NZ vs WI 3rd Test: Jacob Duffy breaks Richard Hadlee's 40-year-old record

Jacob Duffy (Pic: X/@ICC)

In the third Test match against the West Indies, New Zealand's pacer Jacob Duffy bagged a total of nine wickets at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.

With this, he scripted history by breaking the record of the former cricketer Richard Hadlee for the most wickets (79) in a calendar year.

Duffy broke the record by claiming his 81st wicket of the year. In 36 matches, he registered 81 wickets with an average of 17.11 this year. Earlier, Hadlee held the record with 80 wickets in just 23 matches.

During the first innings of the West Indies, Duffy returned with the figures of four wickets for 86 runs in 35 overs. In the second essay, he registered a five-wicket haul by conceding 42 runs in 22.3 overs.

Reflecting on his performance, he said that it is "special" for him to be on the list, having the likes of star players.

"I saw that list (most wickets in a calendar year) at lunch time, and there were some cool names on there, so to be up there on any sort of list with those sort of names was special," said the 31-year-old cricketer.

received vital support from the batters during the third Test, in particular openers Devon Conway and skipper Tom Latham, who became the first opening pair in the history of Test cricket to each score two centuries across the same match.

Conway also became the first New Zealander and just the 10th player ever to score a double-century and a century in the same Test, following his efforts of 227 and 100 over the two innings.

With this win, New Zealand have moved to second place on the ICC World Test Championship standings.

Additionally, Duffy has been signed by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction for Rs 2 crore. The upcoming edition will also mark his debut in the cash-rich league's history.

Brief scores: New Zealand 578/8 and 306/2 (Devon Conway 227, Tom Latham 137; Kavem Hodge 2-80). Vs West Indies 420 and 138 (Kavem Hodge 123', Brandon King 67; Jacob Duffy 5-42).

(With ANI Inputs)