of New Zealand's two star players (R. Hadlee and M. Crowe) putting in match winning performances and other players making good contributions is New Zealand versus Australia, 1985 at Brisbane. In Australia's first innings Hadlee took 9–52. In New Zealand's only turn at bat, M Crowe scored 188 and John F. Reid 108. Edgar, Wright, Coney, Jeff Crowe, V. Brown, and Hadlee scored between 17 and 54*. In Australia's second innings, Hadlee took 6–71 and Chatfield 3–75. New Zealand won by an innings and 41 runs.

8–12 November 1985 Scorecard

Australia	v	New Zealand
179 (76.4 overs) Kepler Wessels 70 (186) Richard Hadlee 9/52 (23.4 overs)		553/7d (161 overs) Martin Crowe 188 (328) Greg Matthews 3/110 (31 overs)
333 (116.5 overs Allan Border 152* (301) Richard Hadlee 6/71 (28.5 overs)

New Zealand won by an innings and 41 runs The Gabba, Brisbane Umpires: Tony Crafter (Aus) and Dick French (Aus) Player of the match: Richard Hadlee (NZ)

• New Zealand won the toss and elected to field.

One-day cricket also gave New Zealand a chance to compete more regularly than Test cricket with the better sides in world cricket. In one-day cricket a batsman does not need to score centuries to win games for his side and bowlers do not need to bowl the opposition out. One-day games can be won by one batsman getting a 50, a few others getting 30s, bowlers bowling economically and everyone fielding well. These were requirements New Zealand players could consistently meet and thus developed a good one-day record against all sides.

Perhaps New Zealand's most infamous one-day match was the "under arm" match against Australia at the MCG in 1981. Requiring six runs to tie the match off the final ball, Australian captain Greg Chappell instructed his brother Trevor to "bowl" the ball underarm along the wicket to prevent New Zealand batsman Brian McKechnie from hitting a six. The Australian umpires ruled the move as legal even though to this day many believe it was one of the most unsporting decisions made in cricket.

When New Zealand next played in the tri-series in Australia in 1983, Lance Cairns became a cult hero for his one-day batting. In one match against Australia, he hit six sixes at the MCG, one of the world's largest grounds. Few fans remember that New Zealand lost this game by 149 runs. However, Lance's greatest contribution to New Zealand cricket was his son Chris Cairns.

Chris Cairns made his debut one year before Hadlee retired in 1990. Cairns, one of New Zealand's best all-rounders, led the 1990s bowling attack with Danny Morrison. Stephen Fleming, New Zealand's most prolific scorer, led the batting and the team into the 21st century. Nathan Astle and Craig McMillan also scored plenty of runs for New Zealand, but both retired earlier than expected.

Daniel Vettori made his debut as an 18-year-old in 1997, and when he took over from Fleming as captain in 2007 he was regarded as the best spinning all-rounder in world cricket. On 26 August 2009, Daniel Vettori became the eighth player and second left-arm bowler (after Chaminda Vaas) in history to take 300 wickets and score 3000 test runs, joining the illustrious club. Vettori decided to take an indefinite break from international short form cricket in 2011 but continued to represent New Zealand in Test cricket and returned for the 2015 Cricket World Cup.

On 4 April 1996, New Zealand achieved a unique world record, where the whole team was adjudged Man of the Match for team performance against 4 run victory over the West Indies. This is recorded as the only time where whole team achieved such an award.[26][27][28]

3 April 1996 Scorecard

New Zealand  158 (35.5 overs)	v	West Indies 154 (49.1 overs)
Craig Spearman 41 (39) Laurie Williams 3/16 (4.5 overs)		Roland Holder 49* (86) Chris Cairns 2/17 (5.1 overs)

New Zealand won by 4 runs Bourda, Georgetown, Guyana Umpires: Clyde Duncan (WI) and Eddie Nicholls (WI) Player of the match: New Zealand

• West Indies won the toss and elected to field.

The Black Caps logo.

New Zealand started the new millennium by winning the 2000 ICC KnockOut Trophy in Kenya to claim their first ICC tournament. They started with a 64-run win over Zimbabwe then proceeded to beat Pakistan by 4 wickets in the semi-final. In the final against India, Chris Cairns scored an unbeaten 102 in New Zealand's run chase helping them win the tournament.

15 October 2000 Scorecard

India  264/6 (50 overs)	v	New Zealand 265/6 (49.4 overs)
Sourav Ganguly 117 (130) Scott Styris 2/53 (10 overs)		Chris Cairns 102* (113) Venkatesh Prasad 3/27 (7 overs)

New Zealand won by 4 wickets (with 2 balls remaining) Gymkhana Club Ground, Nairobi  Kenya Umpires: Steve Bucknor (WI) and David Shepherd (Eng) Player of the match: Chris Cairns (NZ)

• New Zealand won the toss and elected to field.
• New Zealand won the 2000 ICC Knockout Trophy.

Shane Bond played 17 Tests for NZ between 2001 and 2007 but missed far more through injury. When fit, he added a dimension to the NZ bowling attack that had been missing since Hadlee retired.

The New Zealand team celebrating a dismissal in 2009

The rise of the financial power of the BCCI had an immense effect on NZ cricket and its players. The BCCI managed to convince other boards not to pick players who had joined the rival Twenty-20 Indian Cricket League. NZ Cricket lost the services of Shane Bond, Lou Vincent, Andre Adams, Hamish Marshall and Daryl Tuffey. The money to be made from Twenty-20 cricket in India may have also induced players, such as Craig McMillan and Scott Styris (from Test cricket) to retire earlier than they would have otherwise. After the demise of the Indian Cricket League Bond and Tuffey again played for New Zealand.

Vettori stood down as Test captain in 2011 leading to star batsman Ross Taylor to take his place. Taylor led New Zealand for a year which included a thrilling win in a low scoring Test match against Australia in Hobart, their first win over Australia since 1993. In 2012/13 Brendon McCullum became captain and new players such as Kane Williamson, Corey Anderson, Doug Bracewell, Trent Boult and Jimmy Neesham emerged as world-class performers. McCullum captained New Zealand to series wins against the West Indies and India in 2013/14 and both Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 2014/15 increasing New Zealand's rankings in both Test and ODI formats. In the series against India McCullum scored 302 at Wellington to become New Zealand's first Test triple centurion.

In early 2015 New Zealand made the final of the Cricket World Cup, going through the tournament undefeated until the final, where they lost to Australia by seven wickets.[29]

In 2015 the New Zealand national cricket team played under the name of Aotearoa for their first match against Zimbabwe to celebrate Māori Language Week.[30]

In mid-2015 New Zealand toured England,[31] performing well, drawing the Test series 1–1, and losing the One Day series, 2–3.

From October to November 2015, and in February 2016, New Zealand played Australia in two Test Series, in three and two games a piece

With a changing of an era in the Australian team, New Zealand was rated as a chance of winning especially in New Zealand. New Zealand lost both series by 2-Nil[32]

ICC World Test Championship record
Final Host(s) & Year	League stage														Final	Final Position
	Pos	Series				Matches					PC	PCT	RpW Ratio	Pts
		P	W	L	D	P	W	L	D	T
2019-21	2/9	5	3	1	1	11	7	4	0	0	600	0.700	1.281	420	T.B.D.	T.B.D.
Last updated: 25 January 2021[37]

* – Indication that team is currently playing a test match/series.

• 1986: Semi-finals
• 1990: Semi-finals
• 1994: Semi-finals

Opposition	Span	Series								Matches
		P	W	L	D	W/L	%W	%L	%D	P	W	L	T	Tie+W	Tie+L	N/R	%W
Afghanistan	2015-2019	0	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	100.00
Australia	1974-2019	16	3	9	4	0.33	18.75	56.25	25.00	137	39	91	0	0	0	7	30.00
Bangladesh	1990-2019	8	6	2	0	3.00	75.00	25.00	0.00	35	25	10	0	0	0	0	71.42
Canada	2003-2011	0	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	100.00
East Africa	1975-1975	0	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	100.00
England	1973-2019	18	7	8	3	0.87	38.88	44.44	16.66	91	43	41	2	0	1	4	51.14
India	1975-2020	15	5	8	2	0.63	33.33	53.33	13.33	109	49	55	1	0	0	5	47.14
Ireland	2007-2017	0	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	4	4	0	0	0	0	0	100.00
Kenya	2007-2011	0	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	100.00
Netherlands	1996-1996	0	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	100.00
Pakistan	1973-2019	19	10	7	2	1.42	52.63	36.84	10.52	107	48	55	1	0	0	3	46.63
Scotland	1999-2015	0	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	100.00
South Africa	1992-2019	10	2	8	0	0.20	20.00	80.00	0.00	71	25	41	0	0	0	5	37.87
Sri Lanka	1979-2019	15	8	3	4	2.66	53.33	20.00	26.66	99	49	41	1	0	0	8	54.39
UAE	1996-1996	0	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	100.00
United States	2004-2004	0	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	100.00
West Indies	1975-2019	11	4	6	1	0.66	36.36	54.54	9.09	65	28	30	0	0	0	7	48.27
Zimbabwe	1987-2015	9	6	2	1	3.00	66.66	22.22	11.11	38	27	9	1	0	0	1	74.32
Summary	1973-2020	121	51	53	17	0.96	42.14	43.80	14.04	771	351	373	6	0	1	40	48.49
Last updated: 11 February 2020. Source:ESPNCricInfo

* Only bilateral series wherein a minimum of 2 matches were played have been included here. One-off matches are not credited as a bilateral series.

* "Tie+W" and "Tie+L" indicates matches tied and then won or lost in a tiebreaker such as a bowlout or one-over-eliminator ("Super Over").

* The win percentage excludes no results and counts ties (irrespective of a tiebreaker) as half a win.

* Forfeited matches are not included.

Opposition	Span	Series								Matches
		P	W	L	D	W/L	%W	%L	%D	P	W	L	Tie+W	Tie+L	N/R	%W
Australia	2005-2018	1	0	0	1	0.00	0.00	0.00	100.00	9	1	7	1	0	0	16.66
Bangladesh	2010-2017	1	1	0	0	—	100.00	0.00	0.00	7	7	0	0	0	0	100.00
England	2007-2018	4	1	3	0	0.33	25.00	75.00	0.00	21	7	12	0	1	1	37.50
India	2007-2020	5	3	2	0	1.50	60.00	40.00	0.00	16	8	6	0	2	0	56.25
Ireland	2009-2009	0	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	1	0	0	0	0	100.00
Kenya	2007-2007	0	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	1	0	0	0	0	100.00
Netherlands	2014-2014	0	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	1	0	0	0	0	100.00
Pakistan	2007-2020	7	3	3	1	1.00	42.85	42.85	14.28	24	10	14	0	0	0	41.66
Scotland	2009-2009	0	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	1	0	0	0	0	100.00
South Africa	2005-2017	3	0	2	1	0.00	0.00	66.66	33.33	15	4	11	0	0	0	26.66
Sri Lanka	2006-2019	6	3	1	2	3.00	50.00	16.66	33.33	19	10	7	0	1	1	58.33
West Indies	2006-2020	6	3	1	2	3.00	50.00	16.66	33.33	16	8	3	1	2	1	67.85
Zimbabwe	2010-2015	2	2	0	0	—	100.00	0.00	0.00	6	6	0	0	0	0	100.00
Summary	2005-2020	35	16	12	7	1.33	45.71	34.28	20.00	137	65	60	2	6	3	51.87
Last updated: 22 December 2020. Source:ESPNCricInfo

* Only bilateral series wherein a minimum of 2 matches were played have been included here. One-off matches are not credited as a bilateral series.

* "Tie+W" and "Tie+L" indicates matches tied and then won or lost in a tiebreaker such as a bowlout or one-over-eliminator ("Super Over")

* The win percentage excludes no results and counts ties (irrespective of a tiebreaker) as half a win.

• Richard Hadlee, one of New Zealand and the world's best all-rounders, took the world record for most Test wickets (374) vs India at Bangalore in 1988. Hadlee was the first bowler to reach 400 Test wickets, vs India at Christchurch in 1990, and finished his career with 431 wickets. He subsequently lost the record to Kapil Dev.
• The black caps would be known for their world record of having the most semi final appearances of any country but The Black Caps have yet to claim the trophy.
• Corey Anderson holds record for the second fastest century in One Day Internationals (or any other format of international cricket). Playing against West Indies, he scored his ton in just 36 balls. Corey Anderson lost the record to AB de Villiers when AB scored a century in just 31 balls against West Indies.
• In a One Day International in 1996, the entire New Zealand team were awarded man of the match against the West Indies, the first such occasion.
• Andrew Jones and Martin Crowe held the highest ever 3rd-wicket partnership in Tests, with 467 against Sri Lanka in 1991, which at the time was the highest partnership for any wicket.[38]
• Brian Hastings and Richard Collinge together scored 151 runs for the 10th-wicket against Pakistan in 1973, the highest 10th-wicket partnership at the time.[39]
• Nathan Astle scored Test cricket's fastest ever double century versus England, at Christchurch in 2002.[40] He scored 200 off 153 balls with the second hundred coming off just 39 deliveries. He was eventually out for 222—the dreaded double Nelson. He knocked the first hundred off 114 balls. Astle smashed the record by 59 balls, previously held by Adam Gilchrist Australia vs South Africa Johannesburg 2002.
• Brendon McCullum holds the world record for the fastest Test hundred in terms of balls faced. It was scored off 54 balls on 20 February 2016, against Australia during his final Test match, in Christchurch.[41]
• Brendon McCullum holds the world record for the most sixes in Test cricket with 107.[42] He passed Adam Gilchrist's record of 100[42] in his final Test match. This record was also previously held by Chris Cairns.[42]
• Brendon McCullum was the first batsman to score two centuries in Twenty20 International Cricket (116* v. Australia and 123 v. Bangladesh).
• Brendon McCullum held the record for the highest individual score in Twenty20 International cricket, when he scored 123 v. Bangladesh at Pallekele. He lost the record to Aaron Finch who scored 156* against England at Southampton.[43]
• Chris Cairns and his father Lance Cairns are one of the two father-son combinations to each claim 100 Test wickets, South Africa's Peter and Shaun Pollock being the other.
• Martin Guptill scored the highest score in World Cups with 237* in 2015.
• Guptill holds the record for most career runs (2,271) and most sixes (103, equal with Chris Gayle) in Twenty20 Internationals, both records previously held by Brendon McCullum.[44]
• John Bracewell was the first – and so far only – substitute fielder to take four catches in a One Day International, vs Australia in Adelaide on 23 November 1980.
• Daniel Vettori was the first cricketer to take four wickets and score a half-century in each innings of a Test match, a feat he achieved against Bangladesh in October 2008 at Chittagong. His figures were 5/95 and 4/74 with the ball and 55* and 76 with the bat.[45]
• Colin Munro is the first player in to score three Twenty20 International hundreds. This was accomplished on 3 January 2018 against the West Indies when he scored 104 off 88 balls, with 3 fours and 10 sixes.
• Chris Harris holds the record for the most ODI caught and bowled dismissals, with 29.[46]

• New Zealand dismissed Zimbabwe (Harare 2005) twice in the same day for totals of 59 and 99. Zimbabwe became only the second team (after India at Manchester in 1952) to be dismissed twice in the same day. The whole Test was completed inside two days.[47] This feat was then repeated at Napier in 2012 when NZ dismissed Zimbabwe for 51 and 143 to end the match within three days.[48]
• Kane Williamson holds the record for most centuries by a New Zealander in Tests, with 24.
• Brendon McCullum holds the record for the highest Test innings by a New Zealander of 302 (vs India in 2014). He is currently the only triple centurion from New Zealand.
• Brendon McCullum holds the New Zealand Test record for the most innings of 200 or more, with 4.
• Brendon McCullum scored the fastest World Cup fifty (off 18 balls) for New Zealand in a Pool A Match of 2015 Cricket World Cup against England, beating his own 20-ball record set against Canada in World Cup (2007) earlier.
• Martin Guptill holds the record for the highest One Day International innings by a New Zealander, with 237 not out against West Indies in the 2015 World Cup Quarter-final in Wellington.[49]
• Shane Bond took an ODI hat-trick in the last over (innings bowling figures: 10–0–61–4) vs Australia at Hobart in January 2007.[50]
• Tim Southee took a Twenty20 hat-trick, taking 5–18 in the match against Pakistan.
• Colin Munro scored the second fastest T20 International 50, off 14 balls, against Sri Lanka at Eden Park, Auckland on 10 January 2016.
• Chris Harris, Daniel Vettori, Kyle Mills and Chris Cairns are the only New Zealand cricketers to have taken 200 wickets in ODIs.
• Chris Harris and Chris Cairns are the only two New Zealand cricketers to complete the 4000 run / 200 wicket double in ODIs. The others are Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya, South African Jacques Kallis, Pakistani's Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq and Bangladeshi Shakib Al Hasan).[51]