Top 5 unknown facts of Daniel Vettori

Jan 26, 2023

Spread the love

This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant

Daniel Vettori is described as one of the greatest all-rounders New Zealand has ever produced. For many years, he carried the responsibility for scoring runs lower down the order and picking up wickets for the Kiwis in international cricket. Born on January 27, 1979, in Auckland, Vettori is the second most successful bowler for NZ with 696 wickets across formats. As the all-rounder celebrates his 44th birthday, let us look at the top 5 unknown facts about him.

1. Italian descent

Former legendary all-rounder Daniel Luca Vettori is the first-ever New Zealand all-rounder of Italian descent. He has an Italian father and a Kiwi mother. Vettori was born into a sports family with his first cousin David Hill being a union rugby player. His cousin played a Test for the famous All Blacks. In fact, his uncle Tony Hill and cousin Joseph Hill both played first-class cricket.

2. Ambidextrous

Former skipper Vettori, who took New Zealand to the semi-finals of the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup and 2009 Champions Trophy, could bat both left and right-handed and also bowl with both hands. This interesting and unknown fact of his was confirmed by TV personality Jeremy Wells, who attended school with Vettori and played with him for St.Paul’s XI. Played as a left-hander, he scored 6929 runs in 437 games across formats at an average of 23.56.

3. Harry Potter

The Kiwi legend was called ‘Harry Potter’ by the fans because of his floppy hair and spectacles. The slow left-arm orthodox bowler once confirmed to NZ Herald on why he prefers spectacles over contact lenses. “I’ve worn glasses since I was three years old. I’m accustomed to them and they don’t bother me,” he said. Also, since he made his debut at a younger age, his teammates then called him ‘The Child’.

4. Youngest to represent New Zealand

Vettori holds the record for the youngest player to play for the Blackcaps. At the age of 18, he became the youngest Test and ODI cricketer for the Kiwis. Vettori made his maiden appearance in the longest and purest format of the game against England in Wellington in the year 1997 while he first feature in one-day internationals against Sri Lanka in Christchurch in the same year.

5. Most runs at no. eight in Tests

More than a handy batter lower down the order, Vettori holds the record for scoring the most runs at no. eight position in the history of Test cricket. He scored 2227 runs in 49 matches at an impressive average of 39.79 in 67 innings at that position. He also struck four centuries and 13 half-centuries with the highest score of 140. 

MCW Sports Subscribe
Mega Casino World renews partnership with Atlético de Madrid for the next two seasons
MCW Thunders Into the Cricket Scene with the Mississauga Partnership of the Bangla Tigers
MCW Euro 2024 Cup Weekly Cashback
MCW and San Francisco Unicorns: Gold Meets Orange, Deal is Sealed
Mega Casino World announces Anrich Nortje as the newest Brand Ambassador
Mega Casino World announces Anrich Nortje as the newest Brand Ambassador
MCW Sports Joins Gladiators’ Family as Platinum Sponsor for PSL8
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Subscribe to our Newsletter