Australia Vs New Zealand: Head-to-Head, Top Run Scorers, Top Wicket taker and more

Cricket has seen many neighbourhood rivalries such as India and Pakistan or Australia and New Zealand. The two cricketing nations who play entirely different brands of cricket are able to give a lot of thrillers to the viewers. The contributions of a lot of stars has made these rivalry more special. In this write-up, we are going to take a look at the Rivalry of Australia and New Zealand and will go back to the top run scorers and top wicket takers.
Origins of a Fierce Rivalry
It was in 1946 when both the nations locked their heads in a Test match at Wellington’s Basin Reserve. However, the encounter ended up in a draw but it was proven from the match that this team will have a great rivalry in future. At start, Australia dominated early encounters however as the time advanced New Zealand grew stronger and they developed a reputation as the underdog that could fight back.
Iconic Clashes That Defined the Rivalry
The 1981 Encounter
1981 brought shame to cricket where an underarm incident happened. In a close encounter, New Zealand needed 6 runs to win the game. However, instead of playing fair, Australian captain Greg Chappell opted a unique way where he guided his brother Trevor Chappell to bowl underarm. And, Trevor did exactly that as he rolled the ball along the ground. Though it was a legal delivery this incident was never appreciated by the cricket fans and Australia received a lot of backlash due to this incident.
ICC Cricket World Cup Final
The stakes had never been higher. The two teams met in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). This was the first time when New Zealand was in the final and in the captaincy of Brendon Mccullum, New Zealand had a very poor display in the final allowing Australia to win its fifth title.
Statistical Face-Off: Numbers Never Lie

Format | Matches Played | Australia Wins | New Zealand Wins | Draw/No Result |
Tests | 60 | 34 | 8 | 18 |
ODIs | 141 | 95 | 39 | 7 |
T20Is | 16 | 10 | 5 | 1 |
Though the stats show Australia’s upper hand, the growth of New Zealand in recent times calls for interesting battles in the upcoming encounters.
Top Run-Scorers in Australia Vs New Zealand
Rank | Player | Team | Matches | Runs | Average |
1 | Allan Border | Australia | 15 (Tests) | 1,356 | 75.33 |
2 | Stephen Fleming | New Zealand | 33 (ODIs) | 1,298 | 39.33 |
3 | Ross Taylor | New Zealand | 14 (Tests) | 1,089 | 49.50 |
4 | Ricky Ponting | Australia | 29 (ODIs) | 1,164 | 45.76 |
5 | Martin Crowe | New Zealand | 13 (Tests) | 1,023 | 51.15 |
6 | Nathan Astle | New Zealand | 31 (ODIs) | 1,120 | 36.12 |
7 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | 10 (T20Is) | 435 | 43.50 |
8 | David Warner | Australia | 9 (T20Is) | 356 | 44.50 |
9 | Aaron Finch | Australia | 9 (T20Is) | 321 | 35.66 |
Top Wicket-Takers in Australia Vs New Zealand

Rank | Player | Team | Matches | Wickets | Average |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sir Richard Hadlee | New Zealand | 14 (Tests) | 130 | 17.67 |
2 | Dennis Lillee | Australia | 14 (Tests) | 89 | 20.75 |
3 | Shane Warne | Australia | 13 (Tests) | 74 | 23.25 |
4 | Shane Bond | New Zealand | 17 (ODIs) | 44 | 15.79 |
5 | Brett Lee | Australia | 27 (ODIs) | 43 | 22.30 |
6 | Daniel Vettori | New Zealand | 33 (ODIs) | 41 | 28.12 |
7 | Mitchell Santner | New Zealand | 10 (T20Is) | 15 | 20.60 |
8 | Mitchell Starc | Australia | 9 (T20Is) | 14 | 19.85 |
9 | Tim Southee | New Zealand | 10 (T20Is) | 13 | 22.30 |
Also Read: Australia Women Cricket Team vs India Women Team
Who has won more test matches between Australia and New Zealand?
Going into the head to head encounter, Australia has always led Test cricket against New Zealand. Officially Australia has won 34 out of 60 Tests and New Zealand has only 8.
What’s the highlight of Australia vs. New Zealand Rivalry?
One of the most contentious episodes occurred during the 1981 underarm bowling incident. What happened was that in a close encounter, New Zealand needed 6 runs to win the game. But instead of playing fair, Australian captain Greg Chappell instructed his brother Trevor Chappell to bowl underarm. And, Trevor did exactly that as he rolled the ball along the ground
Which player has scored the most runs in Australia vs. New Zealand Test matches?
David Boon (Australia) has scored the highest runs for the two teams. He scored 973 runs in just 10 matches with an average of 57.23.
Who has taken the most wickets in Australia vs. New Zealand Test history?
Sir Richard Hadlee (New Zealand) is the highest wicket-taker in Tests between the two teams. He has 130 wickets in just 14 matches and has an incredible 17.67 per wicket.
Conclusion
All in all, the rivalry between Australia and New Zealand has a special attention in the eyes of cricket viewers. Be it a shameful underarm incident, there is a lot more we can expect between the two superpowers. It will be interesting to see in the future. Will Australia continue their dominance, or will New Zealand rise to challenge them once again?
Hence, as a fan it will be interesting to see what future holds between Australia and New Zealand.
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