A rare feat was achieved on the third day in Christchurch. For just the third time in Test history, the two new-ball bowlers on either side shared the first 20 wickets to fall. The previous two occasions were in 1902 and 1912.
The opening bowlers took all 20 wickets in the first two innings of the Test © ESPNcricinfo Ltd
And things could yet go a step further. If either Tim Southee or Trent Boult claim the next England wicket to fall, it will be the first time the same four bowlers have taken the first 24 wickets in a Test.
Southee and Boult took six and four wickets respectively in England’s first innings and it was the same split between Stuart Broad and James Anderson in New Zealand’s 278 all out. For Broad, his 6 for 54 were his best Test figures since the 6 for 17 against South Africa at Johannesburg in 2016. They were fitting performances for two new-ball pairings widely accepted to be among the best in the world and the best their countries have produced.
Even if you move away from the opening pairs, the same four bowlers have shared the first 20 wickets of a Test on just four occasions: the two mentioned above, plus Tests between England and Australia in 1887 and 1981. The latter of those two involved Ian Botham, Bob Willis, Dennis Lillee and Terry Alderman taking the 20 between them.
Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo