It's never happened in New Zealand's 86-year test cricket history. Then again, 2015 was no ordinary year for the Black Caps, in particular their batting genius Kane Williamson.

For the first time two New Zealand players - Williamson and Brendon McCullum - were named among the Wisden Almanack's five cricketers of the year. On birthplace it was three Kiwis, with England allrounder Ben Stokes joining team-mate Jonny Bairstow and Australia's captain Steve Smith in the chosen five.

And in another notable first on release of cricket's prestigious annual on Wednesday, Williamson was named leading cricketer in the world for 2015. No New Zealander has received that relatively recent title, first given to Australia's Ricky Ponting after his mammoth 2003. The last three winners were Sri Lankan run machine Kumar Sangakkara (2014), South African fast bowler Dale Steyn (2013) and former Australian captain Michael Clarke (2012).

ANDREW CORNAGA/PHOTOSPORT Captain Brendon McCullum's influence on the Black Caps in 2015 won accolades from around the cricketing world.

White Ferns captain Suzie Bates got some major recognition, too, and headed off Australian stars Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry to be named Wisden's leading woman cricketer in the world for 2015.

READ MORE:

* Kane Williamson's golden 2015 by the numbers

* Williamson: the most humble winner in the history of the Halberg Awards?

* Brendon McCullum: Slash or Burn

* Bates laments White Ferns semifinal exit at World T20

HAGEN HOPKINS/GETTY IMAGES Suzie Bates headed off Australian stars Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry to the title of leading woman cricketer in the world for 2015.

Usually Wisden's early pages are a New Zealand-free zone. In the past 30 years Martin Crowe (1988), Chris Cairns (2000), Jeetan Patel (2015) were the only New Zealanders to be listed among the five cricketers of the year. There's a mere 15 in all, dating back to Roger Blunt in 1928. The almanack first handed out its annual honours in 1889 and noted: "Excellence in, or influence on, the previous English summer are the major criteria for inclusion as a cricketer of the year. No one can be chosen more than once."

﻿​Wisden Almanack editor Lawrence Booth summed up New Zealand's rise from likable battlers to respected cricketing force.

"It says something about cricket's standing in New Zealand right now that both McCullum and Kane Williamson are among our five – the first Kiwi double in their 86-year test history (dare we point out that a third member of this year's selection, Ben Stokes, was born in Christchurch?)," Booth wrote.

"In late February, in his final game at international level, McCullum bid farewell in excelsis, with a test-record 54-ball hundred off Australia. Williamson is also the first from his country to be named Wisden's leading cricketer in the world, while Suzie Bates wins the women's equivalent. For so long, the black cap denoted underdoggedness. This summer, like never before, county cricket will be full of disarmingly modest, talented New Zealanders, and barely a grim forward defensive between them."

Williamson had a stellar year with the willow and by Christmas was ranked the world's No 1 test batsman after guiding the Black Caps to victory over Sri Lanka on a treacherous Hamilton pitch. Along with Smith and England's Joe Root, the trio competed strongly for top spot. Williamson was also recognised on a broader scale as Halberg sportsman of the year in February.

Williamson scored 2692 international runs in the year – 323 ahead of second-placed Smith and the third-highest annual total of all time. Booth commented: "The choice of Williamson in an era of highly gifted young batsmen reflects the measured brilliance he brings to every format of the game. Brendon McCullum reckons he is going to be one of the best batsmen the game has ever seen, and it's hard to disagree."

McCullum's Black Caps were lauded for their part in a rollicking series in England where the tests were shared 1-1 and the five ODIs went to a decider when Bairstow guided the hosts home. "McCullum deserves every cricket-lover's thanks for treating it like a game, not a war by other means. For the first time, few English fans wanted the pre-Ashes appetiser to end," Booth wrote.

Bates reinforced her status as one of the power hitters of the women's game; scoring 258 runs during the 5-0 one-day whitewash of Sri Lanka and clinching the award with her sixth one-day century in the victory over England in February. Booth commented: "It needed something special to deny both Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry this award, and Bates's all-round performances were precisely that."

THE CHOSEN FEW

New Zealand players named in the Wisden Almanack's five cricketers of the year:

2016: Brendon McCullum, Kane Willamson

2015: Jeetan Patel

2000: Chris Cairns

1988: Martin Crowe

1984: Jeremy Coney

1982: Richard Hadlee

1974: Bevan Congdon

1971: Glenn Turner

1960: Dick Motz

1959: John Reid

1950: Bert Sutcliffe

1948: Martin Donnelly

1932: Stewie Dempster

1928: Roger Blunt

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