Jacob Duffy Shatters Hadlee’s Record with 81 Wickets in 2025

Mount Maunganui witnessed a historic day in New Zealand cricket as pace bowler Jacob Duffy decimated the West Indies, claiming five wickets in the match and sealing a dominant performance. The 31-year-old fast bowler not only starred in the third match of the three-game series but also achieved a milestone that cements his name in New Zealand cricket history.

Duffy has surpassed the legendary Sir Richard Hadlee to become the bowler with the most international wickets for New Zealand in a single calendar year. Across all three formats in 2025, Duffy has taken 81 wickets in 36 matches, eclipsing Hadlee’s 1985 record of 79 wickets in just 23 matches.

A closer look at Duffy’s remarkable 2025 season:

In comparison, Hadlee in 1985 took 64 wickets in 10 Tests and 15 wickets in 13 ODIs, demonstrating how Duffy’s all-format consistency has redefined New Zealand’s standards.

Despite breaking the national record, Duffy still trails behind the global elite. Only around 80 bowlers in cricket history have managed to claim 81 or more wickets in a single year, with Duffy tied for 72nd place among them. The world record remains with Sri Lanka’s off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who in 2001 captured 136 wickets in 45 matches—including 80 in 12 Tests and 56 in 33 ODIs—breaking Shane Warne’s 1994 record of 120 wickets.

A comparative table of the highest annual wicket-takers by country:

In 2025, Duffy also leads the world’s wicket charts, ahead of his New Zealand teammate Matt Henry and Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani, both with 65 wickets. The top five wicket-takers of the year are summarised below:

Jacob Duffy’s extraordinary 2025 campaign is not just a testament to his skill but also to the evolution of New Zealand cricket, proving that the nation can now produce bowlers who can compete with the very best in the world.