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New Zealand national cricket team facts for kids

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New Zealand
Logo of cricket New zealand Team.png
Nickname(s) Black Caps
Association New Zealand Cricket
Personnel
Test captain Tom Latham
One Day captain Mitchell Santner
T20I captain Mitchell Santner
Coach Rob Walter
History
Test status acquired 1930
International Cricket Council
ICC status Full Member (1926)
ICC region East Asia-Pacific
ICC Rankings Current Best-ever
Test 5th 1st (6 January 2021)
ODI 2nd 1st (3 May 2021)
T20I 4th 1st (4 May 2016)
Tests
First Test v.  England at Lancaster Park, Christchurch; 10–13 January 1930
Last Test v.  England at Seddon Park, Hamilton; 14–17 December 2024
Tests Played Won/Lost
Total 478 119/189
(170 draws)
This year 0 0/0 (0 draws)
World Test Championship appearances 3 (first in 2021)
Best result Champions (2021)
One Day Internationals
First ODI v.  Pakistan at Lancaster Park, Christchurch; 11 February 1973
Last ODI v.  Pakistan at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui; 5 April 2025
ODIs Played Won/Lost
Total 841 390/400
(7 ties, 44 no results)
This year 14 11/3
(0 ties, 0 no results)
World Cup appearances 13 (first in 1975)
Best result Runners-up (2015, 2019)
Twenty20 Internationals
First T20I v.  Australia at Eden Park, Auckland; 17 February 2005
Last T20I v.  South Africa at Harare Sports Club, Harare; 22 July 2025
T20Is Played Won/Lost
Total 233 121/95
(10 ties, 7 no results)
This year 9 7/2
(0 ties, 0 no results)
T20 World Cup appearances 9 (first in 2007)
Best result Runners-up (2021)

Test kit

ODI kit

Kit left arm nz t20 2425.png
Kit right arm nz t20 2425.png

T20I kit

As of 22 July 2025

The New Zealand national cricket team represents New Zealand in men's international cricket. They are known as the Black Caps (which is Pōtae Pango in Māori). They played their first ever Test match in 1930 against England. This made New Zealand the fifth country to play Test cricket.

It took them a while to get their first win. After 26 years and 45 matches, they finally won a Test in 1956 against the West Indies. Their first One Day International (ODI) game was in 1973 against Pakistan.

The Black Caps have achieved some great things. They were the first champions of the ICC World Test Championship in 2021. They also won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2000. They have reached the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup twice (in 2015 and 2019) and the ICC T20 World Cup final once (in 2021). Even though they haven't won these big World Cups yet, they are known as one of the best teams in these tournaments.

Tom Latham is the current captain for Test matches. Mitchell Santner leads the team in ODI and T20I games. New Zealand Cricket is the group that organizes the national team.

The nickname "Black Caps" started in January 1998. It came from a competition held by their sponsor at the time. This nickname is similar to other New Zealand national teams, like the famous All Blacks rugby team.

As of July 2025, the team is ranked 5th in Tests, 2nd in ODIs, and 4th in T20Is by the ICC. The team has played in all 29 ICC Men's events since 1975. They have reached six finals and won two of them.

History of New Zealand Cricket

Early Days of Cricket in New Zealand

Cricket first came to New Zealand a long time ago. In December 1832, a missionary named Henry Williams wrote in his diary about boys playing cricket on Horotutu Beach. Later, in 1835, Charles Darwin (who wrote about evolution) saw a game of cricket. He watched Māori people and a missionary's son playing in Waimate North. Darwin wrote about it in his book, The Voyage of the Beagle.

The first official cricket game in New Zealand was in Wellington in December 1842. The Wellington Spectator newspaper reported on a game between a "Red" team and a "Blue" team. The first match with full details recorded was in Nelson in March 1844.

The first international team to visit New Zealand was from England in 1863–64. Between 1864 and 1914, 22 teams from other countries toured New Zealand. Most of these teams were from England and Australia.

New Zealand's First National Team

The first team to represent New Zealand played against New South Wales (from Australia) in Christchurch in February 1894. New South Wales won that game. However, when New South Wales visited again in 1895–96, New Zealand won their first match by 142 runs. The New Zealand Cricket Council was created in late 1894 to manage cricket in the country.

New Zealand played its first two international matches (not yet called Tests) in 1904–05 against a very strong Australian team. New Zealand lost the second match by a huge amount, which is still one of their biggest losses in first-class cricket.

Cricket Between the World Wars

In 1927, the New Zealand team toured England for the first time. They played 26 matches and won seven of them. Because of how well they played, New Zealand was given Test status. This meant they could play official Test matches against other countries.

In 1929–30, England toured New Zealand and played four Test matches. New Zealand lost their first Test but drew the next three. In the second Test, Stewie Dempster and Jackie Mills made a huge partnership of 276 runs. This is still New Zealand's highest partnership against England. Before World War II, New Zealand mostly played Test matches against England. A planned tour by Australia in 1940 was cancelled because of the war.

After World War II

New Zealand's first Test after the war was against Australia in 1945–46. At first, this game wasn't considered a "Test," but the International Cricket Council later decided it was. New Zealand didn't do well in that match, getting out for very low scores. Because of disagreements about player payments, Australia didn't play another Test against New Zealand until 1972.

In 1949, New Zealand sent one of its best teams ever to England. Players like Bert Sutcliffe, Martin Donnelly, John R. Reid, and Jack Cowie were on the team. All four Test matches ended in draws, but New Zealand played very well. Many people think this 1949 tour was one of New Zealand's best performances ever.

New Zealand played its first matches against the West Indies in 1951–52, and against Pakistan and India in 1955–56.

In 1954–55, New Zealand made the lowest ever score in a Test innings, getting out for just 26 runs against England. However, the very next season, New Zealand got its first Test victory! They won the fourth match of a series against the West Indies. It took them 45 matches and 26 years to achieve this first win.

9, 10, 12, 13 March 1956
Scorecard
New Zealand 
v
255 all out (166.5 overs)
John R. Reid 84
Tom Dewdney 5/21 (19.5 overs)
145 all out (78.3 overs)
Hammond Furlonge 64
Harry Cave 4/22 (27.3 overs)
157 all out (80 overs)
Sammy Guillen 41
Denis Atkinson 7/53 (40 overs)
77 all out (45.1 overs)
Everton Weekes 31
Harry Cave 4/21 (13.1 overs)
New Zealand won by 190 runs
Eden Park, Auckland
Umpires: Clyde Harris (NZL) and Terry Pearce (NZL)
  • New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat

Over the next 20 years, New Zealand won only seven more Tests. They had great batsmen like Bert Sutcliffe and Glenn Turner, and an amazing all-rounder in John R. Reid. However, they often lacked a top-class bowler.

John R. Reid captained New Zealand on a tour to South Africa in 1961–62. The five-Test series ended in a 2–2 draw. The wins in the third and fifth Tests were New Zealand's first overseas victories. Reid scored a record 1,915 runs on that tour.

New Zealand won their first ever Test series in 1969–70 against Pakistan. This was a big moment, as it was their first series win after almost 40 years and 30 series without a victory.

From 1970 to 2000

Scoreboard - NZ v England, Wellington, February 1978
Scoreboard – Basin Reserve, February 1978. New Zealand's first win over England.

In 1973, Richard Hadlee joined the team, and New Zealand started winning Tests much more often. Hadlee was one of the best fast bowlers of his time. He played 86 Tests for New Zealand before retiring in 1990. During his career, New Zealand won 22 Tests and lost 28. In 1977–78, New Zealand finally won their first Test against England, after 48 attempts. Hadlee took 10 wickets in that match.

In the 1980s, New Zealand also had one of its best batsmen, Martin Crowe. Many other good players like John Wright, Bruce Edgar, and Jeremy Coney also made important contributions.

A great example of the team's strength was the match against Australia in Brisbane in 1985. Richard Hadlee took an amazing 9 wickets for only 52 runs in Australia's first turn at bat. Then, Martin Crowe scored 188 runs and John F. Reid scored 108. In Australia's second turn, Hadlee took 6 more wickets. New Zealand won by a huge margin.

8–12 November 1985
Scorecard
v
 New Zealand
179 (76.4 overs)
Kepler Wessels 70 (186)
Richard Hadlee 9/52 (23.4 overs)
553/7d (161 overs)
Martin Crowe 188 (328)
Greg Matthews 3/110 (31 overs)
333 (116.5 overs
Allan Border 152* (301)
Richard Hadlee 6/71 (28.5 overs)
New Zealand won by an innings and 41 runs
The Gabba, Brisbane
Umpires: Tony Crafter (Aus) and Dick French (Aus)
Player of the match: Richard Hadlee (NZ)
  • New Zealand won the toss and elected to field.

One-day cricket also became very important. In these shorter games, players don't need to score huge amounts of runs or take all the wickets. Instead, teamwork, good fielding, and steady scoring can lead to wins. New Zealand became very good at one-day cricket.

One of New Zealand's most famous one-day matches was the "underarm" game against Australia in Melbourne in 1981. On the last ball, New Zealand needed six runs to tie. The Australian captain told his brother to bowl the ball along the ground (underarm) so the New Zealand batsman couldn't hit it for a six. The umpires said it was allowed, but many people thought it was very unsporting.

When New Zealand played in Australia again in 1983, Lance Cairns became a fan favorite. In one match, he hit six sixes at the huge MCG. Lance's son, Chris Cairns, later became one of New Zealand's best all-rounders.

Chris Cairns joined the team just before Hadlee retired in 1990. Chris Cairns and Danny Morrison led the bowling attack in the 1990s. Stephen Fleming, New Zealand's highest run-scorer, led the batting and captained the team into the 21st century.

Daniel Vettori started playing at 18 in 1997. When he became captain in 2007, he was considered one of the best spinning all-rounders in the world. In 2009, Vettori became only the second left-arm bowler to take 300 wickets and score 3000 runs in Test matches.

In a unique event on April 4, 1996, the entire New Zealand team was named "Man of the Match" for their team effort in a 4-run victory over the West Indies. This is the only time a whole team has received this award.


3 April 1996
Scorecard
New Zealand 
158 (35.5 overs)
v  West Indies
154 (49.1 overs)
New Zealand won by 4 runs
Bourda, Georgetown, Guyana
Umpires: Clyde Duncan (WI) and Eddie Nicholls (WI)
Player of the match: New Zealand team (all players)
Craig Spearman 41 (39)
Laurie Williams 3/16 (4.5 overs)
Roland Holder 49* (86)
Chris Cairns 2/17 (5.1 overs)
  • West Indies won the toss and elected to field.

The 21st Century for New Zealand Cricket

New Zealand started the new millennium by winning their first ever ICC tournament, the 2000 ICC KnockOut Trophy in Kenya. They beat Zimbabwe in the quarter-finals and Pakistan in the semi-finals. In the final, they faced India and won by 4 wickets, with Chris Cairns scoring 102 runs.


15 October 2000
Scorecard
India 
264/6 (50 overs)
v  New Zealand
265/6 (49.4 overs)
New Zealand won by 4 wickets (with 2 balls remaining)
Gymkhana Club Ground, Nairobi  Kenya
Umpires: Steve Bucknor (WI) and David Shepherd (Eng)
Player of the match: Chris Cairns (NZ)
Sourav Ganguly 117 (130)
Scott Styris 2/53 (10 overs)
Chris Cairns 102* (113)
Venkatesh Prasad 3/27 (7 overs)
  • New Zealand won the toss and elected to field.
  • New Zealand won the 2000 ICC Knockout Trophy.

Shane Bond was a fast bowler who played for New Zealand between 2001 and 2009. When he was fit, he was a huge asset to the team, taking many wickets.

In 2011, Daniel Vettori stepped down as Test captain, and Ross Taylor took over. Taylor led New Zealand to a thrilling win against Australia in Hobart, their first win against Australia since 1993. In 2012–13, Brendon McCullum became captain. New talented players like Kane Williamson, Corey Anderson, and Trent Boult emerged. McCullum led New Zealand to series wins against the West Indies, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. In a match against India, McCullum scored 302 runs, becoming New Zealand's first ever Test triple centurion.

In early 2015, New Zealand reached the final of the Cricket World Cup. They were undefeated until the final, where they lost to Australia. In 2015, the team played one match under the name Aotearoa (the Māori name for New Zealand) to celebrate Māori Language Week.

In February 2016, Kane Williamson became the captain after Brendon McCullum retired. Williamson led the team to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2016. After that, they had some tough series but also achieved important wins, like beating Pakistan in a Test series for the first time in 32 years.

In 2017, New Zealand won a tri-series before the Champions Trophy. However, the Champions Trophy was disappointing, as they didn't win a single game. Later that year, they lost close series to India. Their home season started well with wins against the West Indies and Pakistan. They also won a Test series against England, their first in 19 years.

In 2018–19, New Zealand toured the UAE and won their first away Test series against Pakistan in 49 years. This helped them climb to 3rd in the Test rankings. They continued to play well at home, beating Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, and reaching 2nd in the Test rankings.

New Zealand had a great start to the 2019 Cricket World Cup, winning their first six games. However, their form dropped, and they lost their next three games. They still made it to the semi-finals and surprised India to reach their second consecutive final. In the final, the scores were tied after 50 overs and again after a special "Super Over." England won because they had hit more boundaries. This rule was later changed by the ICC.

In December 2022, Kane Williamson stepped down as Test captain, and Tim Southee took over. Williamson remained the captain for shorter formats. On June 6, 2025, Rob Walter was named the new head coach for all three formats.

International Cricket Grounds

Here are some of the main cricket stadiums in New Zealand that have hosted international matches:

Venue City Capacity Years used
Current venues
Basin Reserve Wellington 11,600 1930–2023
Eden Park Auckland 42,000 1930–2022
McLean Park Napier 19,700 1979–2022
Seddon Park Hamilton 10,000 1981–2023
Wellington Regional Stadium Wellington 34,500 2000–2021
John Davies Oval Queenstown 19,000 2003–2023
University Oval Dunedin 6,000 2008–2023
Saxton Oval Nelson 6,000 2014–2019
Hagley Oval Christchurch 18,000 2014–2022
Bay Oval Tauranga 10,000 2014–2023
Former venues
Lancaster Park Christchurch 38,628 1930–2011
Carisbrook Dunedin 29,000 1955–2004

Current Team Players

New Zealand Cricket announced their national contracts for 2025-2026 on June 3, 2025. Twenty-one players received contracts.

This list includes all active players who have contracts with New Zealand Cricket, have played for New Zealand since July 2024, or were recently named in the Test, ODI, or T20I teams. New players who haven't played yet are shown in italics.

  • Tim Southee had a contract and played Tests and T20Is during this time, but he has since retired from international cricket.

Last updated: July 15, 2025

  • Forms – This shows the types of games they have played for New Zealand in the last year.
  • No. – Their shirt number.
  • C – Means they have a contract with New Zealand Cricket (Y = Yes).
Name Age Batting style Bowling style Domestic team Forms No. C Captaincy Last Test Last ODI Last T20I
Batters
Muhammad Abbas 21 Right-handed Left-arm medium fast Wellington ODI 2025
Finn Allen 26 Right-handed Auckland T20I 16 2023 2025
Nick Kelly 32 Left-handed Wellington ODI 2025
Rhys Mariu 23 Right-Handed - Canterbury Kings ODI 25 2025
Henry Nicholls 33 Left-handed Canterbury ODI 86 Y 2023 2025 2021
Tim Robinson 23 Right-handed Wellington ODI, T20I 2024 2025
Kane Williamson 34 Right-handed Right-arm off spin Northern Districts Test, ODI 22 Y 2024 2025 2024
Will Young 32 Right-handed Central Districts Test, ODI, T20I 32 Y 2024 2025 2024
All-rounders
Michael Bracewell 34 Left-handed Right-arm off spin Wellington ODI, T20I 4 Y 2023 2025 2025
Mark Chapman 31 Left-handed Slow left-arm orthodox Auckland ODI, T20I 80 Y 2025 2025
Josh Clarkson 28 Right-handed Right-arm medium Central Districts T20I 26 Y 2023 2024
Zakary Foulkes 23 Right-handed Right-arm medium Canterbrury ODI, T20I 2024 2025
Daryl Mitchell 34 Right-handed Right-arm medium Canterbury Test, ODI, T20I 75 Y 2024 2025 2025
James Neesham 34 Left-handed Right-arm medium fast Wellington T20I 50 2017 2023 2025
Glenn Phillips 28 Right-handed Right-arm off spin Otago Test, ODI, T20I 23 Y 2024 2025 2025
Rachin Ravindra 25 Left-handed Slow left-arm orthodox Wellington Test, ODI, T20I 8 Y 2024 2025 2025
Mitchell Santner 33 Left-handed Slow left-arm orthodox Northern Districts Test, ODI, T20I 74 Y ODI, T20I (C) 2024 2025 2025
Nathan Smith 27 Right-handed Right-arm medium-fast Wellington Test, ODI 10 Y 2024 2025
Wicket-keeper-batters
Tom Latham 33 Left-handed Canterbury Test, ODI 48 Y Test (C) 2024 2025 2023
Tom Blundell 34 Right-handed Right-arm off spin Wellington Test, T20I 66 Y 2024 2023 2024
Devon Conway 34 Left-handed Wellington Test, ODI 88 Y 2024 2025 2024
Mitchell Hay 24 Right-handed Canterbury ODI, T20I 81 2025 2025
Tim Seifert 30 Right-handed Northern Districts ODI, T20I 43 2025 2025
Pace Bowlers
Jacob Duffy 30 Right-handed Right-arm fast medium Otago ODI, T20I 27 Y 2025 2025
Lockie Ferguson 34 Right-handed Right-arm fast Auckland T20I 69 2019 2023 2024
Matt Henry 33 Right-handed Right-arm fast medium Canterbury Test, ODI, T20I 21 Y 2024 2025 2025
Kyle Jamieson 30 Right-handed Right-arm fast medium Canterbury ODI, T20I 12 Y 2024 2025 2025
Adam Milne 33 Right-handed Right-arm fast Central Districts ODI 20 2024 2024
Will O'Rourke 23 Right-handed Right-arm fast Canterbury Test, ODI, T20I 2 Y 2024 2025 2025
Ben Sears 27 Right-handed Right-arm medium fast Wellington ODI, T20I 14 Y 2024 2025 2025
Spin Bowlers
Ajaz Patel 36 Left-handed Slow left-arm orthodox Central Districts Test 24 Y 2024 2021
Ish Sodhi 32 Right-handed Right-arm leg spin Northern Districts Test, ODI, T20I 61 Y 2024 2024 2025

Coaching Staff

Here are the people who help coach and manage the New Zealand cricket team:

Position Name
Team manager Mike Sandle
Head coach Rob Walter
Batting coach Colin Munro
Bowling coach Trent Boult
Fielding coach James Foster
Physiotherapist Tommy Simsek
Strength and conditioning coach Chris Donaldson

Coaching History

Here's a list of the head coaches New Zealand has had over the years:

  • 1985–1987: Glenn Turner
  • 1987–1990: Bob Cunis
  • 1990–1993: Warren Lees
  • 1993–1995: Geoff Howarth
  • 1995–1996: Glenn Turner
  • 1996–1999: Steve Rixon
  • 1999–2001: David Trist
  • 2001–2003: Denis Aberhart
  • 2003–2008: John Bracewell
  • 2008–2009: Andy Moles
  • 2010: Mark Greatbatch
  • 2010–2012: John Wright
  • 2012–2018: Mike Hesson
  • 2018–2025: Gary Stead
  • 2025-present: Rob Walter

Team Uniforms

Period Kit manufacturer Sponsor (chest) Sponsor (sleeves)
1980–1989 Adidas
1990 DB Draught
1991
1992 ISC
1993–1994 Bank of New Zealand
1995–1996 DB Draught
1997 Bank of New Zealand
1998 Canterbury TelstraClear
1999 Asics
2000 WStar TelstraClear
2001–2005 National Bank of New Zealand TelstraClear
2006–2008
2009 Dheeraj & East Coast
2010 Canterbury
2011–2014 Ford
2015–2016 ANZ
2017 ANZ
2018–2024
2024 Castore

New Zealand's cricket uniforms are made by Canterbury of New Zealand. For Test matches, their white uniforms have the Gillette logo, the ANZ logo, and the Canterbury logo. Fielders can wear a black cap or a white sun hat with the New Zealand Cricket logo. Helmets are usually black.

In shorter games like ODIs and Twenty20s, New Zealand's shirts feature the ANZ logo in the middle. They also have the silver fern badge and the Canterbury and Ford logos. For ODIs, the uniform is a black shirt with blue details and black trousers. For Twenty20 games, it's a beige shirt with black details and black trousers. In big tournaments like ICC events, the sponsor logos move to the sleeve, and "NEW ZEALAND" is printed on the front.

In the past, New Zealand wore beige and brown uniforms for ODIs between 1980 and 1988. The 1983–1984 beige uniform became very popular thanks to the "Beige Brigade" fan group. They even sell copies of this uniform to fans. Between 1991 and 1997, the team wore grey or silver uniforms. Until 2000, the ODI uniform was teal with black.

Different companies have made their uniforms over the years, including Adidas, ISC, Canterbury, Asics, and WStar. Many different sponsors have also been on their shirts, like DB Draught, Bank of New Zealand, TelstraClear, National Bank of New Zealand, and Ford. Since 2014, ANZ has been the main sponsor. In December 2023, New Zealand signed a six-year deal with Castore to make their kits starting from October 2024.

In the 2023 Cricket World Cup, New Zealand reached the semi-finals but lost to India.

Tournament History

Key
Champions
Runners-up
Third place
Fourth place

Cricket World Cup Performances

ICC Cricket World Cup record
Host(s) & Year First Round Second Round Semi Final Final Position
Pos P W L T NR Pts Pos P W L T/NR PCF Pts
England 1975 2/4 3 2 1 0 0 4 N/A Lost to Cricket West Indies WI by 5 wickets Did not qualify 4/8
England 1979 2/4 3 2 1 0 0 8 Lost to England ENG by 9 runs 4/8
England Wales 1983 3/4 6 3 3 0 0 6 Did not qualify 5/8
India Pakistan 1987 3/4 6 2 4 0 0 8 6/8
Australia New Zealand 1992 1/9 8 7 1 0 0 14 Lost to Pakistan PAK by 4 wickets Did not qualify 3/9
India Pakistan Sri Lanka 1996 3/6 5 3 2 0 0 6 Lost to Australia AUS by 6 wickets Did not qualify 7/12
England Wales Scotland Republic of Ireland Netherlands 1999 3/6 5 3 2 0 0 6 4/6 3 1 1 0/1 2 5 Lost to Pakistan PAK by 9 wickets Did not qualify 4/12
South AfricaZimbabwe Kenya 2003 3/7 6 4 2 0 0 16 5/6 3 1 2 0 4 8 Did not qualify 5/14
Cricket West Indies 2007 1/4 3 3 0 0 0 6 3/8 6 4 2 0 2 10 Lost to Sri Lanka SL by 81 runs Did not qualify 3/16
India Sri Lanka Bangladesh 2011 4/7 6 4 2 0 0 8 Beat South Africa SA by 49 runs Lost to Sri Lanka SL by 5 wickets 4/14
Australia New Zealand 2015 1/6 6 6 0 0 0 12 Beat Cricket West Indies WI by 143 runs Beat South Africa SA by 4 wickets (DLS) Lost to Australia AUS by 7 wickets 2/14
England Wales 2019 4/10 9 5 3 0 1 11 N/A Beat India IND by 18 runs Lost to England ENG by 9 boundaries 2/10
India 2023 4/10 9 5 4 0 0 10 Lost to India IND by 70 runs Did not qualify 4/10
South Africa Zimbabwe Namibia 2027 To be determined
India Bangladesh 2031

T20 World Cup Performances

Year Round Position GP W L T+W T+L NR Ab Captain
South Africa 2007 Semi-final 4/12 6 3 3 0 0 0 0 Daniel Vettori
England 2009 Super 8 5/12 5 2 3 0 0 0 0 Daniel Vettori
Cricket West Indies 2010 5/12 5 3 2 0 0 0 0 Daniel Vettori
Sri Lanka 2012 7/12 5 1 2 0 2 0 0 Ross Taylor
Bangladesh 2014 Super 10 6/16 4 2 2 0 0 0 0 Brendon McCullum
India 2016 Semi-final 3/16 5 4 1 0 0 0 0 Kane Williamson
United Arab Emirates Oman 2021 Runners-up 2/16 7 5 2 0 0 0 0 Kane Williamson
Australia 2022 Semi-final 4/16 5 3 2 0 0 0 1 Kane Williamson
Cricket West Indies United States 2024 Group stage 10/20 4 2 2 0 0 0 0 Kane Williamson
India Sri Lanka 2026 Qualified
Australia New Zealand 2028

Qualified as co-hosts

England Wales Scotland Republic of Ireland 2030 To be determined
Total 0 titles 9/9 47 25 19 0 2 0 1 N/A

World Test Championship Performances

Event League stage Final
Opposition
Scoreline
Opposition
Scoreline
Opposition
Scoreline
Opposition
Scoreline
Opposition
Scoreline
Opposition
Scoreline
Rank Opposition
Result
Rank
2019–21  Sri Lanka
D 1–1
 Australia
L 0–3
 India
W 2–0
 Bangladesh
NR
 West Indies
W 2–0
 Pakistan
W 2–0
2 Q  India
W 8 wickets
1
2021–23  India
L 0–1
 Bangladesh
D 1–1
 South Africa
D 1–1
 England
L 0–3
 Pakistan
D 0–0
 Sri Lanka
W 2–0
6 Did not advance 6
2023–25  Bangladesh
D 1–1
 South Africa
W 2–0
 Australia
L 0–2
 Sri Lanka
L 0–2
 India
W 3–0
 England
L 1–2
4 Did not advance 4
2025–27  West Indies
Nov-Dec 2025 2 Tests
 England
Jun-Jul 2026 3 Tests
 India
Oct-Nov 2026 2 Tests
 Australia
Dec-Jan 2026-27 4 Tests
 Sri Lanka
Jan-Feb 2027 2 Tests
 Pakistan
Mar 2027 2 Tests

Champions Trophy Performances

ICC KnockOut Trophy record
Host(s) & Year Pre-Quarter finals Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final Stage
Bangladesh 1998 Beat  Zimbabwe by 5 wickets Lost to  Sri Lanka by 5 wickets Did not qualify Quarter Final
Kenya 2000 Bye Beat  Zimbabwe by 64 runs Beat  Pakistan by 4 wickets Beat  India by 4 wickets Winners
ICC Champions Trophy record
Host(s) & Year Group stage Semi Final Final Stage
Pos P W L T NR NRR Pts
Sri Lanka 2002 3/3 2 1 1 0 0 0.030 2 Did not qualify Group
England 2004 2/3 2 1 1 0 0 1.603 2 Group
India 2006 2/4 3 2 1 0 0 0.572 4 Lost to  Australia by 34 runs Did not qualify Semi Final
South Africa 2009 1/4 3 2 1 0 0 0.782 4 Beat  Pakistan by 5 wickets Lost to  Australia by 6 wickets Runners-up
England 2013 3/4 3 1 1 0 1 0.777 3 Did not qualify Group
England Wales 2017 4/4 3 0 2 0 1 −1.058 1 Group
Pakistan United Arab Emirates 2025 2/4 3 2 1 0 0 0.267 4 Beat  South Africa by 50 runs Lost to  India by 4 wickets Runners-up
India 2029 To be determined

Commonwealth Games Performances

Kuala Lumpur 1998

Group stage Semifinal Final/BM
Opposition
Result
Opposition
Result
Opposition
Result
Rank Opposition
Result
Opposition
Result
Rank
Kenya KEN
W 5 wickets
Scotland SCO
W 177 runs
Pakistan PAK
W 81 runs
1 Q Australia AUS
L 9 wickets
Sri Lanka SL
W 51 runs
3

Team Achievements

ICC Titles

  • World Test Championship
    • Champions (1): 2019–2021
  • World Cup
  • T20 World Cup
    • Runners-up (1): 2021
  • Champions Trophy
    • Champions (1): 2000
    • Runners-up (2): 2009, 2025

Other Awards

  • Commonwealth Games
    • Bronze medal (1): 1998

Records and Milestones

World Records by New Zealand Players

  • Richard Hadlee, one of New Zealand's best all-rounders, once held the world record for the most Test wickets (374) in 1988. He was also the first bowler to reach 400 Test wickets in 1990.
  • The Black Caps are known for reaching the semi-finals of many World Cups, more than any other country, but they are still hoping to win the trophy.
  • Corey Anderson scored the second fastest century in One Day Internationals, hitting 100 runs in just 36 balls against the West Indies.
  • In a One Day International in 1996, the entire New Zealand team was given the "Man of the Match" award for their great team performance against the West Indies. This was the first time this happened.
  • Andrew Jones and Martin Crowe held the record for the highest 3rd-wicket partnership in Tests, scoring 467 runs together against Sri Lanka in 1991.
  • Brian Hastings and Richard Collinge scored 151 runs together for the 10th-wicket against Pakistan in 1973, which was the highest 10th-wicket partnership at that time.
  • Nathan Astle scored the fastest ever double century in Test cricket against England in 2002. He reached 200 runs in just 153 balls.
  • Brendon McCullum holds the world record for the fastest Test hundred in terms of balls faced. He scored 100 runs off only 54 balls against Australia in 2016.
  • Brendon McCullum also holds the world record for the most sixes in Test cricket with 107.
  • Brendon McCullum was the first batsman to score two centuries in Twenty20 International cricket.
  • Martin Guptill scored the highest score in World Cups with 237 not out in 2015.
  • Guptill also held records for most career runs and most sixes in Twenty20 Internationals.
  • John Bracewell was the first (and so far only) substitute fielder to take four catches in a One Day International in 1980.
  • Daniel Vettori was the first cricketer to take four wickets and score a half-century in both innings of a Test match in 2008.
  • Colin Munro was the first player to score three Twenty20 International hundreds.
  • Ross Taylor is the first player to have played 100 ODI, Tests, and T20I matches.
  • Chris Harris holds the record for the most ODI "caught and bowled" dismissals (where the bowler catches the ball after the batsman hits it).

Other Notable Achievements

  • Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson have some of the highest batting averages in ODI history among players with many matches.
  • New Zealand once dismissed Zimbabwe twice in the same day in a Test match in 2005, and the whole game finished in two days. They did it again in 2012.
  • Kane Williamson holds the record for most centuries by a New Zealander in Tests, with 33.
  • Brendon McCullum holds the record for the highest Test innings by a New Zealander, scoring 302 runs. He is the only New Zealander to score a triple century.
  • Brendon McCullum also holds the New Zealand Test record for the most innings of 200 runs or more, with 4.
  • Martin Guptill holds the record for the highest One Day International innings by a New Zealander, with 237 not out against the West Indies in the 2015 World Cup.
  • Shane Bond took an ODI hat-trick (three wickets in three balls) in 2007.
  • Tim Southee took a Twenty20 hat-trick, taking 5 wickets for 18 runs against Pakistan.
  • Colin Munro scored the second fastest T20 International fifty, in just 14 balls, in 2016.
  • Chris Harris, Daniel Vettori, Kyle Mills, and Chris Cairns are the only New Zealand cricketers to have taken 200 wickets in ODIs.
  • Ajaz Patel took all 10 wickets in one innings of a Test match, becoming only the third international cricketer to do so.
  • In June 2022, New Zealand scored a very high team total (553) in a Test match against England but still lost the game.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de críquet de Nueva Zelanda para niños

  • New Zealand Māori cricket team
  • List of New Zealand cricketers
  • New Zealand national cricket captains
  • New Zealand women's cricket team
  • Beige Brigade Black Caps Supporters
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New Zealand national cricket team Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.