Cricket: The few highs and a lot of lows out of the Black Caps v Australia Boxing Day cricket test

Kane Williamson has had a rough start to the series. Photo / Photosport

The Perth horror show was followed by the Melbourne horror show for the Kiwi cricketers. We check the numbers which emerged after the Boxing Day test disaster at the MCG.

1) Let's start on a high…Neil Wagner has reached 200 test wickets faster than any left arm pace bowler in history, leaving some very famous names in his wake. Wagner reached the mark in 46 tests, compared to Mitchell Johnson (49), Mitchell Starc (50), Wasim Akram (51) and Trent Boult (52).

2) Wagner reached the 200 mark quicker than another other Kiwi bowler apart from the one and only Richard Hadlee, who took 44 tests. They are followed by Boult, Tim Southee (56) and Chris Cairns (58).

3) It's 45 years since New Zealand scored under 148 in the first innings against Australia. Their Melbourne score was their third lowest first innings total against the Aussies.

4) New Zealand has five batsmen in the world top 20 - Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls and BJ Watling. Yet Tom Blundell (68) and Taylor (27) are the only batsmen with an average over 20 in the series so far.

5) New Zealand's star middle order pair of Williamson and Taylor totalled just 15 in Melbourne, the fifth worst ever by our No 3 and 4 batsmen in a test.

6) Under fire spinner Mitchell Santner has bowled 414 deliveries in this series, conceding 250 runs, and returning just one wicket.

7) Williamson has been universally lauded throughout his career but his numbers are coming under closer scrutiny. News.com opined that he "struggles away from home…although he averages over 52.21 in test cricket, his batting performance drops considerably on the road against quality opposition — he averages 30.87 in England, 35.46 in India, 26.71 in Sri Lanka and 21.16 in South Africa." Williamson averages close to 43 in Australia.

8) Since New Zealand beat a powerful Australia side by five wickets at Eden Park in 1993, they have had a solitary win while losing 22 out of 30. Six of the defeats have been by an innings. New Zealand has won just three tests in Australia. Overall the countries have played 59 tests with Australia winning 33, and New Zealand eight.

9) Blundell is the first Kiwi to score a test century at the MCG. The last Kiwi to score a first class century at the ground was Geoff Howarth in the early 1980s.