The 3000/300 Club Part 1

Hello and welcome back to my blog

During the recent tour of Sri Lanka, New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori took his 300th test wicket to go with 3000+ test runs placing him in an elite club of just EIGHT men to do so. At first I was reluctant to provide an entry on this topic because I new his record didn't really match up to the others on the list - more of a case that he has played for so long and, as New Zealand's best bowler for several years, much of the bowling fell to him and consequently many wickets; his bowling average is higher than his batting average after all.


However I did become intrigued to investigate how the 8 players do match up to each other and I'm glad I did. Below I have provided a summary of their stats and in part 2 of this post I will provide analysis.


THE CLUB

SIR. IAN BOTHAM(1977-1992)
102 matches (72 to reach 3000/300)
5200 runs @ 33.5 with 14 hundreds and 22 fifties
383 wickets @ 28.4 with 4 10WMs and 27 5WHs
Most famous for resigning as captain against Australia after the Lords Test in 1981 only to score two great hundreds and bowl a spell of 5 wickets for 1 run to win 3 test matches and win the Ashes. He saved his best for Australia but his career was blunted in the mid-late 80s by injury. In his youth we was a fine swing bowler, aggressive stroke maker and took over 100 catches usually at first slip. Knighted recently for his charity work.

IMRAN KHAN (1971-1991/2)
88 matches (75 to reach 3000/300)
3807 runs @ 37.7 with 6 hundreds and 18 fifties
362 wickets @ 22.8 with 6 10WMs and 23 5WHs
The Lion of Pakistan, he acted as all-rounder and captained his side to unofficial No. 2 in the world (after the West Indies). Ready to retire in 1987 the Pakistan government encouraged him to continue and his greatest achievement was winning the World Cup in 1992. He was a pioneer of reverse swing and used this skill to maintain his potency for years. A fantastic record against India, Pakistan's natural nemesis, caps off a brilliant career


KAPIL DEV (1978/9-1993/4)
131 matches (83 to reach 3000/300)
5248 runs @ 31.1 with 8 hundreds and 21 fifties
434 wickets @ 29.6 with 2 10WMs and 23 5WHs
Played an amazing number of games while leading the weak Indian pace attack and captained them to World Cup glory in 1983 - his hundred against Zimbabwe was one of the best in ODIs. The lesser of the FOUR all-rounders of the 1980s, Kapil Dev's success on the flat pitches of India and a very good record against the West Indies place him at the top of the list of great Indian players

SIR. RICHARD HADLEE (1972/3-1990)
87 matches (83 to reach 3000/300)
3124 runs @ 27.2 with 2 hundreds and 15 fifties
431 wickets @ 22.3 with 9 10WMs and 36 5WHs
It took 5 years for Hadlee to find his place in the team but once leading the attack he was the most consistent of the FOUR all-rounders of the 1980s and carried New Zealand to feats that have not been matched since. His 15 wickets against Australia at Brisbane in 1985 remain the best effort by a Kiwi. The lest successful batsmen of the 1980s quartet he continued to play aggressive innings throughout his career including a century against the West Indies (a feat that Botham did not achieve). The only player Knighted for services to cricket to actually play a test with that title

SHANE WARNE (1991/2-2006/7)
145 matches (142 to reach 3000/300)
3154 runs @ 17.3 with 12 fifties
708 wickets @ 25.4 with 10 10WMs and 37 5WHs
Taking just 1 for 150 in his first effort, the blond leg-spinner from Victoria soon found his feat and snared wickets with a variety of deliveries and always with unerring accuracy. England's inability to regain the Ashes from 1993 till 2005 owes much to the spell which he kept over their batsmen. South Africa and Pakistan suffered much at his hands too and the only block to him being named the greatest spinner of all time is a terrible record against India. His many off-field antics do not tarnish his antics on the field but they did prevent him from captaining Australia

SHAUN POLLOCK (1995/6-2007/8)
108 matches (87 to reach 3000/300)
3781 runs @ 32.3 with 2 hundreds and 16 fifties
421 wickets @ 23.1 with 1 10WM and 16 5WHs
A relative to no lesser than Peter Pollock and Graeme Pollock he continues the South African cricket royal family and he is just as talented and successful. Joining a strong team in the mid-1990s, his accuracy and seam-movement proved a perfect foil to the aggression of Allan Donald. Only Glenn McGrath boasts a record as patient and relentless in line and length as Pollock (a far better batsmen than the Australian though). He possibly played one season too many as age dulled his effectiveness

CHAMINDA VAAS (1994-2009)
111 matches (108 to reach 3000/300)
3089 runs @ 24.3 with 1 hundred and 13 fifties
355 wickets @ 29.6 with 2 10WMs and 12 5WHs
If McGrath and Warne led the attack for Australia then Vaas and Murali did the same for Sri Lanka. By far the best pace-bowler to come from that country to date and overcame a small height by swinging the ball on most occasions (New Zealand fans will remember the spell he had over one Stephen Fleming). Like Kapil Dev and Imran Khan, Vaas should be credited for volume of wickets he took on the slow, flat pitches of the sub-continent (although his record against India was not very good)

DANIEL VETTORI (1997/8-?)
94 matches (94 to reach 3000/300)
3492 runs @ 29.6 with 4 hundreds and 20 fifties
303 wickets @ 33.5 with 3 10WMs and 18 5WHs
The youngest player to represent New Zealand and by far the best spinner to emerge from that country. He gave up the ability to spin the ball after back injuries in 2002/3 and instead opted for accuracy and control of flight and speed. This works well in New Zealand and England but prevents him from imposing himself in the sub-continent. As captain his success has not lessened and if anything his batting has blossomed despite an odd technique. He should play for another 5 years and threaten Hadlee's position as leading wicket taker for New Zealand.

For analysis check out Part 2 of this post