Considered one of New Zealand’s best legspinners, Alabaster played 21 Tests between 1955 and 1972, taking 49 wickets.
Alabaster was part of New Zealand’s first four Test victories. He toured India and Pakistan in 1955-56, England in 1958, South Africa in 1961-62, and the West Indies in 1971-72.
He took 22 wickets in the five Tests of the series in South Africa, helping New Zealand earn their first ever series draw against them. He took seven wickets in the first match of the series as New Zealand narrowly lost by 30 runs, and took his career best of 8 for 180 in New Zealand’s first overseas Test victory as they drew level 1-1 in the third Test. We got our records back. .
Representing Otago in domestic cricket, he played a total of 143 first-class matches and won 500 scalps.
He played the first two Tests on the 1971-72 tour of the West Indies, bowling Garry Sobers for his only wicket of the series before the tour was abandoned due to an Achilles tendon injury. He subsequently retired from first-class cricket, meaning that both his first and last first-class matches were for New Zealand.
