New Zealand National Cricket Team

New Zealand has reached the final of five major ICC men's events since 2015, winning the one that mattered most to its players: the inaugural World Test Championship.

New Zealand played its first Test against England at Lancaster Park, Christchurch, in January 1930. What followed was the longest wait for a maiden victory in Test history: New Zealand did not win a Test until March 1956, when it beat the West Indies at Eden Park, Auckland, in its 45th match.

Progress remained gradual through the 1960s and 1970s, but there were landmarks along the way — a first win over England in 1978 at the Basin Reserve, and a first series victory in England in 1986. New Zealand's cricket was built less on depth of resources than on getting the most from a small playing population, a characteristic that still defines the side.

New Zealand's transformation into a genuinely dangerous team was driven by one player above all. Sir Richard Hadlee took 431 Test wickets, becoming the first bowler in history to pass 400, and did so with an economy and precision that made him the model for fast bowlers who followed.

His most famous performance came at the Gabba in 1985, when he took 9/52 in Australia's first innings — catching the tenth wicket himself at fine leg — and then 6/71 in the second as New Zealand won by an innings. Alongside Hadlee, batter Martin Crowe gave New Zealand a player of genuine world class, and Crowe's tactical innovations as captain at the 1992 World Cup, including opening the bowling with spin, influenced how one-day cricket was played for years afterwards.

2015: Co-hosting with Australia, New Zealand reached its first World Cup final after seven previous semi-final exits. The semi-final against South Africa at Eden Park, won with a Grant Elliott six off the penultimate ball, is among the great one-day matches. The final at the MCG was a step too far, and Australia won by seven wickets.

2019: New Zealand reached the final again and lost the most extraordinary match in the tournament's history. Having posted 241/8 at Lord's, New Zealand watched England tie the match, then tie the Super Over, and then be awarded the title on a count of boundaries scored. Kane Williamson was named Player of the Tournament, and the dignity of the New Zealand response to the defeat won them admirers worldwide. The boundary-count rule was scrapped soon afterwards.

In June 2021, New Zealand beat India by eight wickets in Southampton to win the inaugural World Test Championship — the country's first world title in any format of the men's game.

In a match extended into a reserve day by rain, Kyle Jamieson took 5/31 in India's first innings and was named Player of the Match, while captain Kane Williamson finished the chase unbeaten. For a side that had lost two World Cup finals in the preceding six years, winning the mace was both vindication and relief.

New Zealand had also won the 2000 ICC KnockOut Trophy in Nairobi, beating India in the final, giving the country two global titles across formats.

New Zealand reached another global final at the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, losing to India by 96 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on 8 March 2026. India became the first side to win three T20 World Cups, the first to defend the title and the first host nation to win it.

It was New Zealand's second T20 World Cup final, following the 2021 defeat to Australia in Dubai, and continued a remarkable run of reaching the closing stages of major tournaments with a playing population a fraction of its rivals'.

New Zealand is ranked third in Test cricket and second in ODIs as of the ICC rankings published in late August 2026 — a strong position across all three formats.

Mitchell Santner has captained New Zealand in T20 internationals during 2026. Rankings above reflect the ICC standings published in late August 2026 and change as new series are played.

Has New Zealand won a World Cup?

New Zealand has not won the 50-over Cricket World Cup, finishing runners-up in 2015 and 2019. It has won the World Test Championship, in 2021, and the ICC KnockOut Trophy in 2000.

Why are New Zealand called the Black Caps?

The name was adopted in 1998 as part of a sponsorship and branding exercise, following the pattern of New Zealand's other national teams such as the All Blacks.

How long did New Zealand wait for its first Test win?

New Zealand debuted in Test cricket in 1930 and did not win a match until 1956, in its 45th Test — the longest wait of any Test nation.

What happened in the 2019 World Cup final?

New Zealand tied the match with England at Lord's and then tied the Super Over. England were awarded the title because they had hit more boundaries across the match, a rule that was abolished shortly afterwards.

Who is New Zealand's greatest cricketer?

Sir Richard Hadlee is generally regarded as New Zealand's greatest, taking 431 Test wickets and becoming the first bowler in history to pass 400.