Jacob Duffy (AFP Photo)

New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy etched his name into record books as he surpassed legendary Sir Richard Hadlee’s 40-year-old record, following his match-winning performance against the West Indies in the third Test on Monday. Duffy registered his third five-wicket haul in Tests, registering figures of 5/42 in 22.3 overs as he guided New Zealand to a massive 323-run victory.

Following his match-winning performance, Duffy broke Hadlee’s 40-year-old record for the most wickets taken by a New Zealander in a calendar year. His five-wicket haul in the final Test took his tally to 81 wickets in 2025, eclipsing Hadlee’s previous mark of 79 achieved in 1985. Duffy took 39 innings to break the record at a remarkable average of 17.11, while Hadlee reached his tally in 29 innings at an average of 18.51. Duffy reacted to breaking Hadlee’s record, saying that it was really special to surpass it.

“I saw that list of most wickets in a calendar year at lunchtime, and there were some amazing names on it. To be on any sort of list alongside players like that is really special,” Duffy said after the game.

Duffy ended the series with 23 wickets, which earned him the Player of the Series award as New Zealand completed a comprehensive 2–0 win to begin their World Test Championship campaign on a strong note.

The Black Caps sealed victory midway through the final day’s play at Bay Oval, with the right-arm pacer producing a superb spell to bowl the West Indies out for 138 while defending a daunting target of 462.

Duffy was well-supported by New Zealand’s batters, particularly openers Devon Conway and captain Tom Latham, who created history by becoming the first opening pair in Test cricket to score two centuries each in the same match.

Conway also achieved a rare individual milestone, becoming the first New Zealander and only the 10th player overall to score a double century and a century in the same Test, with scores of 227 and 100. The victory lifted New Zealand to second place on the ICC World Test Championship standings, with two wins from three matches.

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