2024 New Zealand Cricket Almanack, the 77th edition, edited by Francis Payne & Ian Smith, is the authoritative and definite record of the cricket season, which is pleasingly designed and reasonably priced - a priceless work of reference.

This magnificent Almanack, the 42nd under the current editors, covers another full year of activity for New Zealand teams at all levels. The Almanack has earned many friends over the years and will assuredly continue to do so. Every cricket lover will relish the arrival of this latest edition.

Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson have been chosen as Players of the Year and Zak Foulkes, Will O'Rourke and Gareth Severin as Promising Players of the Year by the Almanack.

Ravindra had topped the run-aggregate for New Zealand in the 2023 World Cup with 578 runs at an average of 64.22, including three hundreds and two fifties, in ten innings. His hundreds included 123 not out vs England at Ahmedabad; 116 vs Australia at Dharamsala (his 77-ball hundred remains the quickest by a New Zealander in WC) and 108 vs Pakistan at Bengaluru. He became the first New Zealand batter to manage three hundreds in the World Cup apart from the only one in the history of the World Cup to post as many centuries in his maiden World Cup. He also accomplished a unique feat of registering three WC centuries before turning 25.

With 578 runs, Ravindra has emulated a New Zealand record for the highest run-aggregate in a World Cup competition. Kane Williamson had amassed 578 runs (ave 82.57), including two hundreds and two fifties, in nine innings in 2019.

An absorbing compilation of the season's happenings, as in the previous years, is the highlight of this Almanack. The statistical highlights, covered in this section, are not to be seen in any other cricket publication and website. Some of the interesting Happenings covered in this Almanack are:

• In the first Test between New Zealand and Australia at Wellington, Nathan Lyon became the first player in Test history to top score as night watchman and follow-up with a five-for in the same game. In Australia's second innings, he came in at number four on the second evening and scored 41 of a 49-run partnership with Usman Khawaja. Next highest scorer was Cameron Green with 34. Lyon then proceeded to take 6-65 when New Zealand batted again as Australia won by 172 runs.
• Cole McConchie was unfortunate to record a king pair when he was dismissed first ball in each innings for Canterbury against Otago at Alexandra in March. However, he made amends in his next innings when he scored a century against Northern Districts. This was the first time anyone had followed a king pair with a century in New Zealand first-class cricket.
• Tim Southee returned the very unusual analysis of 5.2-5-0-1 after opening the bowling against Bangladesh at Mirpur in December. Other New Zealand bowlers to take 1-0 in a Test innings are Bruce Murray (vs India 1967-68) , Craig McMillan (vs India 1998-99), Chris Martin (vs Australia, 2011-12) and Ross Taylor (vs Bangladesh 2021-22). Other opening bowlers taking 1-0 in a completed Test innings are Aamer Malik (Pakistan vs Australia 1988-89), Fidel Edwards (West Indies vs Pakistan 2004-05), Josh Hazlewood (Australia vs New Zealand 2019-20). Aamer bowled two overs and was then taken off while Edwards and Hazlewood broke down in their second over.