#3 Geoff Howarth
The right-handed Geoff Howarth has the best record as a Test captain for the country in terms of win percentage. Out of the 30 Test matches as captain, his side emerged victorious on 11 occasions and lost on just 7.
Under him, New Zealand got their first ever Test series win against West Indies in 1980. He went on to captain the team till 1985 with a 36.66% victory rate.
New Zealand played 10 Test series under Howarth and won 6, lost 3 and drew 1. They became a formidable side at home as they were unbeaten in all the 6 series that they played in their own backyard. They had just one away series win in Sri Lanka in 1983.
Howarth amassed 2531 runs in 47 Tests at an average of 32.44 and scored 6 centuries. Later, he became the coach of the New Zealand cricket team in the early 1990s.
Captaincy record
Year | Opposition | Venue | Winner |
1979/80 | West Indies | Home | New Zealand (1-0) |
1980/1 | Australia | Away | Australia (1-0) |
1980/1 | India | Home | New Zealand (1-0) |
1981/2 | Australia | Home | Draw (1-1) |
1982/3 | Sri Lanka | Home | New Zealand (2-0) |
1983 | England | Away | England (3-1) |
1983/4 | England | Home | New Zealand (1-0) |
1983/4 | Sri Lanka | Away | New Zealand (2-0) |
1984/5 | Pakistan | Home | New Zealand (2-0) |
1984/5 | West Indies | Away | West Indies (2-0) |
