Top 5 spinners in New Zealand's Test history

In tune with their lush outfields and seam-friendly pitches, the core of New Zealand's bowling attack has always revolved around their effervescent fast bowlers. With seam and swing taking center stage, the role of a spinner has largely been relegated to containment when conditions become less responsive for the protagonists.

However, during the last couple of days of Test matches at home, spinners have chipped in crucial contributions on several occasions. Whenever the Blackcaps embarked on a subcontinental sojourn, their slow bowlers have seamlessly managed to usurp the mantle from the pacers.

Even though the seamers usually walk away with the plaudits, New Zealand have managed to produce quite a few impressive spinners. In order of quality, here are five of the greatest spinners to represent the Blackcaps in Test cricket.

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#5 John Reid

John Reid alternated between off-breaks and sharp medium pace to pick up vital wickets

Much like his peers in the days of yore, John Reid was a man of many talents. Apart from being a dynamic stroke-maker with the bat, he was an adept fielder across vast swathes and a versatile bowler. His skills with the ball traversed a wide range of the spectrum. The right-armer combined off-breaks with vicious seam-up from closer quarters and accumulated 85 wickets in his Test career.

After making a mark as a genuinely quick bowler in his early years, Reid metamorphosed into an off-spinner capable of extracting sharp turn as his career progressed. His trademark side-on action made him extremely hard to read for opposition batsmen. Adding his occasional wicket-keeping to the mix, he was the quintessential all-rounder. Under his tactful leadership, New Zealand registered their first win in the Test arena - both home and away.

Career Span

1949 to 1965

Statistics

85 wickets from 58 Tests at an average of 33.35 and strike-rate of 90.8 with one five-wicket haul

#4 Stephen Boock

Stephen Boock reserved his best for crucial matches against England

Making his debut at Wellington in 1978, Stephen Boock instantly became etched in Kiwi cricket folklore. While his contribution stood at just a solitary wicket, the left-arm spinner was part of a New Zealand team which defeated England for the first time in their Test history. Boock's strength lay in his ability to stitch together one quiet over after another. However, he played only 30 Test matches as his career coincided with the rise of off-spinner John Bracewell.

Boock's 74 Test scalps included four five-wicket hauls. One of those propelled New Zealand to a famous 165-run victory against the then emerging Sri Lankan outfit in Kandy during the 1984 series. His four victims - comprising proven players of spin such as Graeme Fowler (twice), Mike Gatting and Ian Botham - played a key role in hastening England to an ignominious innings defeat in Christchurch.

Career Span

1978 to 1989

Statistics

74 wickets from 30 Tests at an average of 34.64 and strike-rate of 89.1 with 4 five-wicket hauls

#3 Hedley Howarth

Hedley Howarth played a pivotal role in New Zealand's first ever Test win on Asian soil

From 79 Tests in Asia, New Zealand have emerged victorious on 12 occasions. The first of those came against a strong Indian team at Nagpur in 1969. On a raging turner, Hedley John Howarth managed to outperform the likes of Bishan Singh Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna and Srinivas Venkataraghavan. The left-arm spinner's match haul of 9/100 propelled the Kiwis to an unexpected and eternal triumph.

In the same year, Howarth's match haul of 5/98 also enabled New Zealand to pocket a famous victory against Pakistan in Lahore. The 5-wicket triumph at the Gaddafi Stadium would eventually give them their maiden series win on Asian soil. In all, Howarth played 30 Tests and picked up 86 wickets at an average of 36.95. With his capacity to attack and defend in equal measure, the southpaw delivered a significant volume of overs in his brief Test career and left a lasting impression.

Career Span

1969 to 1977

Statistics

86 wickets from 30 Tests at an average of 36.95 and strike-rate of 102.7 with 2 five-wicket hauls

#2 John Bracewell

John Bracewell was the first New Zealand spinner to take a ten-wicket match haul

Along with Daniel Vettori, John Bracewell remains one of only two New Zealand spinners to pick up more than 100 Test wickets. In a career spanning from 1980 to 1990, Bracewell was part of a sterling New Zealand team which achieved several enduring triumphs in diverse conditions across the globe. While the legendary Richard Hadlee was the primary architect of almost every one of those victories, the off-spinner came up with vital spells whenever his side needed breakthroughs.

All but one of Bracewell's four five-wicket hauls came in winning cause. His 6/51 in the second innings of the 1988 Bombay Test contained the scalps of quite a few eminent players of spin. With his high-arm action, he imparted generous flight and outsmarted opposition batsmen. The finest example of his admirable prowess came in the 1986 Auckland Test. The off-spinner's ten-wicket match haul spun New Zealand to a series sealing victory against Australia. Apart from his skills with the ball, he was also a serviceable lower-order batsman.

Career Span

1980 to 1990

Statistics

102 wickets from 41 Tests at an average of 35.81 and strike-rate of 82.3 with 4 five-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket haul

#1 Daniel Vettori

Daniel Vettori is the second most prolific left-arm spinner in the history of Test cricket

When he made his Test debut shortly after his 18th birthday, Daniel Vettori's sound intellect and serene temperament were early indicators of a promising future. Unlike each and every one of his predecessors, the left-armer went on to have a long and prosperous career at the highest level of the game. For the vast majority of the early phase of his career, he plied his trade on pitches designed to assist the New Zealand seamers. However, as he began to establish himself as reliable operator, drier and conducive surfaces began to emerge.

Extra Cover: Top 5 orthodox left-arm spinners of all time

Among all left-arm spinners in the history of Test cricket, only Sri Lankan maestro Rangana Herath has picked up more wickets than Vettori's tally of 362 scalps. The bespectacled spinner's relentless accuracy enabled him to build pressure on opposition batsmen across a wide variety of surfaces. Having honed his trade under the captaincy of Stephen Fleming, he gradually rose to become the epicenter of New Zealand cricket. Despite taking on the additional duties of captaincy and lower-order rescuer, he continued to remain a significant threat with the ball.

Career Span

1997 to 2014

*Statistics

362 wickets from 113 Tests at an average of 34.36 and strike-rate of 79.5 with 20 five-wicket hauls and 3 ten-wicket hauls

(*Note: Vettori's statistics include his one-off appearance for World XI against Australia at Sydney in 2005)