Shattering Records at the Basin
Brendon McCullum
- 302 – The highest ever score by a NZer in test matches, surpassing Martin Crowe’s infamous 299. The first ever triple century by a kiwi in tests.
- McCullum’s was just the 28th triple century in all test cricket (there have been 2120 total test matches), and only the second ever in a team’s second innings (The other was Pakistani Hanif Mohammad in 1958).
- 775 minutes – the longest innings by a New Zealander not just in test cricket but in all first class cricket too.
- That adds up to 12 hours and 55 minutes at the crease.
- It was also the eighth longest innings (by minutes) in the history of test cricket.
- 559 balls faced is the second most by a NZer ever (Glenn Turner lasted 759 against the Windies in 1972), and the 18th most of all time.
- In this and the West Indies series combined, McCullum has scored a single, double and triple century.
- Only five other men have ever scored a double century in back to back tests (Wally Hammond, Don Bradman, Vinod Kambli, Graeme Smith and Thilan Samaraweera).
- Only 2 other men have ever scored a triple century and a double century in back to back tests (All time legends Wally Hammond and Don Bradman are those other two).
- Glenn Turner is the only other NZer to score two double centuries in the same series.
- Stephen Fleming is the only other kiwi batsman with 3 career double centuries.
- McCullum’s 535 runs this series in the fourth most ever in a two test series. (1st = Jayasuriya 571 vs India)
The McCullum/Watling Partnership
- 352 – The biggest ever sixth wicket partnership in test cricket, for any country against any country.
- New Zealand’s third highest partnership in runs for any wicket against any team (Our best ever against India).
- The second highest test partnership ever on NZ soil (1st = Jones/Crowe 467 vs Sri Lanka).
- BJ Watling scored a career high 124 (from 367 balls), setting the record for the longest innings by a Blackcaps wicket keeper.
- In fact Watling had the sixth longest innings (by balls faced) by any wicket keeper ever in test matches.
Jimmy Neesham
- The 10th NZer (and 99th man overall) to score a century on test debut.
- The highest ever score by a number 8 on debut, and just the seventh past 100.
- All this after Neesham had to wait 26 hours as the next man in to bat.
NZ Innings Total
- 680/8dec - NZ’s highest ever test innings score as a team.
- This was the highest ever third innings team total. Ever.
- After falling to 94/5, New Zealand went on a 525/1 streak.