Top 5 New Zealand Test openers of all time
For a long time in their cricketing history, New Zealand were known for being the plucky underdogs who punched above their weight and the team generally centred around one or two outstanding cricketers in order to force a result or eke out a draw.
Many of the opening batsmen that New Zealand had over the past 50 plus years have been an embodiment of that spirit and have generally been no-nonsense batsmen who valued survival and crease occupation as the most important part of their jobs.
Many of them are among the best batsmen to have played the game for New Zealand and will always be a part of the country's cricket history. Here is a look at 5 of the best opening batsmen New Zealand has ever had.
5 Bruce Edgar
Left-handed opening batsman Bruce Edgar is often regarded as one of the best opening batsmen to have played for New Zealand and during the late 1970s and early 1980s, his assured batting at the top of the order gave the team a sense of calm.
Edgar's game was based on crease occupation and he eschewed almost all his attacking instincts in order to ensure that he played out the initial period of the innings before the middle-order could take over.
In that regard, it is also not a surprise that Edgar's time as New Zealand's opener also coincided with the team's first great run of form as a side. In a career spanning around eight years, Edgar played in 39 Test matches and scored 1958 runs at an average of 30.59. Edgar also scored 3 centuries and 12 half-centuries. However, his influence at the top of the order went beyond bare numbers and revolved more around his ability to see off the new ball.