2. LAYING THE GROUNDWORK
1. THE LEAD-UP
In 48 years since making their first appearance as a test nation, against England, New Zealand had not won a single match of the 47 between the countries. Twenty-four had been drawn, 23 lost.
Certainly there had been close shaves — notably at Trent Bridge and Lord’s in 1973. At Trent Bridge, New Zealand fell 38 runs short of what would have been one of the all-time great chases. And but for a dropped catch or two on the final day, they would have won at cricket’s HQ.
When England arrived at the Basin, it was for the first test of a three-match series, and they were coming off a tour of Pakistan, and were without tour captain Mike Brearley, ruled out after breaking an arm.
That left the captaincy to Geoff Boycott, a self-obsessed, redoubtable Yorkshireman. Opposing him was Mark Burgess, the Auckland batsman also chosen to lead his country for the first time, as the 14th test skipper.
Burgess was a reluctant skipper. The previous two, Bevan Congdon, who remained in the side, and Glenn Turner, had ruled themselves out.
“It took about four phone calls from [manager] Frank Cameron to persuade me I was the best available of those who remained. I wasn’t even captain of Auckland that season either,” Burgess recalled.
“I was more serious about what I was doing in my career really than in cricket. The main thing was your occupation and we didn’t play that much. I probably had a couple of club games then we assembled.”
Burgess knew it was “a terrific honour; I still look back on it very fondly but it was a testing time for me”.
New Zealand had two new caps: shaggy haired, moustachioed opener John Wright, and tight-fisted left-arm spinner Stephen Boock. Both played important parts in what followed.
The longest-serving players were Congdon and fast bowler Richard Collinge.
Preparations for the test were rudimentary compared with modern times. The team would assemble two days before a test, have a couple of nets and a dinner the night before.
“I don’t ever recall that we had a meeting or discussion before the match,” said Boock. “If we did, it went in one ear and out the other.” By the end of the third day, it was even stevens. New Zealand 228, England 215 and the hosts 12 for none at stumps.
By then, Wright had made a nuisance of himself, taking a little under six hours over 55 runs, but it might just as easily have been a duck. Spectators heard a loud nick as the first ball of the match from tall, mop-haired Bob Willis passed left-hander Wright’s bat.
“Not out,” said umpire Ralph Gardiner, perhaps being buffeted by the winds at his back, and not seeing a deflection. (The story goes that when Wright was autographing copies of one of his books a few years ago, Gardiner walked up with the mounted ball from that innings and asked him to sign it. Wright obliged).
Willis was apoplectic. Shortly after, Wright’s opening partner Robert Anderson got a quick single off Willis to get to the non-strikers’ end.
As Anderson told broadcaster and As I make my way down to the other end Willis stands in front of me and says, ‘Jumbo, you f ***ing stay down this end. It’s the other **** I want. writer Eric Young several years ago: “As I make my way down to the other end, Willis stands in front of me and says, ‘Jumbo, you f ***ing stay down this end. It’s the other **** I want.”
England’s bowling attack was strong but in the Richards — Hadlee and Collinge — with seamer Dayle Hadlee in support, New Zealand knew what they were about too. After a rest day, things changed dramatically on day four.