OTD: New Zealand’s most productive leg-spinner Jack Alabaster was born in 1930

Jack Alabaster would have turned 95 today. In an era in which leg-spin was considered an art practiced by few and implemented by even fewer, Alabaster pretty much mastered it on the international stage. Till date, New Zealand have been able to produce only a handful of leg-spinners. Alabaster was amongst the first of those, and his storied legacy remains intact till date.

On pitches which were not so conducive for spinners in general, Alabaster was able to pick up 49 wickets in 21 Tests at an impressive average and economy rate of 38.02 and 2.80, respectively. His career-best bowling figures in international cricket was 4/46 (innings) and 8/180 (match), the both of them coming in different games. 

It was his First-Class record which truly stood out though. He picked up 500 FC wickets in 143 matches. As many as 451 of these wickets were for Otago in domestic cricket. It could be easily said that Alabaster was one of the key figures in revolutionising spin bowling in New Zealand cricket. His stellar First-Class career witnessed a total of 25 five-wicket hauls and four ten-wicket hauls. In the 212 innings in which he batted during his time playing First-Class cricket, Alabaster registered five fifties with the bat.

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