Christopher Lance Cairns
Christopher Lance Cairns, (born 13 June 1970) is a former all-rounder who played for the New Zealand international cricket team, the Black Caps, and is son of former New Zealand cricketer Lance Cairns. He starred in both the One-day and Test New Zealand teams, as well as the Canterbury New Zealand domestic championship team. Cairns also captained the Black Caps on seven occasions, usually when regular captain Stephen Fleming was unavailable.
Cairns finished his Test career with a batting average of 33.53 and a bowling average of 29.40. In 2000, he was named as one of five Wisden Cricketers of the Year.
After his playing career Cairns went on to become a commentator with Sky Sport New Zealand.
Career:
Cairns batting:
Cairns was a destructive batsman who could hit sixes straight down the ground and in his earlier days was an intelligent fast-medium bowler. Since then, persistent injuries have forced him to drop his pace and rely more on his hard-to-read slower ball.
With the bat, Cairns has been the author of some of New Zealand cricket’s most memorable innings, including his unbeaten 102 to win the final of the 2000 ICC KnockOut Trophy for New Zealand against India in Kenya, and his 158 from just 172 balls in a Test against South Africa in 2004.
Cairns knocked Shane Warne out of Australia’s bowling attack during a 2000 test in Wellington when he launched several sixes out of the Basin Reserve and onto the adjacent street. Cairns formerly held the world record for most sixes in Tests (87, since surpassed by Adam Gilchrist), and for a time held the New Zealand record for fastest century in ODIs (75 balls, currently owned by Corey Anderson with 36 balls).
With the ball, Cairns’ career-best performance in Tests was 7/27 against the West Indies in 1999, and he is New Zealand’s fourth highest wicket taker in Tests, after Richard Hadlee, Daniel Vettori and Chris Martin.
He is also one of only eight players to have reached the all-rounder’s double of 200 wickets and 3000 runs. Out of these seven players, Cairns reached the double 2nd fastest (58 Test) behind Ian Botham. In ODIs, Cairns came close to another double of 200 wickets and 5000 runs. Cairns finished his ODI career on 4950 runs, just 50 short. Cairns Test batting average at number seven (44.02) is the 5th best average for that position of all time.
The New Zealand Herald journalist, Richard Boock said about Cairns: “It’s not a scientific measure of course, but if Cairns’ body had held together long enough for him to have played 100 Tests, his figures extrapolate out to something like 5334 runs and 351 wickets very similar to those of Botham.” He went on to say “He was, and should be remembered as, one of the game’s best all-rounders.”
Cairns also played in the World Cricket Tsunami Appeal ODI, at the MCG. Cairns played for the ICC World XI and scored 69 off 47 balls before being stumped by Kumar Sangakkara off the bowling of Muttiah Muralitharan. During his innings, Cairns put a 91 run partnership on with captain, Ricky Ponting. With the ball, Cairns picked up 137 off 6 overs.
Injuries plagued Cairns throughout his career. There remains some debate over his statistics and how they reflected his ability. In Cairns career he played 62 Test and missed a further 55 due to injury. Sidharth Monga writing in 2009 that Cairns’ career returns “were a poor justification of his prodigious talent.”
Career statistics:
Test
Matches: 62
Runs scored: 3320
100s/50s: 5/22
Top score: 158
Wickets: 218
Best bowling: 7/27
ODI
Matches: 215
Runs scored: 4950
100s/50s: 4/26
Top score: 115
Wickets: 201
Best bowling: 5/42
