4 Players With Most Test Dismissals As A Wicket-Keeper For New Zealand In Tests

New Zealand has always had the luxury of wicket keepers playing an extra role of a pure batsman over the years and it has reflected in their test results as well. They recently won the ICC World Test Championship against England and one of the reasons was their ability to play Watling at number six to allow an all-rounder in the side.

There have been excellent wicket-keepers produced from the nation and they deserved a lot of credit for the work they have put in over the years. It demands a lot of agility, stamina, strengths and it requires a lot of mental strength as well. Here are 4 players with most dismissals as a wicketkeeper for New Zealand in tests.

4 Players With Most Test Dismissals As A Wicket Keeper For New Zealand In Tests:

Ian Smith:

Ian Smith has the fourth most number of dismissals by a wicketkeeper for New Zealand in tests. Smith laid 63 tests for the Kiwis from the period of 1980 to 1992 and scored 1815 runs in the 63 tests he played at an average of 25.6. He scored two centuries and 6 half-centuries in the process.

Smith finished with 176 dismissals to his name as a wicketkeeper in tests for the Kiwis and 168 were catches while 8 were stumping out of those. Post his retirement, he is currently serving as one of the famous cricket commentators in the world at the moment.

Brendon McCullum:

Brendon McCullum is one of the greatest cricketers to have played from his nation and he was very aggressive in any format he played. McCullum started as a wicketkeeper-batsman who would play at the number seven position for New Zealand but later transformed into an opening batsman and he rocked the cricket world after that.

McCullum scored 6453 test runs in 101 games at an average of 38.64 and he scored 12 centuries and 4 double centuries in the process. He was a prolific six-hitter and was aggressive enough in the longer format as well. He has the second most number of dismissals by a New Zealand wicketkeeper in tests with 179 dismissals. He is currently serving as a cricket coach post-retirement in international cricket.

Adam Parore:

Adam Parore holds the record for the second most number of dismissals by a wicketkeeper for New Zealand in Tests. Parore had a fine career for the Kiwis in the test and ODI formats and he played a lot of handy knocks down the order.

Parore played 78 tests, scoring 2865 runs at an average of 26.3 and he hit two centuries and 14 half-centuries in the process. He finished with 201 dismissals behind the wickets out of which 194 were catches, and seven were stumping. He retired from test cricket in 2002 against England and started involving in business.

BJ Watling:

BJ Watling holds the record for the most number of Test dismissals for New Zealand. He played 75 tests for the Kiwis scoring 3790 runs at an average of 37.5 and he had an extremely good technique behind the stumps which allowed the New Zealand team the luxury of playing two wicketkeeper-batsman in the side.

Watling scored 8 centuries and 19 half-centuries until his retirement from international cricket in the recently concluded ICC World Test Championship finals. Watling finished with 265 dismissals in which 256 were catches, one run out, and 8 stumpings.