Can Vettori challenge Hadlee's record?

A few weeks ago, after Ricky Ponting had surpassed Allan Border as Australia's highest run-scorer in Tests, we dug up the lists of progressive record holders for most runs for each country. This week, we've looked at the succession of record wicket-takers for each country in Tests.

During the second Test of the ongoing tour of Sri Lanka, Daniel Vettori became the first left-arm spinner, and the second New Zealander, to take 300 Test wickets. He's long been his country's second highest wicket-taker, passing Chris Cairns' tally of 218 in 2006, and he has only Richard Hadlee ahead of him. Hadlee claimed the record from Richard Collinge in 1980 and extended it from 116 to 431 wickets, which is the oldest standing national record at present (29 years). He retired as the world-record holder and remained at the summit until Kapil Dev overtook him.

Whether Vettori will pass Hadlee is a matter of conjecture. He is 30 years old and is 128 wickets behind Hadlee at present. Given the low number of Tests New Zealand play annually, Vettori will have to combine consistency with longevity in order to challenge the national record. If he doesn't, though, Hadlee's 431 will stand for years and years, for the next closest bowlers are Chris Martin, 34, on 165 and James Franklin, 28, on 80 wickets.

Progressive record holders for most Test wickets for New Zealand

Player	Record	Wkts	Career		Opposition	Ground	Match End	Scorecard
RC Blunt	-	5	12		v England	Christchurch	13 Jan 1930	Test 186
FT Badcock	5	7	16		v England	Wellington	27 Jan 1930	Test 188
RC Blunt	7	9	12		v England	Auckland	24 Feb 1930	Test 191
WE Merritt	9	12	12		v England	Lord's	30 Jun 1931	Test 209
RC Blunt	12	=12	12		v South Africa	Christchurch	1 Mar 1932	Test 217
FT Badcock	12	14	16		v England	Christchurch	27 Mar 1933	Test 225
J Cowie	16	=16	45		v England	Manchester	27 Jul 1937	Test 261
J Cowie	16	19	45		v England	The Oval	17 Aug 1937	Test 262
AR MacGibbon	45	46	70		v West Indies	Wellington	7 Mar 1956	Test 423
JR Reid	70	72	85		v South Africa	Auckland	17 Mar 1964	Test 560
RC Motz	85	88	100		v West Indies	Wellington	11 Mar 1969	Test 651
BR Taylor	100	102	111		v Pakistan	Auckland	19 Feb 1973	Test 713
RO Collinge	111	114	116		v England	Auckland	10 Mar 1978	Test 820
RJ Hadlee	116	118	431		v West Indies	Dunedin	13 Feb 1980	Test 873

The second-longest standing national record at present is Ian Botham's 383 wickets for England. He broke the record, belonging to Bob Willis, when he took his 326th wicket, that of Graeme Wood in the Lord's Test during the 1985 Ashes. The closest among the current bowlers are Steve Harmison, who has 222 wickets, and James Anderson, who has 140.

During the 19th century, the England record changed hands repeatedly and quickly between Alfred Shaw, George Ulyett, Billy Bates, Bobby Peel, George Lohmann, and Johnny Briggs, who left it at 118 wickets in 1899. Thirteen years later Sydney Barnes broke it and his career tally of 189 wickets stood until 1953.

Progressive record holders for most Test wickets for England

Player	Record	Wkts	Career		Opposition	Ground	Match End	Scorecard
A Shaw	-	8	12		v Australia	Melbourne	19 Mar 1877	Test 1
James Lillywhite jnr	8	=8	8		v Australia	Melbourne	4 Apr 1877	Test 2
A Shaw	8	=8	12		v Australia	Melbourne	4 Apr 1877	Test 2
A Shaw	8	10	12		v Australia	The Oval	8 Sep 1880	Test 4
A Shaw	10	=10	12		v Australia	Melbourne	4 Jan 1882	Test 5
G Ulyett	10	=10	50		v Australia	Melbourne	4 Jan 1882	Test 5
G Ulyett	10	14	50		v Australia	Sydney	21 Feb 1882	Test 6
W Bates	14	16	50		v Australia	Melbourne	14 Mar 1882	Test 8
E Peate	16	19	31		v Australia	The Oval	29 Aug 1882	Test 9
W Bates	19	31	50		v Australia	Melbourne	22 Jan 1883	Test 11
G Ulyett	45	47	50		v Australia	Manchester	7 Jul 1886	Test 22
W Bates	47	50	50		v Australia	Sydney	1 Mar 1887	Test 26
R Peel	50	54	101		v Australia	Manchester	31 Aug 1888	Test 30
J Briggs	54	55	118		v South Africa	Cape Town	26 Mar 1889	Test 32
R Peel	55	60	101		v Australia	Lord's	23 Jul 1890	Test 33
GA Lohmann	65	70	112		v Australia	Sydney	3 Feb 1892	Test 36
J Briggs	74	82	118		v Australia	The Oval	16 Aug 1893	Test 40
GA Lohmann	103	109	112		v South Africa	Cape Town	23 Mar 1896	Test 49
J Briggs	112	=112	118		v Australia	Melbourne	5 Jan 1898	Test 54
J Briggs	112	113	118		v Australia	Adelaide	19 Jan 1898	Test 55
SF Barnes	118	122	189		v South Africa	Leeds	10 Jul 1912	Test 124
AV Bedser	189	196	236		v Australia	Nottingham	16 Jun 1953	Test 372
JB Statham	236	241	252		v Australia	Adelaide	30 Jan 1963	Test 538
FS Trueman	242	250	307		v New Zealand	Christchurch	19 Mar 1963	Test 542
RGD Willis	307	310	325		v New Zealand	Wellington	24 Jan 1984	Test 975
IT Botham	325	326	383		v Australia	Lord's	2 Jul 1985	Test 1018

Australia is the only country to have had more than one legspinner as its highest wicket-taker over the years (India's Anil Kumble is the only other legbreak record holder among all other countries). Shane Warne's 708 wickets is the present record and he became the Australian record holder, overtaking Dennis Lillee's tally of 355 Test wickets, by having Paul Wiseman caught behind - off glove, arm and shoulder - at Eden Park in 2000.

Before Lillee, Richie Benaud held the record, achieving it by surpassing Ray Lindwall's tally of 228 in 1963 before retiring with 248 Test wickets. Lindwall had taken the mantle from Clarrie Grimmett, the first Australian legspinner to hold the record. Grimmett was also the first bowler to take 200 Test wickets, and finished with 216 scalps from 37 Tests.

Progressive record holders for most Test wickets for Australia

Player	Record	Wkts	Career		Opposition	Ground	Match End	Scorecard
TK Kendall	-	8	14		v England	Melbourne	19 Mar 1877	Test 1
FR Spofforth	14	17	94		v England	Melbourne	4 Jan 1879	Test 3
GE Palmer	17	18	78		v England	Sydney	21 Feb 1882	Test 6
FR Spofforth	28	32	94		v England	The Oval	29 Aug 1882	Test 9
GE Palmer	32	38	78		v England	Melbourne	2 Jan 1883	Test 10
FR Spofforth	43	47	94		v England	Sydney	30 Jan 1883	Test 12
GE Palmer	56	59	78		v England	Lord's	23 Jul 1884	Test 15
FR Spofforth	69	70	94		v England	Sydney	24 Feb 1885	Test 19
CTB Turner	94	=94	101		v England	Melbourne	3 Jan 1895	Test 43
CTB Turner	94	101	101		v England	Sydney	4 Feb 1895	Test 45
G Giffen	101	=101	103		v England	Manchester	18 Jul 1896	Test 51
G Giffen	101	103	103		v England	The Oval	12 Aug 1896	Test 52
H Trumble	103	105	141		v England	Manchester	26 Jul 1902	Test 73
CV Grimmett	141	142	216		v South Africa	Adelaide	2 Feb 1932	Test 215
RR Lindwall	216	219	228		v England	Melbourne	18 Feb 1959	Test 468
R Benaud	228	229	248		v England	Sydney	15 Jan 1963	Test 537
DK Lillee	248	251	355		v India	Melbourne	11 Feb 1981	Test 895
SK Warne	355	356	708		v New Zealand	Auckland	15 Mar 2000	Test 1488

As a result of South Africa's isolation from international cricket, Hugh Tayfield was the country's record holder from the time he broke Cyril Vincent's record of 84 wickets in 1955, until Allan Donald surpassed his final haul of 170 at the MCG in 1997. Donald took nine wickets in that match and his last - that of Michael Kasprowicz - brought him the record. He eventually finished with 330 wickets, and his tally has since been broken by Shaun Pollock, who ended his career with 421. His record may not stand for much longer though, for Makhaya Ntini, currently on 388 Test wickets, is closing in.

Progressive record holders for most Test wickets for South Africa

Player	Record	Wkts	Career		Opposition	Ground	Match End	Scorecard
A Rose-Innes	-	5	5		v England	Port Elizabeth	13 Mar 1889	Test 31
WH Ashley	5	7	7		v England	Cape Town	26 Mar 1889	Test 32
J Middleton	7	9	24		v England	Port Elizabeth	14 Feb 1896	Test 47
JH Sinclair	23	25	63		v Australia	Johannesburg	21 Oct 1902	Test 76
CB Llewellyn	25	30	48		v Australia	Cape Town	11 Nov 1902	Test 77
JH Sinclair	30	33	63		v England	Johannesburg	8 Mar 1906	Test 89
AEE Vogler	53	58	64		v England	Cape Town	9 Mar 1910	Test 109
GA Faulkner	60	=61	82		v Australia	Adelaide	13 Jan 1911	Test 113
JH Sinclair	60	=61	63		v Australia	Adelaide	13 Jan 1911	Test 113
GA Faulkner	61	65	82		v Australia	Melbourne	21 Feb 1911	Test 114
CL Vincent	82	=82	84		v England	Manchester	30 Jul 1935	Test 245
CL Vincent	82	84	84		v England	The Oval	20 Aug 1935	Test 246
HJ Tayfield	84	85	170		v England	Lord's	27 Jun 1955	Test 409
AA Donald	170	171	330		v Australia	Melbourne	30 Dec 1997	Test 1392
SM Pollock	330	=330	421		v New Zealand	Hamilton	14 Mar 2004	Test 1686
SM Pollock	330	334	421		v New Zealand	Auckland	22 Mar 2004	Test 1689

The West Indian factory line, which once produced a seemingly endless supply of fast bowlers, has long since broken down and the ongoing contract issue between the players and the WICB could deprive the national team of the best of the present lot. Fidel Edwards currently has 122 wickets, Daren Powell has 85, and Jerome Taylor has 81. Courtney Walsh's once world-record tally for 519 is safe for the foreseeable future.

Progressive record holders for most Test wickets for West Indies

Player	Record	Wkts	Career		Opposition	Ground	Match End	Scorecard
LN Constantine	-	4	58		v England	Lord's	26 Jun 1928	Test 173
LN Constantine	4	=5	58		v England	Manchester	24 Jul 1928	Test 174
HC Griffith	4	=5	44		v England	Manchester	24 Jul 1928	Test 174
HC Griffith	5	11	44		v England	The Oval	14 Aug 1928	Test 175
LN Constantine	23	=23	58		v England	Georgetown	26 Feb 1930	Test 192
HC Griffith	23	27	44		v England	Kingston	12 Apr 1930	Test 193
LN Constantine	44	47	58		v England	Kingston	18 Mar 1935	Test 241
AL Valentine	58	62	139		v New Zealand	Christchurch	12 Feb 1952	Test 349
S Ramadhin	120	122	158		v England	Birmingham	4 Jun 1957	Test 439
WW Hall	158	160	192		v England	Nottingham	5 Jul 1966	Test 607
LR Gibbs	183	=183	309		v Australia	Melbourne	30 Dec 1968	Test 643
WW Hall	183	186	192		v Australia	Sydney	8 Jan 1969	Test 644
LR Gibbs	186	191	309		v Australia	Adelaide	29 Jan 1969	Test 645
GS Sobers	212	=212	235		v New Zealand	Bridgetown	28 Mar 1972	Test 695
GS Sobers	212	215	235		v New Zealand	Port-of-Spain	26 Apr 1972	Test 697
LR Gibbs	215	217	309		v Australia	Kingston	21 Feb 1973	Test 714
MD Marshall	309	313	376		v India	Bridgetown	12 Apr 1989	Test 1118
CA Walsh	376	382	519		v South Africa	Johannesburg	30 Nov 1998	Test 1429

Unlike the other countries, India's list of progressive highest wicket-takers is dominated by spinners. The first three players in the table below are medium-pacers but in the last 60 years four of India's five record-holders have been spinners, with Anil Kumble - 619 wickets - being the latest.

Progressive record holders for most wickets in Tests for India

Player	Record	Wkts	Career		Opposition	Ground	Match End	Scorecard
M Nissar	-	6	25		v England	Lord's	28 Jun 1932	Test 219
L Amar Singh	13	18	28		v England	Chennai	13 Feb 1934	Test 232
L Amarnath	28	29	45		v Australia	Melbourne	5 Jan 1948	Test 292
L Amarnath	31	=33	45		v West Indies	Kolkata	4 Jan 1949	Test 308
MH Mankad	31	=33	162		v West Indies	Kolkata	4 Jan 1949	Test 308
MH Mankad	33	34	162		v West Indies	Chennai	31 Jan 1949	Test 310
EAS Prasanna	162	163	189		v New Zealand	Auckland	28 Jan 1976	Test 769
BS Bedi	163	166	266		v West Indies	POrt-of-Spain	12 Apr 1976	Test 775
N Kapil Dev	266	269	434		v Sri Lanka	Kandy	19 Sep 1985	Test 1025
A Kumble	434	=434	619		v South Africa	Kolkata	2 Dec 2004	Test 1724
A Kumble	434	438	619		v Bangladesh	Dhaka	13 Dec 2004	Test 1725

Pakistan, on the other hand, don't have any spinners in their list of progressive record-holders, which basically consists of four bowlers. Fazal Mahmood was the first long-term record holder, finishing his career in 1962 with 139 wickets. His record was equalled by Imran Khan in Brisbane in 1981 and broken in the next Test at the MCG. Imran finished his career with 362 wickets in 1992, a record that stood until 1999, when Wasim Akram claimed the 363rd in his 414-wicket career in Delhi.

Progressive record holders for most wickets in Tests for Pakistan

Player	Record	Wkts	Career		Opposition	Ground	Match End	Scorecard
Amir Elahi	-	4	7		v India	Delhi	18 Oct 1952	Test 355
Fazal Mahmood	4	14	139		v India	Lucknow	26 Oct 1952	Test 356
Imran Khan	139	=139	362		v Australia	Brisbane	1 Dec 1981	Test 910
Imran Khan	139	144	362		v Australia	Melbourne	15 Dec 1981	Test 913
Wasim Akram	362	363	414		v India	Delhi	7 Feb 1999	Test 1443

Muttiah Muralitharan became Sri Lanka's highest wicket-taker way back in 1995 by taking a caught and bowled off Inzamam-ul-Haq in Faisalabad and surpassing Rumesh Ratnayake's modest tally of 73. No Sri Lankan bowler has got close to Murali since, and his haul in the last 14 years has swollen to a world-record 778 wickets. Chaminda Vaas took 355 wickets but has retired, and no other Sri Lankan bowler has passed even 100.

Progressive record holders for most wickets in Tests for Sri Lanka

Player	Record	Wkts	Career		Opposition	Ground	Match End	Scorecard
ALF de Mel	-	5	59		v England	Colombo (PSS)	21 Feb 1982	Test 921
DS de Silva	5	10	37		v Pakistan	Karachi	10 Mar 1982	Test 923
ALF de Mel	20	=23	59		v India	Chennai	22 Sep 1982	Test 934
DS de Silva	20	=23	37		v India	Chennai	22 Sep 1982	Test 934
DS de Silva	23	24	37		v New Zealand	Christchurch	6 Mar 1983	Test 950
ALF de Mel	37	39	59		v India	Colombo (PSS)	11 Sep 1985	Test 1024
RJ Ratnayake	59	62	73		v New Zealand	Hamilton	26 Feb 1991	Test 1164
M Muralitharan	73	74	778		v Pakistan	Faisalabad	19 Sep 1995	Test 1305

Progressive record holders for most wickets in Tests for Zimbabwe

Player	Record	Wkts	Career		Opposition	Ground	Match End	Scorecard
AJ Traicos	-	5	14		v India	Harare	22 Oct 1992	Test 1197
EA Brandes	14	=14	26		v Pakistan	Rawalpindi	14 Dec 1993	Test 1240
DH Brain	14	18	30		v Pakistan	Lahore	21 Dec 1993	Test 1241
HH Streak	22	30	216		v Pakistan	Harare	4 Feb 1995	Test 1285

Progressive record holders for most wickets in Tests for Bangladesh

Player	Record	Wkts	Career		Opposition	Ground	Match End	Scorecard
Naimur Rahman	-	6	12		v India	Dhaka	13 Nov 2000	Test 1512
Mashrafe Mortaza	11	=11	78		v New Zealand	Hamilton	22 Dec 2001	Test 1577
Manjural Islam	11	13	28		v New Zealand	Wellington	29 Dec 2001	Test 1579
Mohammad Rafique	27	31	100		v England	Dhaka	25 Oct 2003	Test 1665