The New Zealand cricket team, also known as the Black Caps, played their first Test in 1930 vs England in Christchurch, New Zealand. It took the team until 1956 to win a Test, against the West Indies at Eden Park in Auckland. They played their first ODI in the 1972 1973 season vs Pakistan in Christchurch.

The current captain is Stephen Fleming, who follows in the footsteps of former greats such as John R. Reid, Graham Dowling and Geoff Howarth. Stephen Fleming is the Black Caps' most successful captain, having led New Zealand to 20 Test victories (2004), more than double that of any other captain.

Current Test record (2004)

First Test series wins

Away

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First Test match wins

Away

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All rounders

New Zealand is the only Test playing country to have two players who have achieved the allrounder’s double of 3000 Test runs and 200 Test wickets. The current (2004) list is :

Victories

The Black Caps won the ICC Knock-Out Trophy vs India Nairobi Gymkhana Club Nairobi Kenya 2000

They won the 2004 NatWest Series Trophy held in India Mohali 2003-2004 season

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• 671-4 vs Sri Lanka Basin Reserve Wellington 1990-1991 season

Lowest Test Innings total

Away

• 47 vs England Lord's London 1958 season

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• 26 vs England Auckland 1954-1955 season

Highest individual Test innings

Away

• 274 not out Stephen Fleming vs Sri Lanka Colombo 2003 season

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• 299 Martin Crowe vs Sri Lanka Basin Reserve Wellington 1990-1991 season

Highest Wicket Stands

World Record

• Richard Hadlee, one of New Zealand's best all-rounders took the world record for most Test wickets (374) vs India Bangalore 1988. He lost the record to India Christchurch 1990
• Nathan Astle scored Test cricket's fastest-ever double century vs England Christchurch 2002. 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. No batsman in Test history has scored more runs and still ended up on the losing side. He knocked the first hundred off 114 balls. Astle smashed the previous record by an unbelievable 59 balls. (Previously held by Adam Gilchrist South Africa Johannesburg 2002).
• Geoff Allott holds the "unwanted" record for the longest time taken to score a duck. South Africa Auckland 1999. He faced 77 balls in 101 minutes for his zero score.
• Danny Morrison held another "unwanted" record for the most ducks in Test cricket - (24). He lost the record (gladly!) to Courtney Walsh.
• Chris Cairns and his father Lance Cairns are the only father-son combination to each claim 100 Test wickets.
• Chris Cairns holds the record for the most Test sixes. He passed Viv Richards record of 84 (vs England Lords London 2004) and currently (2004) has hit 86.
• Chris Harris is the only New Zealand cricketer to have taken 200 wickets in ODI's. (vs England Lords London 2004). He is only the second player in ODI's to complete the 4000 run / 200 wicket double. (The other is Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya).

New Zealand Test Captains

1. Tom Lowry
2. Curly Page
3. Walter Hadlee
4. Bert Sutcliffe
5. Merv Wallace
6. Geoff Rabone
7. Harry Cave
8. John Reid
9. Murray Chapple
10. Barry Sinclair
11. Graham Dowling
12. Bevan Congdon
13. Glenn Turner
14. John Parker
15. Mark Burgess
16. Geoff Howarth
17. Jeremy Coney
18. Jeff Crowe
19. John Wright
20. Martin Crowe
21. Ian Smith
22. Ken Rutherford
23. Lee Germon
24. Stephen Fleming
25. Dion Nash

Black Caps players in Wikipedia

• Mark Burgess
• Christopher Cairns
• Stephen Fleming
• Richard Hadlee
• Ian Smith
• Glenn Turner
• Daniel Vettori
• Christopher Harris
• Danny Morrison
• Nathan Astle
• Paul Wiseman
• Jeff Wilson (a two-sport international; also a past All Black)

External links

• New Zealand cricket (http://www.nzcricket.co.nz/)
• Cricinfo New Zealand (http://aus.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/NATIONAL/NZ/)
• A somewhat wacky site - Fun with the Black Caps (http://users.bigpond.net.au/blackcaps/)
• Cricket database (http://www.cricketbase.com/stumpslive/?MIval=home)

See also: Test cricket records