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Statistical Highlights England v New Zealand at The Oval (4th Test) from 19-22 August, 1999

Mohandas Menon

• It was the 1458th Test match.

• It was England's 761st and New Zealand's 271st Test match

• It was the 82nd match between the two sides.

• The venue was hosting its 82nd Test match. It was New Zealand's 9th Test at this venue. It first appeared here in 1931.

• The last occasion New Zealand was involved in a four-Test series was in the West Indies in 1984-85.

• Indian S Venkataraghavan was umpiring in his 31st Test match, while Englishman George Sharp was officiating in his 9th match.

• Ed Giddins of Warwickshire and Darren Maddy of Liecestershire became England's 596th and 597th Test representatives. Maddy has appeared in two LOI matches for England in 1998.

• Ronnie Irani was making a come-back after missing 36 Test matches for England. He last appeared against India at Lord's in June 1996.

• Daniel Vettori (51) became the fourth New Zealand batsman to score a fifty batting at number ten in Tests. The others are John Bracewell (83*) against Australia at Sydney, 1985-86; Lance Cairns (64) against England at Wellington, 1983-84 and Ian Cromb (51*) against South Africa Wellington, 1931-32.

• The partnership of 78 runs between Fleming and Vettori was New Zealand's fourth highest in Tests for the ninth wicket. It was however New Zealand's best for this wicket in any Tests in England bettering the previous best of 65 between John Bracewell and Derek Stirling at Nottingham in 1986.

• Stephen Fleming when he caught Atherton in the first innings became the New Zealander fielder with maximum catches in Tests. He surpassed the tally of 71 catches by Martin Crowe. At the end of the match he has taken his tally to 75 catches in 43 matches. Incidentally only Australian Bobby Simpson has reached this tally in least number of matches (39) than Fleming.

• Fleming's 10 catches in the series equals New Zealand's best by a fielder in a series. Fleming himself holds the record when he had taken 10 catches in a two-Test match series against Zimbabwe in the 1997-98 series.

• Chris Cairns' 5-31 was his seventh five-plus wicket haul of his career. Now only Richard Hadlee (on 36 occasions) and Danny Morrision (10) - have done it on more occasions than Cairns.

• Cairns' at the end of the match has taken his tally of wickets to 128 in 39 matches, which puts him in the number fourth position among Kiwi bowlers. Only Richard Hadlee (431 wickets in 86 matches), Danny Morrison (160 in 48) and father Lance Cairns (130 in 43) have more wickets than Chris Cairns.

• Cairns by scoring a 80 and by capturing five wickets - both in an innings, provided the only fourth instance of a New Zealand all-rounder to do so after: Bruce Taylor (105 & 5-86 v India at Calcutta, 1964-65), Richard Hadlee (99 & 5-28 v England at Christchurch, 1983-84; 84 & 6-53 v England at The Oval, 1983), Chris Cairns (71* & 5-50 v Zimbabwe at Harare, 1997-98). Cairns thus becomes the second Kiwi all-rounder to do it twice.

• The wicket of McMillan by Alan Mullally in the second innings was his 50th in his 16th match. He becomes the 68th English bowler and the 249th in Test history to do so.

• The eighth wicket partnership of 70 between Cairns and Dion Nash was New Zealand's best for this wicket at this venue. The previous best was the 69 between Bevan Congdon and Lance Cairns at the Oval in 1978.

• Adam Parore's 14 dismissals (all catches) in the series equals the best by a Kiwi keeper in a Test against England. Eric Petrie in the five Test series of 1958 also had 14 dismissals (all catches). Now only Arthur Dick (23 dismissals - 21 catches) against South Africa in 1961-62 (in 5 matches) and Ian Smith (16 dismissals - all catches) against Sri Lanka in 1990-91 (3 matches) - have more dismissals in a series by a keeper for New Zealand.

• Stephen Fleming has now led New Zealand in 8 matches to victory in 19 Tests.

• The series victory was New's Zealand's 17th since its first in Pakistan in 1969-70. It was however its first in a series of more than three Test matches. It was also New Zealand's sixth series win abroad and its second in England. It had won the three match Test series 1-0 in 1986.