5 most prolific batting pairs for New Zealand across all 3 formats

Big totals are not ultimately dependant on the individual brilliance of a player but on the sort of partnerships that are forged between the different batsmen in the side. After all, there need to be two batsmen at each end and one man shows are rare in cricket.

In that regard, New Zealand has had their fair share of excellent batting pairs, who have helped the team by creating successful partnerships across the three rather disparate formats of the game.

The important thing to remember in this regard is, that these pairs need to be excellent Test match players and superb limited overs players, in addition to having the understanding to bat well as a pair for a sustained period of time.

Here is a look at 5 of the most successful Kiwi pairs.

---

#5 Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor

Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor

The former New Zealand captain Ross Taylor has been one of the best batsmen in the team for around a decade and by the time he finishes, he will certainly be counted among the best batsmen the country has produced.

He has been a rock for New Zealand across the three formats of the game and one of the batsmen with whom he had formed an excellent partnership is the opener, Martin Guptill.

The right-handed opening batsman has become an integral part of the team and considering the fact that they both love to attack, the partnership has also been extremely fruitful for New Zealand. They have been involved in 95 partnerships in Tests, ODIs, and T20I's for New Zealand and have put together 3091 runs in total.

Taylor and Guptill have put up 11-century stands and as many half-century stands. The partnership has an average of 42.93.

#4 Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson

Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson

Over the past few seasons, Martin Guptill and star batsman Kane Williamson have been the openers for New Zealand in limited overs cricket. They have been highly successful in both formats of the limited overs game.

While in Test cricket, they have had their fair share of fruitful partnerships as well. Guptill's ultra-attacking batting and Williamson's classic stroke-making has made one of the most prolific pairs in the history of New Zealand cricket.

Due to the fact that they are both top order batsmen, they have been involved in plenty of partnerships in Test cricket as well. Since 2010, they have batted together 108 times and have aggregated 4415 runs in their partnerships till date.

Although they have only recorded 9-century partnerships so far, the Guptill-Williamson pair has brought up as many as 28 half-century partnerships so far.

#3 Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum

Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum

Opening batsman Martin Guptill's consistency in the limited over versions of the game over the past seasons has meant that he is a common factor in three of the five most prolific all-format partnerships in New Zealand's cricketing history.

On the other hand, Brendon McCullum was not only one of New Zealand's most influential captains of all time but one of the leading batsmen in the side towards the latter half of his career.

McCullum was one of the most attacking batsmen of his generation and along with Guptill, he gave New Zealand roaring starts in limited overs cricket for years. On the other hand, when it came to Test cricket, they did not have a partnership as often, since McCullum usually batted at number 5. Across the three formats, the pair batted on 124 occasions and totaled 5197 runs at an average of 44.41.

They put up a hundred run stand 14 times, while the number of half-century stands stood at 22.

#2 Nathan Astle and Stephen Fleming

Fleming (L) and Astle of New Zealand In Action

Back in the mid-1990 and the noughties, Nathan Astle and Captain Stephen Fleming were New Zealand's best batsmen. The right-handed Astle was an excellent attacking batsman who opened the batting in ODI cricket and batted in the middle-order in Tests.

Fleming, on the other hand, was a bit of floater and batted at plenty positions in both formats of the game. The pair, however, played only a handful of T20I games together.

Despite that, they batted together plenty of times in Tests and ODI cricket, as a result, Astle-Fleming is the 2nd most prolific pair in New Zealand's history across the three formats. Astle's powerful stroke-making and Fleming's classical batsmanship made them an excellent pair.

They were involved in as many as 177 partnerships from 1995 to 2007 and scored a total of 5802 runs. That being said, the average of 33.34 is decidedly unflattering. The pair put up a minimum of hundred runs on 11 occasions and added at least a half-century 32 times.

#1 Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson

Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson

They have been New Zealand's finest batsmen for as long as they have played and when Kane Williamson made his international debut in 2010, it was only natural that he would end up forging a superb chemistry with the team's other batting star in Ross Taylor. They have been regulars for New Zealand in all formats of the game and have batted together since 2010.

Taylor's unorthodox yet effective approach has brought him plenty of runs throughout his career, while Williamson's classical batsmanship has made him one of the best batsmen in the world.

Naturally, the two have combined to form New Zealand's finest pair in history across the three formats. They have been involved in 119 partnerships so far, and have scored 6063 runs, at a staggering average of 55.62. They have put on 18-century partnerships, in addition to 29 half-century ones.