Top 5 New Zealand Test opening pairs of all time

#2 Trevor Franklin and John Wright

Trevor Franklin

This proved to be one of New Zealand's most solid opening partnerships due to the insistence of Trevor Franklin to refuse to play any shots and simply stay at the crease for as long as possible.

On the other hand, John Wright was already an established opening batsman and the pair formed one of the most successful opening partnerships ever. Franklin was a notorious blocker, in the league of England's Chris Tavare, and a career strike rate of 26.44 is proof of his ability to drive spectators out of stadiums.

However, with Wright, he formed an excellent combination and during the course of 28 partnerships from 1988 to 1991, the pair totalled 1543 runs. However, what sets them apart is their average of 55.10, the highest among all New Zealand opening pairs who have batted at least 10 times. They made 5 century-plus stands and the same number of stands worth fifty or more.