OTD: Chris Martin was born in 1974

Christopher Stewart Martin was born in Christchurch, Canterbury on December 10, 1974. A right-arm medium pacer, Martin became a workhorse of New Zealand’s bowling attack throughout the 2000s. While renowned for his wholehearted bowling efforts, he was equally and humorously known for his notoriously weak batting, becoming one of cricket’s most memorable number eleven.

Martin relied on accuracy while standing tall with a distinctive high leap at the crease and subtle seam movement rather than raw pace or extravagant swing. His style made him a valuable asset for captains Stephen Fleming and Daniel Vettori, often operating as the reliable second seamer behind the express Shane Bond. Martin was a bowler built for long, grinding spells rather than explosive bursts, and his consistency became a defining trait of New Zealand’s attack during his era.

In March 2004, Martin delivered one of the finest performances of his career when he took 11 wickets against South Africa in Auckland, marking a triumphant return to Test cricket after nearly two years. By the end of the decade, he had climbed to fourth on New Zealand’s all-time Test wicket-takers list, an impressive feat for a bowler who was never considered a traditional strike weapon.

While Martin’s bowling earned respect, his batting became the subject of cricket folklore. He accumulated more Test ducks than any other New Zealand player and did not register a double-figure score until his 36th Test, against Bangladesh. His severe struggles with the bat contributed to his absence from New Zealand’s white-ball squads, as he never featured prominently in ODIs or T20Is. Martin still holds the record for the most pairs in a Test career, with seven. Martin announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in July 2013 at the age of 38.

Across his career, Martin claimed 233 wickets in 71 Tests, including 10 five-wicket hauls. In first-class cricket, he amassed an impressive 599 wickets in 192 matches. He also played 20 ODIs, taking 18 wickets, and featured in six T20Is, in which he collected seven wickets.

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