Grant Elliott

Grant Elliott is one among the many all-rounders that New Zealand are blessed with. He was born in Johannesburg, but moved out to Wellington in 2001, where he played for the Wellington Firebirds. He is a capable bat, who can also bowl a few overs of medium pace. The New Zealand selectors spotted this skill and selected him for the tour of England in 2008.

After a miserable Test debut, Elliott went on to play club cricket for Surrey. However, with the injury to Jacob Oram, he was called into the ODI squad. He made an immediate impact in his first ODI match as he picked up 3/23 in five overs. He also played a vital role in his second ODI as he helped the Kiwis secure a morale-boosting win over England at Bristol. Elliott grafted his way to a fine fifty to help the Kiwis recover to 182 after being 75/6. He contributed with the ball by picking up two wickets for just nine runs in 5.2 overs to help NZ beat England in a low-scoring thriller.

His next major contribution came in the Chappell-Hadlee series against Australia. His unbeaten 61 helped NZ defeat the Aussies and take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. He went one better at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) by scoring his first ODI century in a losing cause. Chasing a mammoth 301, Elliott batted with the tail and kept his team's hopes alive till the end. However, the pressure was too much to handle and he departed for a fine 115.

In the 2009 Champions Trophy held in his native South Africa, Elliott played another match-winning knock against Pakistan to guide them to the final for the second time. Batting with Daniel Vettori, Elliott held his nerve to rescue the Kiwis with a fine century stand.

However, injuries took a toll on Elliott during the end of the year. A knee injury restricted his bowling and he failed to make it to the 2011 World Cup squad. After Oram's retirement from Tests, it looked like Elliott could cement his place in the team, but his inconsistency repelled the selectors from picking him. Surprisingly, he earned an ODI recall in January 2013 against South Africa.

Although, Elliott didn't do anything significant in 2013, he remained as a back-up option in the ODI side that played West Indies and India at home. However, he did get a game and was recalled to the side for the home series against Sri Lanka in January 2015. Surprisingly, the selectors then, named Elliott in the squad for the 2015 World Cup as they felt that he is best suited to the conditions in New Zealand and Australia. Elliott though, proved his worth with a game-changing hundred against Sri Lanka in Dunedin in the seven-match series, just before the World Cup.

Interesting fact: In 2009, Grant Elliott became the first New Zealand player to have scored an ODI century at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

By Siddharth Vishwanathan and Sonali Dhulap