Kyle Jamieson’s explosive start to test cricket has been matched by just one other New Zealander – who had to play for 12 years to equal what Jamieson has achieved in 11 months.
Jamieson’s 11-wicket haul in New Zealand’s second-test victory over Pakistan gave him a staggering 36 wickets from his first six tests.
Remarkably, Jack Cowie also captured 36 scalps in his first six test appearances for NZ - but those six tests were spread over 12 years.
Cowie’s nine-test career was massively limited by World War II. He made hs debut as a 25-year-old against England at Lord’s in 1937, had 19 wickets in his first three tests, and then didn't play another test for nine years.
No other NZ bowler comes close to the hauls of Jamieson and Cowie in the same number of initial tests – not surprising, because Jamieson's returns at home against India, the West Indies and Pakistan have rattled world marks for brilliant beginnings.
His 36 wickets at an astonishing average of 13.28 have him on track to be just the fourth bowler this century to reach 50 test wickets in nine or fewer matches. Pace bowler Vernon Philander (7), and spinners Yasir Shah and Ravi Ashwin (both 9) are the others.
Jamieson currently has the third-best bowling average (13.27) among all bowlers (with a minimum of 12 innings) in test history, the Wisden website pointed out, and the best since 1900.
Wisden added that Jamieson, with a strike-rate of a wicket every 33.3 balls, is one of only five bowlers to have a sub-40 mark since 1900, bettered only by South Africa's Duanne Olivier (30.0) and England's Morice Bird (32.3). Former NZ star paceman Shane Bond is fifth with a strike-rate of 38.7.
Olivier played 10 tests for South Africa between 2017-19 and captured 48 wickets before signing a Kolpak deal with English county side Yorkshire that prevents him playing for his national side. Bird played 10 tests – all against South Africa – and took eight wickets between 1910-14.
What Jamieson also shares with Cowie among NZ’s test bowling greats is they debuted in their mid-twenties, along with Neil Wagner – who had to undergo a residency period – and Chris Martin.
In contrast, Daniel Vettori (18), Tim Southee (19) and Chris Cairns (19) debuted as teenagers while Sir Richard Hadlee, Trent Boult, Dick Motz and Bruce Taylor were all 21 when they played their first tests.
Hadlee, who ended his career with 431 test wickets, did not find his first six tests easy as a tearaway quick. He took 17 wickets at 37.64, with just three in his first three tests at 119.67. He found his mark in his fourth match, grabbing six wickets against Australia in Sydney and then seven in his next outing as NZ beat Australia for the first time in tests.
Vettori, NZ’s next-best test wicket-taker with 361, had 24 wickets at 29.88 in his first six tests – taking five in just his second test, versus England in Christchurch, and nine in his fourth appearance against Sri Lanka in his hometown of Hamilton.
Southee, the only other Kiwi with more than 300 test wickets, took 15 at 40.07 in his first six appearances. He captured five on debut versus England in Napier in 2008 – while also making his highest test score of 77 not out in 40 balls.
Boult, who needs 19 more wickets to join the 300-club, took 17 wickets in his first six tests at 36.53 while Wagner took 17 at 43.88 – his sole wicket on debut away against the West Indies in 2012 came at the cost of 144 runs.
Chris Cairns took 21 wickets in his first six tests at 37.48 and that was after a back injury on debut after 12 fruitless overs conceding 60 runs at Perth in the test most remembered for Mark Greatbatch’s second-innings marathon knock to salvage a draw.
Cairns didn't play his second test for another 15 months, taking nine wickets in that test versus Sri Lanka in Auckland.
Bruce Taylor snared 21 victims at 23.19 in his first six tests, including a five-wicket bag – and a century – on debut, with all of those tests played on the sub-continent in 1965, while Dick Motz took 19 wickets at 31.73 in his first half-dozen appearances – five of which were away to South Africa.
What may be the most stunning thing about Jamieson’s haul is that he has yet to open the bowling – all those listed above bar left-arm spinner Vettori and Wagner had the assistance of the new ball.
Oh, he also averages 56.50 with the bat too.
Kyle Jamieson’s test wickets innings by innings:
- 4-39 from 16 overs v India, Basin Reserve, Feb 2020
- 0-45 from 19 overs (second innings)
- 5-45 from 14 overs v India, Hagley Oval, Feb 2020
- 0-18 from 8 overs (second innings)
- 2-25 from 13 overs v West Indies, Seddon Park, Dec 2020
- 2-42 from 12 overs (second innings)
- 5-34 from 13 overs v West Indies, Basin Reserve, Dec 2020
- 2-43 from 15 overs (second innings)
- 3-35 from 23.2 overs v Pakistan, Bay Oval, Dec 2020
- 2-35 from 26 overs (second innings)
- 5-69 from 21 overs v Pakistan, Hagley Oval, Jan 2021
- 6-48 from 20 overs (second innings)
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