New Zealand vs England, 2019: 1st Test, Day 4 – Watling's record knock, Santner-Watling partnership, Test wicket by a NZ spinner at home and more stats

BJ Watling and Mitchell Santner turned the Test match to New Zealand’s way as the duo shared a record 261-run partnership for the 7th wicket. Watling scored his maiden Test double ton while Santner scored his maiden hundred in this format as the home team declared their first innings on 615/9. England were made to bat 27.4 overs before the stumps in which they lost three wickets for just 55 runs. All the three wickets were picked by Mitchell Santner in space of six overs for just 7 runs.

All the statistical highlights from New Zealand’s domination on the 4th day of the first Test:

New Zealand’s biggest total:

615/9 – New Zealand’s total of 615/9 is their first 600+ total in Test cricket against England. Their previous highest Test total against the English team is 551/9 in the 1973 Lord’s Test.

Watling’s record knock:

1 – BJ Watling became the first New Zealand keeper to score a Test double century. The previous highest individual Test score by a New Zealand keeper was 185 by Brendon McCullum in the 2010 Hamilton Test. Watling is also the first keeper to score a Test 200 against England.

A total of ten double tons have been recorded by 9 keepers in Test cricket but Watling’s knock is only the 2nd outside Asia. Adam Gilchrist scored an unbeaten 204 against South Africa in 2002 Johannesburg Test.

1 – Watling also became the first New Zealand keeper to score centuries in consecutive innings. He scored 105* in the 2nd Test on the tour of Sri Lanka.

7 – BJ Watling now has scored seven centuries in Test cricket as wicket-keeper; the joint 4th most by any player. Adam Gilchrist (17), Andy Flower (12) and Les Ames (8) are ahead of Watling while AB de Villiers, Matt Prior and Kumar Sangakkara also have seven Test tons while playing as wicket-keeper.

205 – Watling also became the first player to score a double century on Test debut of a New Zealand venue. The previous highest score on Test debut of a venue in New Zealand is 195 by Brendon McCullum in 2014 against Sri Lanka during the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

667 – Watling’s innings lasted 667 minutes; the 2nd longest known Test innings by a wicket-keeper. Brendon Kuruppu spent 777 minutes for his unbeaten 201 on Test debut against New Zealand in 1987.

Watling batted 473 balls during his 205-run knock which are 2nd most balls faced (where known) by any keeper in a Test inning. Kuruppu batted 548 balls during his debut Test double hundred.

The record partnership:

261 – The partnership of 261 between Mitchell Santner and BJ Watling is the highest for 7th wicket by a New Zealand pair. The previous highest was 225 between Chris Cairns and Jacob Oram against South Africa in the 2004 Auckland Test.

Watling @ 3000:

3092 – BJ Watling became the first player to complete 3000 runs in Test cricket while playing as a keeper. Overall, Watling is the 15th wicket-keeper to aggregate 3000 Test runs.

End of pacers’ domination:

101 – The first wicket of England’s 2nd innings is the first by a New Zealand spinner at home in 12 Test innings. Before Mitchell Santner’s 3-fer, New Zealand picked up 101 wickets in 11 Test innings starting from the last year’s Christchurch Test against England; all by pace bowlers.