BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 04: New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum prepares to bat during a New Zealand nets session at The Gabba on November 4, 2015 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyd
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 04: New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum prepares to bat during a New Zealand nets session at The Gabba on November 4, 2015 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyd
Andrew Alderson examines some of the more freakish numbers from Brendon McCullum's 14-year international career and Dylan Cleaver selects six key test matches.
1st equal on the list of win percentages by a New Zealand captain. McCullum has 11 wins from 30 tests in charge, a 36.67 per cent win record. Geoff Howarth had exactly the same figures. McCullum's final test against Australia will determine whether he can hold the mantle outright.
13 the equal-most tests undefeated by any New Zealand side at home. McCullum was part of all of them, including 12 as captain.
7 undefeated test series from October 2013 to November 2015 under his leadership, a New Zealand record.
1
New Zealand team has made a World Cup final, led by McCullum in 2015.
1 the only one of 2810 test cricketers to play 100 consecutive tests from debut. AB de Villiers is next with 98.
3rd
player to mark 100 tests for New Zealand after Stephen Fleming and Daniel Vettori. He's also 3rd on the list of One Day Internationals played (260), behind that pair.
302 the highest score by a New Zealand test batsman, against India at the Basin Reserve in February 2014.
297 the highest New Zealand second-wicket partnership against any country, set by McCullum and Kane Williamson against Pakistan at Sharjah in November 2014.
352 formerly the world record highest sixth-wicket partnership, set by McCullum and BJ Watling against India at Wellington in February 2014 to save the test. Has since been overtaken twice.
3 his double century in Sharjah saw him join Sir Donald Bradman and Michael Clarke as the only players to make a triple century and two or more double centuries in a 12-month period.
1 the only New Zealander to score four double centuries or better in tests.
1164 runs in the 2014 calendar year, the only New Zealander to pass 1000 until Kane Williamson reached 1172 in 2015.
5th fastest double century, his 186-ball effort against Pakistan at Sharjah in November 2014.
2 fastest test centuries by a New Zealander (74 balls v Sri Lanka at Christchurch 2014-15, 78 balls v Pakistan at Sharjah 2014-15).
1 the only player to score 100 sixes in tests and 200 sixes in ODIs.
2nd most test runs by a New Zealander with 6283, behind Stephen Fleming. Also second on the list for New Zealanders passing 50 (42 times compared to Fleming's 55).
6th
on New Zealand's all-time list for test centuries (11) and ODI centuries (5).
274 the highest partnership by New Zealand in ODIs, set by McCullum and James Marshall against Ireland at Aberdeen in July 2008.
5th highest strikerate (96) by a New Zealander in ODIs.
1st for T20 international runs with 2140, and the only batsman to make two centuries in the format.
91 sixes in T20 internationals, the most by any player.
158 his unbeaten score for Kolkata Knight Riders versus Royal Challengers Bangalore in the inaugural Indian Premier League fixture. Set the 2008 tournament alight and was the record for five years until broken by Chris Gayle's 175. Reached the same total, again not out, playing for Birmingham Bears in England's domestic T20 competition last year.
5 of New Zealand's highest partnerships by wicket in T20Is (for the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th wickets) have McCullum holding a share.
1 the most dismissals by a New Zealand wicketkeeper in ODIs (242 - 227 catches, 15 stumpings) and T20 internationals (32 - 24 catches, 8 stumpings).
2nd most dismissals by a New Zealand wicketkeeper in tests with 179 (168 catches and 11 stumpings) behind Adam Parore's 201.
best dismissals per innings ratio by a New Zealand test wicketkeeper of 1.884 behind BJ Watling's 2.166.
1 wicket in any international or domestic format. Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfraz Ahmed caught and bowled for 112 in Dubai, the final wicket in the innings after Ahmed brought his team back into the test.
1. v England, Lords, 2004
In his fourth test he was pushed up to no 3 in the order and on a difficult wicket scored a brilliant 96. He would similarly be denied a century the next time he played there, scoring 97.
2. v Sri Lanka, Christchurch, 2006
He would later admit he was embarrassed about running out Muttiah Muralitharan after he went to congratulate Kumar Sangakkara upon reaching a century.
3. v India, Napier, 2009
Criticised for not scoring a century against a major nation, McCullum's 43rd test saw him pass that milestone after previous tons against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
McCullum had given up the gloves to concentrate on batting and had to prove his worth. In his second test as opener, and 54th overall, he scored a brilliant double-century away from home.
5. v India, Basin Reserve, 2014
McCullum became the first New Zealander to reach 300 in a test and, in doing so, saved the game and won the series.
6. v Sri Lanka, Christchurch, 2014
McCullum's masterpiece welcomed test cricket back to Christchurch post-quake and came after his virtuoso 202 in Sharjah. It was to be his last great innings.
When it was lightheartedly pointed out to Brendon McCullum in December that he'd lost yet another toss - in the first test against Sri Lanka at Dunedin - his response had a slightly plaintive tone.
Despite another, crucial, lost toss, in the mullering by Australia in his penultimate test, the numbers show that, in fact, McCullum is not that bad with the coin.
True, he got off to the worst possible start. He won his first call, at Cape Town on January 2, 2013 and, determined to begin on the front foot, chose to bat against Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel.
New Zealand were rolled for 45 in 19.2 overs. Five batsmen made three between them; Kane Williamson was the only one to get double figures. South Africa won by an innings and 27 runs.
McCullum's first toss win which produced a test victory came in Hamilton, in December 2013, against the West Indies.
Indeed he's won only three tosses which have led to test wins, all against the Windies, the other two in 2014.
"I do get a fair grilling from the rest of the boys about my tossing record, but I must be due to win another one," McCullum said after Dunedin, where Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews called it right.
He was right. McCullum won the toss at the second test in Hamilton as New Zealand secured a 2-0 win in the two-match series.
Although his success at the toss overall is slightly poorer than some previous New Zealand skippers, it's on a par with others.
Of his three immediate predecessors, Ross Taylor won eight and lost five test tosses; Dan Vettori won 17 and lost 15; while Stephen Fleming, the country's longest-serving captain, won 37 and lost 43.
Going back further, John R Reid had a 50 per cent success rate in 34 matches; Geoff Howarth won 17 of 30.
The two worst? Glenn Turner won just two of 10; Bevan Congdon four of 17.
So McCullum need not worry. He's far from the poorest.
