Fleming picks up more captaincy milestones

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming achieved another captaincy career milestone with the series victory over the West Indies today when becoming this country's most successful Test captain away from home.

It was only New Zealand's eighth series victory, from 52 attempts, away from New Zealand's shores, and Fleming has achieved three of them.

He led New Zealand to victory in England in 1999, Zimbabwe in 2000/01 and now the West Indies.

Jeremy Coney won two series away from home in Australia (1985/85) and England (1986). Graham Dowling (Pakistan, 1969/70), Geoff Howarth (Sri Lanka, 1983/84) and Martin Crowe (Zimbabwe, 1992/93) were the other away-winning captains.

Only India and South Africa remain on the countries in which New Zealand has not won a series, although both countries have featured in drawn series on their home soil with New Zealand.

The sequence of away victories, and the attempts to win the first series, is: Pakistan (1969/70- third attempt), Sri Lanka (1983/84 - first), Australia (1985/86 - third), England (1986 - 10th), Zimbabwe (1992/93 - first), West Indies (2001/02 - fourth).

Scott Styris' achievement of a century and a half-century on debut had previously been achieved by just two other New Zealand batsmen, Rodney Redmond against Pakistan in 1972/73 and Lou Vincent in December last year in Australia.

Styris' tally of 176 runs for the match was the second highest by a New Zealand batsman on debut after Mathew Sinclair's 214, also against the West Indies in 1999/00.

The West Indies failed to win a Test match in a home series for the first time in 27 series and in their Test history had only failed to win a Test in a series on seven occasions. They have now been denied twice by New Zealand, along with two times by Australia and England and once by India.

Mark Richardson may have found a new ally at the top of the order in Vincent. In eight opening partnerships, Richardson and Vincent have scored 318 runs at an average of 39.75. They shared stands of 61 and 117 in Grenada, the second innings effort surpassing their previous best partnership of 77 scored in the second innings against Australia at last year Perth, the first match they batted together.

In all the occasions they have batted together they have scored 563 runs at 43.40, with their highest being 119 for the second wicket against England in the second Test at Wellington this year.

This goes some way towards matching the formidable partnership formed by Richardson and Matthew Bell last season. They scored 524 runs in eight innings together at an average of 65.50 before Bell was dropped in favour of Vincent for the Perth Test.