Neil Wagner won't go on forever; cherish him while you can

Neil Wagner. That is it. That is what this article is going to be about. And if this, at any point seems like an exaggeration, well, you have clearly not watched Wagner bowl himself to the ground, propel New Zealand to an improbable victory and reiterate why he, just like Tim Southee and Trent Boult, is one of the greatest fast-bowlers New Zealand have ever produced.

That, off the bat, might seem a very strong claim, considering the Black Caps have had a rich tradition of fast-bowling. Wagner, you could argue, might not even be labelled the archetypal New Zealand pacer. He does not swing the ball around corners, he does not get it to nibble off a length and he most certainly does not pitch the ball up, hoping that the batters will get drawn into a drive.

But that is also the beauty of Wagner. Because he is so different, he is so vital. Because he has strings to his bow that only a handful have had over the years, his place in New Zealand cricketing folklore should be assured. And if that was still doubtful, well, this manic Test at the Basin Reserve, which culminated in a one-run victory for the Kiwis, is worth looking at.

England, after an early wobble, looked set to chase down 258 on the final day. Prior to Tuesday, they had never lost when batting fourth under Ben Stokes’ captaincy. Stokes, incidentally, was at the crease alongside Joe Root as England tightened their grip on the game. What they did not account for, though, was Wagner. In hindsight, they probably should have. Not because he turned things around so dramatically, but because he almost always seems to stand up when required.

Neil Wagner breaks the game open for New Zealand

No prizes for guessing that most of his wickets came via the short-ball ploy. Stokes fell for it first before Root perished. Both were not rip-snorters. Yet, were just accurate enough to force the batters into a mistake. That is also one of Wagner’s biggest strengths. Because batters know he will not relent, they feel the urge to try something different to shake him off his length. At times, it works, like it did in the first Test at the Bay Oval. More often than not, however, Wagner does what he does best – break the game open.

If that was not enough, he then returned to strangle James Anderson down the leg side and power New Zealand to one of their more famous Test victories in recent times. This was, lest we forget, a game where England enforced the follow-on, yet, the Kiwis became only the fourth team ever in the history of Test cricket to win.

For once, though, forget about what New Zealand accomplished as a team. Yes, they pride themselves on the strength of the collective rather than individual accolades but take a moment to soak in what Wagner did on Tuesday, and what he has done countless times for New Zealand.

As things stand, he has more than 250 Test wickets, which, considering how much effort he exerts into each spell - bowling short and with intensity is not for the faint-hearted) - is an excellent achievement in itself. Add to that how he has often been in Boult and Southee’s shadow, and you realise why he is so special.

He is always at the batter, irrespective of the situation. He never backs down and if anything, seems to find his best when New Zealand most need him. When Root and Stokes had set out their stall on day five, it seemed that the Black Caps had no business winning a game they had already followed-on in.

But they had Wagner, and that, as has been proven in the past few years, is usually enough. This will, of course, not last forever. So, cherish it while you can because a bowler of his ilk might not come around very often.

Funnily enough, Wagner does not really strike you as a fast bowler. He is well-built but does not have the height or the pace that normally sends tremors down any batter’s spine. Just watch him bowl, though, and you start to understand why he is one of the toughest bowlers to face in Test cricket.

At the Basin Reserve on Tuesday, he kept coming at England and kept posing questions, almost like that tough trigonometric topic students try and avoid at all costs.

He may not have the pace of Shane Bond, or the dexterity of Boult and Southee. He has the heart of a lion, though – the sort of determination that wins you games you ought not to win. You cannot teach that. You either have it, or you do not. Luckily for New Zealand, Wagner has it. He has had it for quite a while now.