Vettori reaches landmark with 300th Test wicket
BLACKCAPS captain Daniel Vettori has become only the eighth player – and the second from New Zealand – to achieve 300 wickets and 3000 runs in Test cricket.
Vettori took his 300th wicket in the afternoon session on day one of the second Test against Sri Lanka, at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground in Colombo.
The left arm orthodox bowler started the match with 298 Test wickets to his name, alongside his batting record of 3329 runs.
Vettori brought himself into the attack after just 10 overs of the Sri Lanka innings and had immediate success, with Tharanga Paranavitana edging the bowler’s second ball of the day to Ross Taylor in the slips.
The 300th wicket came in the 41st over when Kumar Sangakkara attempted a sweep from outside the off stump, but succeeded only in lofting the ball straight to Jacob Oram at mid-wicket.
The 30 year-old skipper now joins the company of cricketing greats Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, fellow Kiwi Richard Hadlee, Imran Khan, Shane Warne, Shaun Pollock and Chaminda Vaas as the only players to achieve the double of 300 wickets and 3000 runs.
New Zealand Cricket Chief Executive Justin Vaughan – who was at the SSC ground to watch Vettori’s success – congratulated the captain on an outstanding achievement.
“This is a huge honour for Dan – he can be rightfully proud of his record as a preeminent Test cricketer,” said Vaughan.
“He is recognised as one of the most skilful left arm spinners on the international stage during recent times, and has proven himself as a resourceful batsman many times over.
“Dan is also an exceptional leader and one of the most intelligent and considered captains in the game.
“To have achieved to the standard of players of the calibre of Pollock, Botham and Khan, for example, speaks volumes for Dan’s ability with both ball and bat.
“It’s also an honour for New Zealand to be the only country with two players in that illustrious club.”
Vettori is playing in his 94th Test match – one of these was for an ICC World XI – since making his debut at the age of 18 in 1997.
He is New Zealand’s second-highest wicket-taker in Tests, behind Hadlee who claimed 431 wickets in his career.
His best bowling innings to date is a haul of 7 for 87 against Australia at Auckland in March 2000 – a match in which also he took his top match figures of 12 for 149. He has achieved 18 five-wicket innings, and 3 10-wicket match returns. His current Test bowling average is 33.52.
Vettori’s batting record includes three Test centuries and 20 half-centuries, with a highest score of 137 against Pakistan at Hamilton in December 2003.
More statistics from Daniel Vettori’s career at:
www.blackcaps.co.nz/archive/players.aspx