New Zealand's 5 highest wicket-takers in ODI World Cups ft. Tim Southee

Every cricket neutral's favorite team, world cricket's perennial dark horse, and most likeable team, New Zealand (NZ) will walk into this World Cup (CWC) quietly confident of making the semi-finals and potentially going one or two steps further.

They may not have the big names that India, Australia, or England possess, but they've managed to assemble a potent unit for this World Cup, and the unexpected return to fitness of captain Kane Williamson gives them a huge morale boost.

Let's not forget that New Zealand are the runners-up in the last two editions of the CWC and were also finalists in the 2021 T20 World Cup, and it's about time they finished on the right side of these big matches. They'll need their bowlers to be on top for that to happen, and they'll certainly be relying heavily on them.

Let's now dive deep into the record books and look at New Zealand's top five wicket-takers in ODI World Cups.

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#5 Chris Harris - 32 wickets in 28 games

One of New Zealand cricket's longest and most important players, Chris Harris was a valuable all-rounder for the Black Caps and their fifth-highest wicket-taker in World Cups. In a career that spanned 14 years, Chris Harris became one of the best modern-day all-rounders and was someone who occupied the finisher's role for New Zealand.

He was also really effective with the ball, with his medium-pace deliveries making the batters manufacture all the power to hit the big shot. In 28 appearances across four World Cups from 1992 to 2003, Harris picked up 32 wickets at an economy rate of 4.43 and a bowling average of 26.70.

He finished his career as one of the most-capped New Zealand players, featuring in a whopping 250 ODIs.

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#4 Tim Southee - 34 wickets in 18 matches

Tim Southee is NZ's 4th-highest wicket-taker in their Cricket World Cup history, and his numbers in the 2011, 2015, and 2019 World Cups also encapsulate his ODI career in a nutshell.

2011 was Southee's best performance in a World Cup as he picked up 18 wickets in eight matches at an economy rate of 4.31 and bowling average of 17.30. He could pick up only 15 wickets in nine games in the 2015 edition of the tournament, and seven of them came in one match (7/33 vs England).

He picked up only one wicket in the solitary game he played in the 2019 edition and leaked too many runs to get another chance. It's been the same story with his ODI career as he has slowly fallen out of favor as the game grew faster, and the average scores rose up.

He's still a valuable part of every NZ side and is included in their squad for the 2023 World Cup. However, he's unlikely to get an opportunity to add to his 34 World Cup wickets.

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#3 Daniel Vettori - 36 wickets in 32 matches

Daniel Vettori is New Zealand's most-capped ODI player.

Daniel Vettori captained New Zealand in the 2011 Cricket World Cup and was an integral part of the side in the 2003, 2007, and 2015 editions. A very economical bowler, Vettori didn't concede at more than 4.60 per over in any of the four WC editions, and while he didn't have much success in the 2003 and 2011 editions of the World Cup, he always made sure he kept the scoring rate in check.

Vettori delivered when it mattered for the Black Caps, and while he also got 16 wickets in the 2007 edition, it's his performance in the 2015 World Cup that he would cherish more. His 15 wickets in nine games at an economy rate of only 4.05 played a crucial part in New Zealand making their first WC Final, although it was heartbreaking to see them falter at the last step.

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#2 Jacob Oram - 36 wickets in 23 matches

Jacob Oram was in some form for the Black Caps in the 2011 Cricket World Cup.

A very valuable all-rounder, the lanky Jacob Oram was a vital player for New Zealand in the 2003, 2007, and 2011 editions of the World Cup. The medium-pacer didn't have much success with the bat across the three editions, but delivered with the ball every time.

He picked up 14 wickets in eight matches in 2003, 10 wickets in nine games in 2007, and 12 wickets in only six games in the 2011 edition of the World Cup. It should be noted that his economy rate was less than 4.50 in all three tournaments, showing how much control and wicket-taking threat he brought to this NZ team.

He's definitely a name cricket fans from the earlier part of this century will remember, and his name is sure to be etched in New Zealand's cricketing records for some time to come.

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#1 Trent Boult - 39 wickets in 19 matches

Trent Boult is undisputedly at the top of this list for the Black Caps, and there's a very good chance he takes an unassailable lead in this regard. Boult has played only two editions of the World Cup - 2015 and 2019, and New Zealand has made it to the Finals on both occasions - coincidence? I think not.

Boult was the joint-highest wicket-taker of the 2015 Cricket World Cup, picking up a whopping 22 wickets in only nine games at an economy rate of 4.36 and a bowling average of 16.90. He followed it up with 17 wickets in 10 matches in the 2019 edition of the World Cup, where New Zealand went even closer to winning the WC, but in the end, remained runners-up.

Boult opted not to take a central contract for 2023 but was recalled to the side ahead of the World Cup and remains a crucial part of New Zealand's plans. He has been in sensational form heading into the marquee event and will spearhead the Kiwi pace attack once more and will look to breach the 55 or even 60-wicket mark.