Daniel Vettori

Daniel Vettori became the only eighth all rounder to take 300 wickets and score more than 3000 runs in test cricket. The kiwi captain achieved this milestone by dismissing  Former Sri Lankan Skipper Kumar Sangakkara, on the opening day of the second test at Sinhalese sports club ground, Colombo on august 26, 2009.

He has scored 4167 runs at the average of 30.19, he also became the second Kiwi All rounder after Sir Richard Hadlee and 24^th bowler overall to take 300 wickets in tests.

He made his debut against England at wellington in 1996-97 ,the left hand batsmen and slow left arm orthodox bowler from Auckland scored 2335 runs at 34.33 and claimed  155 wickets at 36.05 in 45 test matches at home while he scored 1830 runs at 26.17 and took 190 wickets at 32.28 in 49 test matches on abroad pitches. It was England’s Sir Ian Botham who took 300 wickets and scored 3000 plus runs. He achieved this milestone by playing 72 test matches in August 1984. The second all rounder to join this group was Kapil Dev. The Haryana Hurricane achieved this feat in his 83^rd match against Sri Lanka at Cuttack in January 1987. Pakistan’s Imran khan was the third all rounder to join this group, he achieved this record against Kiwis in his 75^th test match. Vettori’s fellow country man Sir Richard Hadlee was the fourth all rounder to join this elite group. It took 38 years and 257 days for him to reach this milestone, as he was the oldest player to achieve this. Hadlee was later followed by Shaun Pollock in his 87^th test matches against India at Kolkata in 2004-2005, then it was none other father of all spinners Shane Warne to join this group, he reached this milestone by completing his 3000 runs  in 142^nd test match against England at The Adelaide in 2006-2007.

Sri Lankan pacer Chaminda Vaas was the seventh player to reach this feat he completed his 3000 runs in his 108^th match against Bangladesh at Mirpur on December 27,2008. He took 14 years and 123 days to reach this milestone.

After the retirement of   Shane Warne, there is hardly any spinner all rounder who could have achieved this mark apart from Daneil Vettori. Thus, it’s sad that today the cricket world is not able to get a genuine all rounders.

Tags: All-rounder, Cricket, Cricket World, Daneil Vettori, Test Cricket