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All out for 26 and all that
Wisden CricInfo staff - March 11, 2002
New Zealand v England Tests
England and New Zealand have met in 82 Tests since 1929-30. England have won 37 matches and New Zealand six, with 39 draws.
It took New Zealand 48 years to beat England in a Test. They finally did so at Wellington in 1977-78, when England were captained by Geoff Boycott. New Zealand have gone on to win five more Tests – and three series – against England over the last 25 years.
England's highest total against New Zealand is 593 for 6 dec at Auckland in 1974-75. Their lowest is 64 all out in that defeat at Wellington in 1977-78.
New Zealand's highest total against England is 551 for 9 dec at Lord's in 1973. Their lowest is 26 all out at Auckland in 1954-55, which remains the lowest total in Test history.
John Wright has scored most runs in England-New Zealand Tests, with 1518 at 37.02 (from 23 matches). Graham Gooch has the most for England, with 1148 at 52.18 (15 matches).
Richard Hadlee took 97 wickets at 24.73 in 21 matches, by far the most by any bowler in England v New Zealand Tests. Ian Botham, with 64 at 23.43 (15 matches), is England's leading wicket-taker.
Wally Hammond's 336 not out at Auckland in 1932-33 is the highest score made in England-New Zealand Tests. Martin Donnelly's 206 at Lord's in 1949 is the highest for New Zealand.
Derek Underwood's 7 for 32 at Lord's in 1969 are the best bowling figures in England-New Zealand Tests. And his 12 for 97 at Christchurch in 1970-71 is the best match return.
Lance Cairns (7 for 74 at Headingley in 1983) and Dion Nash (11 for 169 at Lord's in 1994) have the best innings and match figures for New Zealand.
Of current players, Stephen Fleming has the most runs in England-New Zealand Tests, with 548 at 32.23 in 10 matches. Graham Thorpe, with 394 at 39.40, leads the way for England.
Chris Cairns is the top current wicket-taker in England-NZ Tests, with 32 at 30.59. He has also scored 510 runs in his 10 matches against England. Andrew Caddick has enjoyed success against the country of his birth, grabbing 28 wickets at 20.92 in only six matches.
Between 1987 and 2000 England's only Test series victories overseas came in New Zealand.
New Zealand have won only two of the last 20 Tests against England. Both came in the most recent series, in England in 1999, when New Zealand won 2-1 after losing the first Test. England failed to reach 200 in the first innings of any of the four Tests in 1999, and also didn't manage an individual century (the highest score was Alex Tudor's 99 not out) or a hundred partnership.
New Zealand v England at Christchurch
England have an excellent record at Christchurch – they have won seven and lost only one of their 14 Tests here.
England's one defeat was a humiliating affair – they were bowled out for 82 and 93 to lose by an innings and 175 runs in 1983-84.
Wally Hammond's 227 in 1932-33 is England's highest individual innings here (he ended the series with an average of 563). New Zealand's highest score against England here is a mere 116 by Walter Hadlee in 1946-47. In the same match, Jack Cowie took 6 for 93, New Zealand's best individual bowling figures against England at Christchurch. Phil Tufnell's 7 for 47 in 1991-92 are England's best figures here.
England's most recent match here, in 1996-97, was dominated by Michael Atherton, who carried his bat for 94 not out in England's first innings of 228, then added 118 as England successfully chased 305 to complete a four-wicket win.
All Tests at Christchurch
There have been 37 previous Tests at Lancaster Park, Christchurch, which is now known as Jade Stadium. New Zealand have performed poorly here, losing 14 and winning only seven of those matches. NZ have won only one of their last eight Tests here, a five-wicket win over Pakistan in 1993-94.
The captain winning the toss has fielded first in seven of the last eight Tests here (and 10 of the last 12). It has not always been the wisest decision though: twice in as many years (v England in 1991-92 and Australia a year later) Martin Crowe did so and lost by an innings. In fact, the side batting second has won only three of the last 22 Tests at Christchurch.
There have been three double-centuries in the last two Tests here: Mathew Sinclair made 204 not out and Yousuf Youhana 203 in 2000-01, and Herschelle Gibbs hit 211 not out in 1998-99.
In all seven double-centuries have been scored in Tests here, with Seymour Nurse's 258 for West Indies in 1968-69 being the highest.
John Wright is the top runscorer in Tests at Christchurch with 687 at 34.35. Richard Hadlee is the leading wicket-taker, with 76 at 21.51.
England's Phil Tufnell took 7 for 47 for England in 1991-92, the best figures in any Test here. Derek Underwood's 12 for 97 in 1970-71 is the best match return.
© Wisden CricInfo Ltd
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