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5 New Zealand cricketers who have registered centuries in both innings of a Test match

The game of Test cricket has been one of the oldest and most prestigious formats in the game. It was the first format introduced by the English as they colonized some of the major parts of the world. There have been some terrific Test matches and Test series that we have witnessed in the game. The 2005 Ashes series and the 2021 Border Gavaskar trophy are major examples of some of the best Test series that we have witnessed in a long time. This is also the format where we have seen the class of players like Brian Lara, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman who were one of the top performers in the longest format of the game.

The New Zealand team is not far away from being one of the best teams in Test matches and has achieved great feats in it. Their brilliant pace attack and amazing batting lineup are some of the components that are currently the big reason for their success. We have seen most of these New Zealand batters score some big runs in Test matches, but it will be interesting to see how many of these players have been able to repeat the same feat in the second innings as well. There are not many players who have scored hundreds in both the innings of the Test and this time let us take a look down the history to remember these great performances.

Here we are going to take a look at the 5 batters for New Zealand who have scored a hundred in both the innings of a Test match:

5. Glenn Turner- 101 and 110 against Australia in 1974

Glenn Turner was one of the best batters for New Zealand in the 70s and was also the first Kiwi player to achieve this feat in Test cricket. It was in 1974 when Turner was the star for New Zealand where he scored a brilliant century in the first innings giving his team the lead. He ended the 2^nd innings with an unbeaten 110 to win the game for New Zealand and take an early lead in the series. This was the innings which showed us the class of Turner and why he was considered one of the best openers for the black caps in cricket history.

4. Andrew Jones- 122 and 100 against Sri Lanka in 1991

Just like Turner, Andrew Jones was also a solid batter in the New Zealand set-up in the early 90s as well. He used to give some great performances at the number 3 position and has an average of over 44 in Test cricket. He was able to achieve this feat against a Sri Lankan team that was rising in the ranks across this era. He was the batter who saved New Zealand in the first innings with a beautiful innings of 122 to get the Kiwis close to 300, but he was not finished there as he also went on to score an unbeaten hundred in the second innings as well. Though this match ended in a draw it was still one of the best performances for a Kiwi batter.

3. Geoff Howarth 122 and 102 against England in 1978

It was Geoff Howarth who achieved this record after Glenn Turner in 1978 against one of the best England bowling attacks in the 70s with the likes of Bob Willis and Ian Botham. This was an innings that was a crucial time for the Kiwis if we look down and out in the Test match. Howarth first managed to get the New Zealand innings to a respectable total of 315 in the first innings with a brilliant 122 and then came back with a brilliant 102 runs in the second innings to help New Zealand draw the Test match.

2. Kane Williamson- 118 and 109 against South Africa in 2024

This recently concluded Test match which ended with New Zealand beating an inexperienced South Africa side will be known for Rachin Ravindra’s brilliant double hundred. One cannot forget the comeback performance of Kane Williamson in the same game. After the incredible 118 in the first innings to create the platform for a big total in the first innings, he still came back to rub salt in the wounds of the bowlers in the next innings as well where he scored 109 runs to make sure that the Kiwis gave them a target of over 500 runs in the end.

1. Peter Fulton- 136 and 110 against England in 2013

Peter Fulton might not have had a very long career as compared to the other players on this list, but this performance against England at Auckland in 2013 was maybe the best in his international career. Opening the batting for the Kiwis, he first got the team to a 400-plus total in the first innings with a beautiful 136 runs in the match. The second innings was no different as well as he once again took the attack to the England bowlers with an amazing 110 runs in the second. This might not have ended up as a win for the team, but this was one of the first few glimpses of playing positive and aggressive cricket by a Kiwi batter in Test cricket.