5 New Zealand cricketers with the highest score on Test debut

New Zealand has a rich history in Test cricket having played made their international debut against England way back during the 1929/30 season.

With 91 wins from 424 matches to date, the Black Caps' winning percentage of 21.46 is only better than that of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh amongst the 10 Test playing nations.

However, New Zealand has produced many great players over the years including the legendary Sir Richard Hadlee, Martin Crowe, Brendon McCullum and many more.

Not all great players had a great start to their international career and not every player who had a debut to remember went on to become great players and the same holds true for New Zeland cricket as well.

Let's take a look at the 5 batsmen who registered the highest score on Test debut in New Zealand cricket history.

#5 John Mills

117 vs England at Basin Reserve, Wellington - 1929/30

John Mills - The first New Zealand player to score a century on Test debut

John Mills international career is proof that well begun is not necessarily half done when it comes to international cricket.

After scoring a crafty 117 against England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington to become the first player from the country to score a century on debut, Mills' New Zealand career frailed away as he scored only 124 runs in his next nine Test innings.

Mills feat came in New Zealand's second-ever Test in history and he was involved in a 276-run partnership for the opening wicket along with Stewie Dempster, helping the side post 440 in their first innings.

England's stiff resistance meant that the match ended in a draw and the visitors would secure the 4-match series courtesy of their win in the opening Test at Christchurch but Mills ensured that he made his way into the record books with a truly special knock on debut.

#4 Kane Williamson

131 vs India at Ahmedabad, 2010

Kane Williamson is considered one of the greatest batsmen of the modern era

Considered as one of the greatest batsmen of the modern era, Kane Williamson had a shocking start to his ODI career, getting dismissed without scoring in his first two matches against India and Sri Lanka respectively.

On the contrary, Williamson's career in the five-day format got off to a brilliant start as he became just the eighth New Zealand player to score a century on Test debut.

He scored 131 runs off 299 balls to help the visitors secure a draw in the opening match of the 3-Test series which was eventually won by India thanks to a win in the third and final Test at Nagpur.

Williamson has scored 16 Test centuries since and has an average of above 50 in his career so far making him an integral part of the New Zealand side.

He has already established himself as a modern day great and still has a plenty to offer in the years ahead, as a batsman as well as skipper of the side in all three formats.

#3 Jimmy Neesham

137* vs India at Basin Reserve, Wellington in 2014

Neesham's 137 against India was the highest debut hundred by a Test number 8 batsman.

Jimmy Neesham had an awesome start to his Test career becoming the only New Zealand cricketer and eighth overall in history to score Test centuries in his first two Test matches.

Neesham's debut came against India at Wellington and it was a remarkable match as the hosts saved the match despite conceding a 246-run first innings lead.

While Brendon McCullum scored an astonishing triple century along with Bradley-John Watling who scored 124, Neesham created history by scoring an unbeaten 137 which came off just 154 balls which was the highest debut hundred by a Test number 8 batsman.

Neesham's international career has not gone as per plan though since as a spate of injuries and poor form has contributed to him being on the sidelines as far as Test cricket is concerned with his last Test coming in March 2017.

#2 Hamish Rutherford

171 vs England at Dunedin, 2013

Rutherford scored a scintillating 171 against England on his Test debut

Hamish Rutherford, the eldest son of former New Zealand cricketer Ken Rutherford, made a spectacular start to his international career, scoring 171 on debut against the visiting English side at Dunedin in 2013.

Rutherford's knock was the seventh-highest Test score on debut and second highest for an opener in the Test format but he has been unable to replicate the success since with his last match for New Zealand coming almost three years ago.

In his 16 Tests so far, Rutherford has scored only 755 runs while he has also played 4 ODIs and 7 T20Is for New Zealand.

#1 Mathew Sinclair

214 vs West Indies at Basin Reserve, Wellington, 1999

Sinclair holds the record for the highest Test score by a number three batsman on debut

Former New Zealand cricketer Mathew Sinclair jointly holds the record for the highest Test score by a number three batsman on debut - a feat he achieved when he scored 214 against West Indies in the 1999 Boxing Day Test at Wellington.

Sinclair had a habit of scoring big hundreds whenever he crossed the three-figure mark, scoring 150 against South Africa at Port Elizabeth and an unbeaten 204 against Pakistan at Christchurch, but they were very few and far between.

As a result, Sinclair's New Zealand career was restricted to just 33 Tests despite his promising start and it is safe to say that Sinclair failed to make it fully count at the international level considering the talent at his disposal.