The Black Caps have always impressed everyone by their performance in international cricket. They won the 2000 ICC Champions Trophy and recently reached back-to-back in the 2015 and 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. Their success is the combination of their best batsmen and bowlers. They play a vital role in emerging victoriously. Especially, their batsmen have been consistent in their performance and have always delivered their best for the team. Here we will discuss the top ten New Zealand batsmen who scored the most international runs.
10. BJ Watling
BJ Watling is a South African-born former New Zealand wicket-keeper batsman who made his test debut in December 2009 against Pakistan. BJ holds the record of most dismissals by a wicket-keeper for New Zealand. He has been a part of the highest 6th and 7th wicket partnerships of New Zealand in test cricket. He played in 75 tests and 28 ODIs for New Zealand and announced his retirement from all forms of cricket after winning the first-ever ICC World Test Championship 2021. He is in the tenth position on the list with 4363 International runs.
9. Tom Latham
In Test and ODI format, Tom Latham is the current vice-captain of the New Zealand cricket team, recently making his test debut as a captain in January 2020. Tom made his international debut in February 2012 against Zimbabwe in an ODI match and primarily played a role as a wicket-keeper for his team. As a batsman, he has scored 24 International centuries. Hence, he makes it into the ninth position with 7061 International runs.
8. John Wright
John Wright is a former international cricketer and captain of New Zealand who made his test debut in February 1978 against England. He became the first New Zealand batsman to score more than 5000 test runs at an average of 38 with 12 test centuries. After his retirement, John coached the Indian National Cricket Team from 2000 to 2005 and became India’s first foreign coach. He is in the eighth position on the list with 9225 International runs.
7. Martin Crowe
Martin Crowe was a right-handed batsman and captain of New Zealand who made his test debut in February 1982 against Australia. In a Test match against Sri Lanka in 1991, he scored 299 runs and broke the record for the highest score by a New Zealand batsman. In 1995, Crowe set the record for the most test and ODI runs for New Zealand at the end of his international career. He is in the seventh position on the list with 10,148 International runs.
6. Nathan Astle
Nathan Astle is a former right-handed opener in ODIs and middle-order batsman in Tests of New Zealand who played in 81 Tests and 223 ODIs from 1995 to 2007. Astle was a squad member for the series against West Indies in 1995, and there, he made his ODI debut. Nathan holds the records for the most significant ducks in World Cup matches (5) and the fastest double century (in 153 balls) in Test Cricket. He is in the sixth position on the list with 11,866 International runs.
5. Martin Guptill
Martin Guptill is a right-handed opening batsman of New Zealand who holds the current record for the highest individual score in a World Cup match (237*). Martin has scored more than 180 runs three times (highest by any New Zealand batsman); in addition, he has scored 21 international centuries. One of the best openers of New Zealand made his international debut in a test match against India in March 2009. Guptill is in the fifth position on the list with 12,452 International runs.
4. Brendon McCullum
Brendon McCullum is a former right-handed batsman and captain of the New Zealand team who played in all forms of cricket. He is one of the best batsmen of New Zealand and made his international debut in January 2002 against Australia. In February 2016, Brendon made the fastest test, 100 in 54 balls, and became the first captain to score a ton in a farewell test. He is in the fourth position on the list with 14,676 International runs.
3. Kane Williamson
Currently, Kane Williamson is the skipper of the New Zealand cricket team in all formats and a right-handed middle-order batsman. In October 2010, he scored his first international century in an ODI match against Bangladesh and became the youngest centurion of New Zealand. Recently, Kane Williamson captained the test team of New Zealand and won the first-ever ICC World Test Championship. He is in the third position on the list with 15,208 International runs.
2. Stephen Fleming
Stephen Fleming is the former captain of the New Zealand National Cricket Team and a left-handed batsman, considered one of the greatest batsmen of his nation. Fleming made his ODI debut in 1994 against India and became the first-ever batsman to score a 90 in his ODI debut. Stephen is the most capped captain for New Zealand in test and ODI format and holds the record for the second-highest batting strike rate in a Test inning (281.81). He is in the second position on the list with 15,319 International runs.
1. Ross Taylor
Ross Taylor is the current right-handed middle-order batsman of New Zealand and the leading run-scorer in Test and ODI format for his nation. In February 2020, Taylor became the first-ever cricketer to play 100 matches in all three forms and later became the most-capped player for New Zealand in international cricket. He is in the first position on the list with 18,054 International runs.
