1978 vintage year for N.Z. cricket

Press, 22 October 1983, Page 15

1978 vintage year for N.Z. cricket

It was the year that New Zealand cricket came of age — 1978. It brought with it the sweet taste of success as New Zealand resoundingly beat England for the first time in a test match.

“Sporting Vintage,” screening on One on Sunday morning will look at that memorable visit by England, when a three-test series was played during the brilliant summer of 1978. Doug Armstrong will introduce the programme, which will include highlights of all those tests.

The special guest will be Mark Burgess, who captained the successful New Zealand team, and he will discuss the series and the players.

Members of that team still playing for New Zea-

land include the present captain, Geoff Howarth; opening batsman, John Wright; wicket-keeper, Warren Lees; and fast bowler, Richard Hadlee.

The team also included Richard’s brother, Dayle Hadlee; opening bowler, Richard Collinge; and Bevan Congdon.

The first test was played at Wellington’s Basin Reserve, and everything looked in England’s favour when it needed to get only 137 runs in its second innings.

But England had not reckoned on Richard Hadlee and Richard Collinge, and by 12.30 p.m. on the fifth day, the England batsmen were all out for just 64 runs. New Zealand had recorded its first test win over an English side, by 72 runs.

Hadlee finished with the figures of 10 for 100 runs, and Collinge with six for 77 runs. The top scorer in England’s second innings was lan Botham with 10; the only other player to get into double figures was spin bowler Phil Edmonds.

The second test, played at Lancaster Park in Christchurch, was won by England by 174 runs. lan Botham, England’s somewhat controversial all-rounder, scored 103.

The third and final test at Auckland’s Eden Park was a draw, with Geoff Howarth playing superbly to score a century in each innings.

In all three tests Geoff Boycott, the Yorkshireman who was recently sacked from his county team, captained England.