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Top 10 Intriguing Facts about Chris Cairns

Christopher Lance Chris is former New Zealand cricketer and a former ODI captain, who was born in 1970. He is a son  to the former New Zealand cricketer Lance Cairns. Chris played for the New Zealand cricket team  as an all-rounder.

He has formed a Chris  Cairn foundation which raises money to improve rail safety in 2006. In 2008 he  also completed a 1001km walk prompting  rail safety awareness. This was after in 1993 Cairn’s sister was killed in a train accident at Rolleston.

Chris has been married to Melanie Croser who is an Australian and works for the sports marketing group Octagon in Sydney. This is his third marriage Chris Cairns lived in Canberra and played for the local club North Canberra Gungahlin Eagles in the 2011/12 season.

Cairns finished his Test career with a batting average of 33.53 and a bowling average of 29.40. In 2000, he was named as one of five Wisden Cricketers of the Year. He has appeared in ICC Cricket World Cup tournaments on 4 occasions in 1992, 1996, 1999 and 2003. He is regarded as one of the greatest allrounders of the game.

Here are the Top 10 Intriguing Facts about Chris Cairns

1.Chris Cairns has been one of the best all-rounders of his era

He has been regarded as one of the best all-rounders of his era. Chris has played 62 tests, 215 one-day internationals and two twenty 20 matches for New Zealand. That was between 1989-2006. This was before becoming a television Pundit.

2. He had been named as one of the five Wisden cricketers of the year 2000

Chris had finished his test career with a battling average of 33.53 and a bowling average of 29.40 In 2000 he was named as one of the five Wisden cricketers of the year.  He knocked out Shane Warne out of the Australia’s Bowling attack during a 2000 test in Wellington.

3. His early excellence was in Rugby

 As a youngster, he  had excelled in rugby and was even named as a reserve player in one of New Zealand’s Under-17 rugby series games in 1980.  He also had honed his cricket skills under the tutelage of his father, Lance Cairns who had also played international cricket for the Black Caps and was renowned for his exuberant batting style.  

4. Chris Cairns played his first ever in the New Zealand National Under-19 cricket World Cup

He  had been included in the New Zealand national under-19 cricket team for the 1988 Youth Cricket World Cup, which was also eventually the inaugural edition of the Under-19 Cricket World Cup. Chris  was later selected to the senior national team. He made his test debut against Australia on 24 November 1989.

5. He had held a world record for most sixes in test and held the New Zealand record for fastest  century in ODIs

Cairns knocked Shane Warne out of Australia’s bowling attack during a 2000 test in Wellington when he launched several sixes out of the Basin Reserve and onto the adjacent street. Chris Cairns who had  formerly held the world record for most sixes in Tests 87, since surpassed by Adam Gilchrist. And for a time held the New Zealand record for fastest century in ODIs (75 balls, currently owned by Corey Anderson with 36 balls.

6. Cairns became the first player to score in ICC Champions Trophy and the third player to score in champions trophy finals

Chris was also the part of the victorious New Zealand campaign during the 2000 ICC KnockOut Trophy where they beat India in the final to lift their first title in major ICC global event. He played his part in the final and helped the Kiwis side, by scoring a match winning knock of 102* and was awarded the player of the final.

Finally New Zealand went onto win the final and registered the highest ever chase in an ICC Champions Trophy final (265). He also went onto become the first player to score a century in an ICC Champions Trophy final  which was previously called as ICC Knockout Trophy in a winning cause. Cairns  became only the third player to score a century in a Champions Trophy final after Philo Wallace and Sourav Ganguly.

7. He made history by becoming the second player in ODI history after Gordon Greenidge

Chris Cairns made history in ODI against India in 1999. He became the second ever player in ODI history after Gordon to score a century his 100th ODI. Cairns became the first batsman to score a century in his 100th ODI in a winning cause. He has been the only New Zealand player to achieve that milestone.

8. Chris Cairns has also  played in the World Criscket Tsunaml Appeal ODI

He was also part of the ICC World XI that played in the World Cricket Tsunami Appeal matches. Cairns played for the ICC World XI and scored 69 off 47 balls before being stumped by Kumar Sangakkara off the bowling of Muttiah Muralitharan. During his innings, Cairns put a 91 run partnership on with his captain, Ricky Ponting. With the ball, Cairns picked up 1–37 off 6 overs.

9. Cairns was one of the only eight player to reach the all-rounder’s double of 200 wickets and 300runs

He is also one of only eight players to have reached the all-rounder’s double of 200 wickets and 3000 runs. Out of these seven players, Cairns reached the double 3rd fastest (58 Test) behind Ian Botham and Kapil Dev (50 tests). In ODIs, Cairns came close to another double of 200 wickets and 5000 runs. Chris finished his ODI career on 4950 runs, just 50 short. His Test batting average at number seven (44.02) was  the 5th best average for that position of all time.

10. He has also played in Twenty20 cup competition 

Chris Cairns played for the Northland in the Hawke Cup. He had joined the Indian Cricket League where he  was made the captain of the Chandigarh Lions tillin2008. Chris later went on to play for Nottinghamshire in the English Twenty20 cup competition.