It's offficial. Nathan Astle is a definite stay-at-home when it comes to batting.

Sitting on 56 not out overnight in the Boxing Day Test with Zimbabwe, he has answered the critics who wondered at his placement in the New Zealand team after a disappointing series in South Africa.

But he has highlighted a basic feature of his career, he scores better on New Zealand pitches than he does overseas.

He is playing his 19th Test at home and in that time, up until stumps today, he had scored 1148 runs at an average of 42.51.

In 24 Tests away he has scored 1285 runs at 30.59.

He has scored three of his first Test centuries overseas, two in the West Indies and one in England.

However, he has the perfect chance tomorrow at the Basin Reserve to score his third century at home and the sixth of his career, a feat bettered only by: Martin Crowe (17), John Wright (12), Bevan Congdon, Andrew Jones and Glenn Turner (all seven).

The facts are borne out by his One-Day International statistics.

In 46 home ODIs he has scored 1954 runs at 48.45, including four centuries.

In 38 away ODIs he has scored 1201 runs at 32.45 while at neutral venues like Sharjah or at World Cups in 37 matches he has scored 771 runs at 20.83. In the latter two he has scored two centuries in each.

© CricInfo