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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Matthew Cooper

New Zealand bowler makes history with incredible all-round double vs South Africa

New Zealand bowler Matt Henry created history with a remarkable all-round performance in the first Test against South Africa.

With star bowler Trent Boult away on paternity leave, Henry was recalled to the side for the first time in eight months for just his 15th Test appearance despite making his debut back in 2015.

And the 30-year-old took the new ball alongside Tim Southee and ripped through South Africa, recording impressive figures of 7-23 as the visitors were bowled out for just 95.

Henry's figures are the joint-best in a home Test by a New Zealander, matching Sir Richard Hadlee's 7-23 in a win over India in 1976.

They are also New Zealand's joint third-best in Test history.

Henry also scored a half-century with the bat, becoming the first number 11 to take seven wickets in an innings and score a fifty in a Test match (MARTY MELVILLE/AFP via Getty Images)

In response New Zealand posted a first-innings total of 482, with Henry also making an important contribution.

With Henry Nicholls scoring 105 and Tom Blundell falling just short of a third Test century with 95, Henry made an unbeaten 58 batting, the second-highest Test score by a New Zealand number 11.

In the process, Henry became the first number 11 to take seven wickets in an innings and score a half-century in a Test match.

Reflecting on his exploits with the ball, Henry said: "You've got to kind of pinch yourself a little bit when you hear those stats and to be able to share that with Sir Richard Hadlee is pretty special. It was a pretty surreal moment really.

"I think just playing here at Hagley and having that experience and knowing what my lengths were and how to operate [helped].

"As a bowling group, I think we bowled really well together and we were able to create pressure at both ends and not really let them go anywhere, which is probably key to how we got the wickets."

At the close of play on day two, South Africa had been reduced to 34-3 in their second innings, leaving them trailing New Zealand by 353 runs.

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