A win to savour: Where this ranks
OPINION: For pure heartstopping sporting drama this was hard to beat in the countdown of New Zealand test cricket’s greatest hits.
At least for those New Zealanders who hadn’t declared and gone to bed around 10.30pm on a school night, with Pakistan five down but just 23 runs from victory.
It was game over. A certain scribe had 600 words ready to go, hailing a plucky Black Caps defeat with some positives and selection dilemmas to take into Saturday’s second test in Dubai. Delete.
Adding to the storyline was an unlikely hero: 30-year-old spinner Ajaz Patel on test debut, a proud Muslim who thanked Allah and his team-mates in the post-match.
As Patel zeroed in with unerring accuracy, Neil Wagner charged in for 13 straight overs and Pakistan’s tailenders selfdestructed. It became one of the most mind-boggling hours of New Zealand test cricket.
New Zealand cricket fans have been gripped by a few heartstopping test victories over the years. Here’s a top-five wins against the odds, and let’s insert Monday’s madness just in behind at No 6:
1. Beat England by 72 runs in Wellington, 1978
It should have been close, but in the end it was one-way traffic inside New Zealand’s biggest roundabout.
New Zealand set England just 137 to win at the Basin Reserve, a historic first test victory against their oldest rivals seemingly out of reach.
But the towering figure of Richard Collinge had other ideas. He snuck a toe-crushing yorker through Geoffrey Boycott’s defence to set New Zealand on their unlikely victory charge.
Then Richard Hadlee bowled like the Wellington wind, roared on by the ‘Hadlee’ chant and beercan accompaniment, backslapped by blokes in towelling hats and stubbies who raced onto the pitch with every English wicket.
New Zealand had to wait an anxious rest day to finish the job but they got there. England all out, 64, and history was made.
2. Beat Australia by 7 runs in Hobart, 2011
One of New Zealand’s most remarkable test turnarounds.
Beaten heavily in Brisbane by an Australian pace barrage it was onto Hobart where, staggeringly, a glistening emerald green pitch was presented. Two-day test, anyone?
Instead of becoming an Australian stroll in the meadow it backfired and the pitch was a great leveller, enjoyed by New Zealand’s four-pronged pace attack of Tim Southee, Trent Boult on test debut, Chris Martin and Doug Bracewell.
Captain Ross Taylor’s brave half-century under fire helped set Australia 241, and at 153-2 with David Warner and Ricky Ponting at the crease it was goodnight.
Young Bracewell went to work, snaring 6-40 and ripping through the Australian tail as Warner reached a century in his second test but ran out of partners. Bracewell seamed it about, exploited some variable bounce and when he skittled Nathan Lyon the Australian No 11 was inconsolable. New Zealand, not so much.
3. Beat West Indies by 1 wicket in Dunedin, 1980
Another Hadlee pace masterclass against one of the greatest teams of all came down to the last pair Gary Troup and Stephen Boock scrambling a leg bye to win it.
West Indies were the kings of world cricket but they weren’t all that keen to be in chilly Dunedin, especially with the belief that umpires Fred Goodall and John Hastie had it in for them.
Hadlee, meanwhile, just went about his work, may have got a fortunate decision or two and snared 11 wickets for the match as New Zealand were set just 104 to win.
Holding, Colin Croft and Joel Garner fired up and New Zealand still needed four more when Boock joined Troup, a nation at a standstill watching on TV as they staggered to the finish line.
4. Beat Pakistan by 1 wicket in Dunedin, 1985
Another Dunedin drama, another unlikely hero.
Ewen Chatfield had almost died on the pitch a decade earlier when struck on the head by a bouncer from England’s Peter Lever. A renowned batting bunny, Chatfield walked out to join Jeremy Coney after Lance Cairns was assisted off with a fearsome crack to the skull courtesy of a young Wasim Akram.
New Zealand were 50 short of their target of 278 when Chatfield arrived but he blocked, left and defied, taking the bulk of the strike as Coney reached three figures. A passing train even stopped above Carisbrook for its passengers to watch for free.
5. Beat India by 136 runs in Mumbai, 1988
Thirty years ago, almost to the day, New Zealand’s cricketers arrived at Wankhede Stadium several kilograms lighter and rank outsiders for the second test against India.
They had been hammered in Bangalore, scene of Hadlee’s world record 374th test wicket, before the entire team except Ian Smith were flattened by illness.
Hadlee was one of the worst hit but bounced back remarkably, snaring 6-49 as New Zealand led by two on the first innings.
Half-centuries from Andrew Jones and Smith saw them set India 282, then it became the Hadlee and John Bracewell show. Hadlee took 10 for the match and Bracewell, who clashed with pretty much the entire Indian team, spun them out with 6-51.