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The race to a thousand and Nevin's famous fifty Francis Payne - 26 March 2001
Last week we pointed out that Mark Richardson and Matthew Bell had created a New Zealand Test record with three consecutive opening stands of fifty or more. In the third Test at Hamilton more milestones may come their way, although individually this time. Going into the last first-class game of the season, Bell has scored 987 runs at 49.35 (five centuries) while Richardson has 929 at 58.06 (one century). Should they both reach 1000 for the season it will be the third time that two batsmen have achieved the feat in one season yet only the ninth time in all that a player has scored one thousand. No player has ever reached four figures in a New Zealand season twice. The seven players to have achieved the feat are:
Sinclair currently has 697 runs at 77.44 while Central Districts team mate Ben Smith finished with 939 at 58.68.
With five catches for Wellington against Pakistan, Chris Nevin became the first player to take fifty catches in a New Zealand first-class season. All but one of Nevin's catches were taken behind the stumps and his tally for the season leaves previous records well behind.
Erv McSweeney, former Wellington keeper, twice made 41 dismissals in a season with his 35 catches in 1989/90 being the previous best. The most dismissals by keepers in a New Zealand season are:
While Nevin was enjoying success against Pakistan, team mate Iain O'Brien failed to capture a single wicket and thus did not add to his impressive debut-season tally.
The table of best returns in season of first-class debut is now:
Chris Drum (48 wickets) is the leading wicket taker in first-classs cricket this season.
Going into the last Test for New Zealand for the 2000/01 season, the leading run scorers are:
The bowlers have had relatively slim pickings in the eight Tests played so far. The leading wicket takers have been:
Chris Martin has now made four successive ducks in Test cricket - Johannesburg, Auckland (2) and Christchurch. Australian leg-spinner Bob Holland (who also played a season for Wellington) and Indian paceman Ajit Agarkar had five in a row (both recording two pairs) so Martin's next innings will be viewed with interest.
Martin also scored a duck for Canterbury prior to the two Tests against Pakistan so also has four successive noughts in first-class cricket and is threatening the New Zealand record. Former New Zealand fast bowler Johnny Hayes (1954/55) and Canterbury medium-pacer Steve Bateman (1982/83) both had five ducks in a row.
The New Zealand record for most succssive innings without scoring (i.e. including not outs) is held by former Central Districts pace bowler Peter Visser who went 10 innings without scoring (spread over ten matches) in 1984/85 and 1985/86.
Amongst current players, CD's Lance Hamilton had seven scoreless innings in succession in 1999/00.
Finally a word on the luck (or lack of) of leg-spinners picked to play for New Zealand at Hamilton. New Zealand has only twice selected a leg-spinner to play at Hamilton (which hosted its first Test in 1990/91). Greg Loveridge was chosen to play against Zimbabwe in 1995/96 (his debut) was injured while batting and never got to bowl.
Brooke Walker was recalled for the final Test against Pakistan but he didn't even get as far as Loveridge. Walker injured his shoulder while playing club cricket for Howick-Pakuranga and was forced to withdraw from the team altogether.
© CricInfo
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