Archive 11-15
Largo’s Recovery from 5-5
Largo 3rd XI v Murrayfield Dafs 4th XI – May 2008
Chasing 213 in 45 overs and being 5-5 after 8 overs is a daunting prospect; the bookies would have offered 500-1 against Largo winning. The usual excellent tea at Largo seems to have given the Mufs bowlers some fire in their bellies. As usual Largo fielded 5 youngsters but today four of them were the early victims; and even when a stand of 82 between Chris Baddeley & Ian Brown brought Largo back into the game, they were only really thinking of bonus points – if they reached 170 they would get all six.
This was a Division 7 45 over match played between Largo 3rd XI, in their first year in Div 7, and Murrayfield Dafs 4th XI, in the first ever season after amalgamating with Roseburn, formerly known as Cramond.
Then 11 year old Ryan Brown joined Tom Marshall to put on 58 and with 5 overs left the target was 50. Largo began to wonder if the unthinkable could happen; could Largo win the game, requiring 42 runs, with only 24 balls and 2 wickets left? Could Tom Marshall & Steven Bentley be Largo’s batting heroes? Indeed they could.
With last man captain Ian Barnes striding the boundary, hoping not to be used, 22 runs were scored off the 43rd over, putting Largo in the driving seat. Then everything was tied with one over left; Nadeem Amjid had the honour of bowling the last over, with Largo requiring only 1 run to win. After two dot balls, Tom Marshall stroked the winning run, in an unforgettable victory for this young developing side, played in great spirit by both sides.
It is not surprising to see that Mufs were magnanimous in defeat on their website:
“In conclusion a word about Largo Cricket Club – 1st class guys, 1st class pitch, 1st class juniors and a 1st class tea, in short, a model for all clubs in ESCA to strive for. A pleasure to go there to play but the pain of the loss ohhhhhh……..”
Mufs did point out the significant influence extras had on the game. “The real difference was our old foe Mr. Extras – they bowled 5 no balls and 7 wides to our 13 no balls and 17 wides. These 18 runs, on an excellent batting track where line and length were the order of the day, proved vital.” Another interesting statistic is that 17 bowlers were used in the match, 8 by Largo and 9 by Mufs.
Earlier Nadeem Amjid had scored an excellent 137 and took three of the youngsters’ wickets early on to put his side in the driving seat, but when he returned, he couldn’t quite complete the task.
East League Division 7 : Sunday 18th May 2008
Played at East Drive Largo
Largo won by 2 wickets with 3 balls to spare
Innings of Murrayfield Dafs 4th XI
N Amjid b S Bentley 137
N Hill c A Warrender b S Warrender 11
D Wilkie c S Warrender b Tooze 15
C Donaldson s A Warrender b Baddeley 24
N Yelland(16) s A Warrender b Baddeley 0
A Amjid not out 3
M Shafi not out 6
Extras ( 4 b, 1 lb, 7 w, 5 nb) 17
Total (5 wkts 45 overs) 213
R Fotheringham, C Arnold, C Brown & A Piggott dnb
D Scott 8 0 46 0
I Brown 5 0 18 0
S Warrender 4 1 21 1
T Marshall 5 1 15 0
R Brown 4 0 21 0
S Bentley 8 0 37 1
J Tooze 4 0 12 1
C Baddeley 7 0 38 2
Innings of Largo 3rd XI
D Dakin b A Mjid 2
S Warrender(14) c Fotheringham b N Amjid 0
I Brown b M Shafi 41
J Tooze(14) b A Amjid 0
A Warrender(15) b N Amjid 1
D Scott(14) b N Amjid 0
C Baddeley c Shafi b Yelland 34
T Marshall not out 45
R Brown (11) c N Amjid b Hill 10
S Bentley not out 38
Extras ( 9 b, 3 lb, 17 w, 14 nb) 43
Total (8 wkts 44.3 overs) 214
I Barnes dnb
A Amjid 9 3 32 1
N Amjid 8.3 2 41 4
M Shafi 9 4 27 1
C Arnold 3 0 22 0
N Yelland 5 0 22 1
A Piggott 3 0 22 0
C Brown 3 0 15 0
N Hill 2 0 9 1
D Wilkie 2 0 10 0
Murrayfield Dafs gained 10 bonus points.
Hindley, The One Match Hero with Two Broken Fingers
Hampshire v Glamorgan July 2003
In what proved to be the only first-class appearance of Richard Hindley’s life, the 28-year-old will be able to recall with pride his stirring contribution to a day of heroics at the Rose Bowl.
Ten years previously, Richard Hindley gave up on his ambitions of playing for Hampshire. He’d played right through the county’s junior ranks, from the age of 13 to 19, but there was to be no professional contract on offer at the end of it. Then, out of the blue, in July 2003 he answered Paul Terry’s emergency call to play against Glamorgan. His debut turned out to be the stuff Boy’s Own fantasies are made of. He defied two broken fingers to play a lead role as Hampshire followed-on and turned a 252-run first innings deficit into a remarkable 93-run victory over Glamorgan. His personal contribution was 68 not out in the second innings.
It was the first time ever that Glamorgan had lost having imposed the follow on, and 81 years since Hampshire’s amazing victory after scoring only 15 in their first innings.
For two days Glamorgan had dominated Hampshire who had selection problems. Smith, Udal & Mullally were injured, Wasim Akram had just left because of ill health and Giddins was in dispute with his club. Tremlett was playing his first game after returning to fitness – in customised boots to prevent a recurrence of his injury; his career best 6-51 was the decisive factor on the last day. With so many call-offs they turned to Richard Hindley – he was 28 years old, unemployed and was painting his mother’s office when the call came. England’s John Crawley, who was captaining Hampshire in Robin Smith’s (injured) absence, admitted he didn’t know Richard Hindley before the game started.
His moment of glory came in the second innings where he batted No 8. In the first innings Hampshire had scored only 185 in reply to Glamorgan’s 437 and when the 2nd innings score reached 111-4, it was time for Hindley to put his pads on. They were still 141 away from an innings defeat and there was no hint that Hindley’s innings would be important. Still he was nervous and he had a long wait. The 5th wicket fell at 194 when Dimitri Mascarenhas joined Nick Pothas. They put on 149 runs, even though Pothas joined the injury list by pulling a hamstring on 52 and needing a runner; he would not be fit enough to keep wicket. He could continue only after treatment, and then with John Francis as his runner, he proceeded to stand up Gordon Greenidge-like and dispatch anything up to him to all parts.
Enter Hindley with the lead a slender 91. Caught for eight in his first knock, he began nervously with a couple of thick-edged fours down to third-man, but grew in confidence to hit a total of 11 boundaries – several of them cracking cover drives off Australia Test paceman Michael Kasprowicz- in an undefeated 68, which helped Hampshire to 449.
Having scored an unbeaten 122 for Hampshire 2nd XI against Surrey II earlier in the season, he got his 50 in just 47 balls – and his last 18 with two broken fingers after being struck twice in the same over by the 18-capped Aussie. The injury effectively put Hindley out of action for the remainder of the season. Glamorgan, left to score a tricky 198, couldn’t cope with the bounce found by 6ft 7in Chris Tremlett (6-51) mowing them down for 104 second time around. Tremlett’s figures were his best ever.
It was an unfortunate day for one reporter at the Mid and West Hants Observer; he had left early seeing the game looked like petering out into an innings defeat. He took his loss philosophically: Many years ago I was introduced in the bar at Headingley to a man whose claim to fame had been that he left the ground disgusted with England’s performance in 1981. As he graphically put it ” When that clown Botham flashed around I knew the end was near and I had a bus to catch.” I now know how he feels!’ (Mid and West Hants Observer)
Another odd fact was that when Pothas was injured and could not keep wicket, Ian Brunnschweiler was the substitute wicketkeeper even though the laws say substitutes should not keep; if County Cricket allow it, why is it not acceptable in minor cricket?
As the Times had predicted, it was Hindley’s only first-class game, and he will be pleased with an average of 76 but he is not the only one with an impressive one-match career. Stuart Moffat of Edinburgh Academicals scored 169 in his only innings for Cambridge University. Moffat, 24, whose preparation for this match included a holiday in Barbados followed by a May ball, had not picked up a bat in anger for five years before being persuaded by Chris Scott, the Cambridge coach, to re-don the whites a month before the Varsity match of 2002. Moffat’s 193-ball innings included five sixes and 17 fours; Cambridge scored a record 604. Two weeks later he joined Glasgow Caledonians as a professional rugby union player.
Hampshire v Glamorgan 15-18 July 2003
Hampshire won by 93 runs after following-on.
Glamorgan 1st innings
JP Maher hit wicket b Tomlinson 30
J Hughes c & b Mascarenhas 4
A Dale c Kenway b Katich 123
MJ Powell c Kenway b Katich 44
MP Maynard c Pothas b Tremlett 129
MA Wallace b Katich 0
RDB Croft c Francis b Mascarenhas 28
MS Kasprowicz c Pothas b Tremlett 24
AG Wharf not out 16
DS Harrison c Pothas b Tremlett 0
DA Cosker c Katich b Mascarenhas 7
Extras (b 3, lb 4, w 3, nb 22) 32
Total (all out, 105.1 overs) 437
Mascarenhas 20.1 4 50 3
Tremlett 22 5 72 3
Tomlinson 20 2 89 1
Bruce 17 3 86 0
Hindley 9 0 46 0
Katich 17 2 87 3
1-7, 2-69, 3-158, 4-287, 5-287,6-360, 7-407, 8-424, 9-430
Hampshire 1st innings
DA Kenway b Wharf 26
JHK Adams c Wallace b Kasprowicz 21
SM Katich c Maynard b Kasprowicz 4
JP Crawley c Hughes b Croft 24
JD Francis c Wallace b Croft 27
N Pothas lbw b Kasprowicz 2
AD Mascarenhas c Maher b Harrison 16
RJE Hindley c Wallace b Harrison 8
CT Tremlett c Wharf b Kasprowicz 2
JTA Bruce not out 21
JA Tomlinson b Kasprowicz 0
Extras (lb 4, w 2, nb 8) 14
Total (all out, 73.5 overs 185
Kasprowicz 22.5 10 48 5
Wharf 10 1 31 1
Harrison 15 3 51 2
Croft 26 8 51 2
1-0, 2-48, 3-58, 4-93, 5-102, 6-126, 7-137, 8-140, 9-169
Hampshire 2nd innings (following on)
DA Kenway b Croft 24
JHK Adams c Wallace b Croft 21
SM Katich c Wharf b Croft 53
JP Crawley st Wallace b Croft 9
JD Francis c Wallace b Wharf 40
N Pothas c Croft b Harrison 121
AD Mascarenhas lbw b Kasprowicz 75
RJE Hindley not out 68
CT Tremlett c Maher b Kasprowicz 6
JTA Bruce c Wallace b Kasprowicz 10
JA Tomlinson c Wallace b Croft 1
Extras (b 9, lb 6, nb 6) 21
Total (all out, 107.3 overs) 449
Kasprowicz 28 8 103 3
Wharf 17 4 68 1
Harrison 10 0 81 1
Cosker 14 1 65 0
Croft 38.3 9 117 5
1-40, 2-55, 3-75, 4-114, 5-194,6-343, 7-394, 8-420, 9-432
Glamorgan 2nd innings (target: 198 runs)
JP Maher c Crawley b Tremlett 9
J Hughes c Crawley b Tremlett 7
MA Wallace b Bruce 11
DA Cosker lbw b Bruce 6
MJ Powell c sub b Bruce 4
MP Maynard lbw b Tremlett 3
DS Harrison c sub b Tremlett 9
RDB Croft c Katich b Tremlett 12
A Dale c Katich b Tremlett 3
MS Kasprowicz c Katich b Mascarenhas 14
AG Wharf not out 10
Extras (nb 16) 16
Total (all out, 31.2 overs) 104
Tremlett 16 3 51 6
Mascarenhas 5.2 2 11 1
Bruce 10 1 42 3
1-16, 2-21, 3-33, 4-39, 5-46,6-50, 7-74, 8-79, 9-94
Terry Alderman’s Unwanted Century
Holy Cross Academicals CCv Watsonian CC May 1980
The year before Terry Alderman made his Test debut in the famous 1981 series against England, he was engaged as professional at Watsonian CC in Edinburgh. How did he concede 100 runs against the weakest team in the league, Holy Cross Academicals?
He was obviously a fine prospect and had bowled very well in the match at Myreside earlier in the season when Holy Cross were trounced by 110 runs. Next June when he made his test debut he took 9 wickets including Boycott in both innings and 42 wickets in the series. Later in 1989 he was going to be the scourge of Graham Gooch. So why could he not get the better of Phil Arrowsmith and his colleagues?
Firstly we need to glance at the rules: there was no limit on how many overs a bowler could bowl, and the team batting first could bat for 58 overs, leaving their opponents only 42.
Phil normally opened but was delayed that day; so Javed Khan offered to take his place. In fact he was looking forward to the challenge ever since he announced confidently after the previous match that Alderman would be no problem in the return game at Arboretum. Certainly the pitch at Myreside had been unusually wet at one end only, and Alderman had used it to his advantage. For the return match the rest of us hoped to do better; Javed knew he would. Usually a good professional would bowl all day but Alderman was rested after 8 overs, taking 0-23. Javed did score the 50 he expected to and was the first to go. Holy Cross’ innings was hardly spectacular at 93-1 after 33 overs, at which point Alderman returned from the Arboretum Road end, conceding 11 from his first eventful over (the 34th). [the square was turned 90 degrees in those days]. He did get his first wicket however, getting Paul Bailey out as he tried to hook but got an edge onto his helmet, and the ball was skied down to fine leg to be chased by an athletic John Everett.
By the time Phil came into bat it was five minutes past four; his innings didn’t appear particularly spectacular; he always hit the bad ball and gave the bowler hope and his score ticked along nicely as he reached his 50 in only 51 minutes; Vishnu Chetty and Phil put on 81 in 14 overs, but there was batting to come; Isa Daudpota went in with 6 overs left and scored a spectacular 23 (3 fours and a six). Phil kept scoring freely at both ends and Terry Alderman conceded 77 in his 13 over second spell. Phil ended with 85 runs (9 fours and a five) scored in 88 minutes, facing the world’s finest bowler for the whole length of his innings.
The few Watsonian spectators who were watching complained that Holy Cross had gone on too long and killed the game, but a few weeks before Holy Cross had declared at 219-3 after 52 overs, losing by 9 wickets to Accies. Watsonians were a strong side with opener David Bell playing regularly for Scotland, and none of their players complained.
What followed was the finest spell of bowling Isa Daudpota ever bowled for Holy Cross; he seemed unplayable, ball after ball, and any spectator would have thought that he was the professional, not Terry Alderman. Seven of his first 10 overs were maidens as David Bell played the ball on its merits – 10 overs 7 maidens – 4 runs – no wickets. Watsonians still needed 200 with about 22 overs left and never seriously threatened the total. Phil Arrowsmith came on to see if he could get a few wickets after his 85, but his only over went for 21. David Bell completed a stylish century and helped secure bonus points for scoring faster in a drawn game. One of the surprises was to see Alderman still batting at No 4. He was never a batsman unlike his sister Denise Emerson who scored 121 in her second test against England. Terry Alderman was dismissed for 1 by Javed Khan, whose good form continued the following day on the same pitch against Trojans (a Stewart’s Melville Sunday team). Chasing 262 in a 45 over game, he scored a century in 68 minutes, helping his team win by 8 wickets after Simon Scott had scored 156* and hadn’t expected to be on the losing side. You never can tell with cricket!
One final unusual statistic – not a single wide was bowled.
Holy Cross Academicals CC v Watsonian CC
July 12th 1980 at Arboretum Road
Match Drawn
Holy Cross Acads CC
PV Bailey c Everett b Alderman 38
JS Khan c Everett b Lockhart 55
CS Sutherland c&b Alderman 13
PA Arrowsmith not out 85
DV Chetty c Adair b Alderman 23
QI Daudpota run out 23
PJ Lyle b Alderman 1
Extras (1b, 3lb) 6
Total (6 wickets, 58 overs) 244
Alderman 21 1 100 4
Bunker 13 3 41 0
Lockhart 9 2 31 1
Maciocia 9 2 19 0
Adair 6 0 47 0
HJ Kilpatrick, D Stranock, GL Barratt & AF Reid dnb
1-84, 2-104, 3-113, 4-194, 5-239, 6-244
Score after 50 overs 178-3
Watsonian CC
D Bell not out 100
J Everett c Stranock b Barratt 29
I Berry c Reid b Daudpota 27
T Alderman b Khan 1
B Adair c Sutherland b Daudpota 15
S Lockhart c Chetty b Stranock 25
K Flannigan b Daudpota 0
D Lamb not out 0
Extras (1b, 5 lb, 1 nb) 7
Total (6 wickets, 42 overs) 204
T Bunker, M Maciocia & J Hood dnb
1-37, 2-101, 3-104, 4-132, 5-193, 6-197
Daudpota 21 8 51 3
Stranock 7 0 35 1
Barratt 5 0 38 1
Khan 8 0 52 1
Arrowsmith 1 0 21 0
Hampshire All Out 15
Warwickshire v Hampshire June 1922
This was the match of the century in which Hampshire managed to pull off a comfortable victory after being dismissed for 15 in their first innings, the third lowest score in the history of County cricket.
How could this happen? Did the wicket change? Or did the batsman suddenly find their form in the second innings? According to Warwickshire’s wicketkeeper, ‘Tiger’ Smith, there was another reason – the Warwickshire committee and club secretary R V Ryder. He maintains that just before lunch on the second day, with Hampshire still trailing by 30 with only 4 wickets left, his captain, Freddie Calthorpe, was sent a message by the committee on the field of play. It said that the committee wanted to see some cricket in the afternoon before going into a meeting later on; therefore he should delay taking the new ball. Calthorpe did as requested and Hampshire’s recovery started. He allowed 50 year old Billy Quaife to bowl 49 overs of leg-spin. Tiger Smith was embarrassed by the game till the day he died.
Back to day one, and it was Hampshire who were embarrassed. Their captain Lionel Tennyson, the grandson of the poet laureate, had asked Warwickshire to bat as the wicket was damp. A 3rd wicket stand of 122 gave them a respectable score, but by 4 o’clock the wicket had dried out was now a much better wicket to bat on. Hampshire were a good batting side with three England players but within 40 minutes they were all out for 15. It could have been far worse as Tiger Smith let one ball go for four byes down the legside and Tennyson snicked one through the slips which went for four. Maybe they should have been all out for 7.
Tennyson was no defeatist – following on he predicted that his team could score 500. At the end of the day the score was 98-3, and he wasn’t amused when his opposing captain Calthorpe popped his head round the dressing room door and suggested a game of golf next day when the match was over. He went so far as to take aten pound bet with Calthorpe that Warwickshire would lose; when other Warwickshire players heard of Tennyson’s seemingly foolish gesture, they also stuck more bets with him.
Next day more wickets fell; though Tennyson scored 45, it was not enough. At 177-7 it looked hopeless but then Shirley hung around for a while, adding 85 as Brown found his feet, and at the close they were 69 ahead with 2 wickets left. The hero of the next day was Tennyson’s valet, Walter Livsey; he was told to stay there supporting George Brown. He seldom reached double figures but this time he listened to his master and did just as he was asked. Brown was severe on Quaife’s legspin as he bowled 49 overs, and the initiative began to swing Hampshire’s way. Brown and Livsey put on 177 in 140 minutes when Brown was bowled just before close of play for 172. His magnificent innings had turned the match A framed scorecard of the match was his most treasured possession in his home.
Livsey was now the senior partner and looked after No 11 Stuart Boyes who was to become a competent all rounder in his later years, even scoring centuries in 1936 and 1938; but by this match his highest score was 22. Livsey was 81* at the close of play with his side leading by an impressive 267.
Next morning another 46 were added as Livsey completed his first century; eventually Boyes was bowled by a ball which kept low, leaving Warwickshire a target of 314 in about 5 hours. A lunch score of 77-1 would suggest the game being in the balance but after lunch Hampshire took five wickets for 12 runs and crowded the demoralised Warwickshire batsmen. They were all out for 158; Hampshire who had been dismissed for 15 two days previously had emerged victors by a handsome 155 runs. All that was left for their skipper Tennyson was to visit the opposition changing room and collect his winnings from the bet.
Warwickshire v Hampshire
Edgbaston on 14th -16th June 1922 (3-day match)
Hampshire won by 155 runs after following on
Warwickshire 1st innings
LTA Bates c Shirley b Newman 3
EJ Smith c Mead b Newman 24
FR Santall c McIntyre b Boyes 84
WG Quaife b Newman 1
FSG Calthorpe c Boyes b Kennedy 70
EF Waddy c Mead b Boyes 0
BW Quaife b Boyes 0
J Fox b Kennedy 4
JA Smart b Newman 20
CC Smart c Mead b Boyes 14
H Howell not out 1
Extras (2 lb) 2
Total (all out, 55.3 overs) 223
Kennedy 24 7 74 2
Newman 12.3 0 70 4
Boyes 16 5 56 4
Shirley 3 0 21 0
1-3, 2-36, 3-44, 4-166, 5-177, 6-184, 7-184, 8-200, 9-219
Hampshire 1st innings
AS Kennedy c Smith b Calthorpe 0
HAW Bowell b Howell 0
HLV Day b Calthorpe 0
CP Mead not out 6
LH Tennyson c Calthorpe b Howell 4
G Brown b Howell 0
JA Newman c CC Smart b Howell 0
WRD Shirley c JA Smart b Calthorpe 1
AS McIntyre lbw b Calthorpe 0
WH Livsey b Howell 0
GS Boyes lbw b Howell 0
Extras (4 b) 4
Total (all out, 8.5 overs) 15
Howell 4.5 2 7 6
Calthorpe 4 3 4 4
1-0, 2-0, 3-0, 4-5, 5-5,6-9, 7-10, 8-10, 9-15
Hampshire 2nd innings (following on)
AS Kennedy b Calthorpe 7
HAW Bowell c Howell b WG Quaife 45
HLV Day c Bates b WG Quaife 15
CP Mead b Howell 24
LH Tennyson c CC Smart b Calthorpe 45
G Brown b CC Smart 172
JA Newman c and b WG Quaife 12
WRD Shirley lbw b Fox 30
AS McIntyre lbw b Howell 5
WH Livsey not out 110
GS Boyes b Howell 29
Extras (14 b, 11 lb, 1 nb, 1 w) 27
Total (all out, 161 overs) 521
Howell 53 10 156 3
Calthorpe 33 7 97 2
WG Quaife 49 8 154 3
Fox 7 0 30 1
JA Smart 13 2 37 0
Santall 5 0 15 0
CC Smart 1 0 5 1
1-15, 2-63, 3-81, 4-127, 5-152, 6-177, 7-262, 8-274, 9-451
Warwickshire 2nd innings (target 314)
LTA Bates c Mead b Kennedy 1
EJ Smith c Shirley b Kennedy 41
FSG Calthorpe b Newman 30
WG Quaife not out 40
FR Santall b Newman 0
EF Waddy b Newman 0
JA Smart b Newman 3
CC Smart c and b Boyes 15
BW Quaife c and b Kennedy 7
J Fox b Kennedy 0
H Howell c Kennedy b Newman 11
Extras (6 b, 4 lb) 10
Total (all out, 68.3 overs) 158
Kennedy 26 12 47 4
Newman 26.3 12 53 5
Boyes 11 4 34 1
Brown 5 0 14 0
1-2, 2-77, 3-85, 4-85, 5-85, 6-89, 7-113, 8-143, 9-147
Astle’s Innings on a Drop-in Pitch : 2002
New Zealand v England – March 2002
This was the game where Nathan Astle broke the record for the fastest double century in tests by an amazing 59 balls. New Zealand were chasing a mammoth 550 runs and lost by only 98 runs in the most glorious failure in the history of test cricket. New Zealand were 333-9, still 217 short of victory when an injured Cairns came out to bat. What happened next had to be seen to be believed; when the second new ball was taken, Astle smashed Hoggard for 41 in his 2 overs, and Caddick for 4,6,6,4,6,6,6,4 in consecutive balls. Nine overs produced 111 runs.
The last-wicket partnership with Chris Cairns, 118 off 65 balls, was astonishing. What if Chris Cairns had batted at 7, his usual position? At 242 for five, with Astle already 70 not out on his way to a century off 114 balls, the subsequent events might have been even more favourable to New Zealand. As it was, Astle went from 101 to 200 in 39 balls. Astle’s double hundred, the fastest recorded in terms of balls faced, came from 153 balls, as many as 59 fewer than were faced by Adam Gilchrist when he savaged the South African bowlers for his double hundred in Johannesburg the month before.
In light of his batting feats, it is somewhat surprising that Astle commenced his cricketing career as a pace bowler who batted in the lower order for Canterbury.
The pitch had a lot to do with this amazing game; it had been grown elsewhere and dumped into the middle of a rugby pitch. It became the second successive drop-in pitch at Christchurch to produce two double centuries, and was one of the most curious matches ever played as the pitch got better and better; one reporter said that the match lived backwards in time. “It began on the last day as a surface without flaw, a batsman’s dream and a bowler’s nightmare, only to deteriorate until, by the time the match began, it was virtually unplayable and very green.”
Ian Botham who was commentating said at the end that it was one of the best, if not the best Test match he had ever seen. Others were not so sure since the pitch was so true on the last day that Astle found it too easy and the boundaries were too short – after all this was a rugby ground.
Surprisingly Nathan Astle did not get the Man of the Match award; instead it went to Graham Thorpe whose 200 enabled England recover from 106-5, helped by a century from Flintoff. Ironically it was Astle who dropped Thorpe at second slip when he was only four. Some would have given the award to Nasser Hussain, who kept cool in anxious circumstances and made the first of the game’s four individual centuries when it was damp and the ball was moving about at pace. Duncan Fletcher’s view is that Hussain played the key innings of the match and the best of his time as captain. “I really believe that was a tremendous effort,” he said. “To go in at nought for two and get a hundred on a wicket that was doing far too much for a Test wicket was a top, top innings.”
The circumstances were radically different by the end on Saturday when the pitch was so utterly reliable in its bounce that Astle was able to take paces down the pitch and simply swing his bat through the line for the majority of his 11 sixes. England came off the field in the end thoroughly relieved to have achieved the victory that had been virtually guaranteed when the ninth wicket fell at 333.
The person we learnt a lot about on that bizarre final day was not Astle, with his 11 sixes, but Andrew Caddick, that difficult and quirky talent, who somehow managed not to be disheartened – always a hard trick for him – by the wild hitting and did his extremely difficult job well, bowling with plan and purpose and discipline to take six wickets.
Astle’s 222 was the only double hundred scored for a losing team in the second innings. Ponting’s 242 against India at Adelaide in 2003-04 broke the previous record score in a losing cause, but he batted in the first innings of the game. This also remains the only time when two rival players scored double centuries.
Now watch it on YouTube!
England v New Zealand, 1st Test, Jade Stadium, Christchurch
13-16 March 2002
England won by 98 runs
Man of the Match: GP Thorpe
Day 1: England 228, New Zealand 9-1 (Horne 0*, Vettori 4*)
Day 2: New Zealand 147, England 63-2 (Butcher 22*, Hussain 6*)
Day 3: England 468-6d, New Zealand 28-0 (Richardson 20*, Horne 3*)
England 1st innings
ME Trescothick c Parore b Cairns 0
MP Vaughan c Parore b Cairns 27
MA Butcher c Butler b Cairns 0
N Hussain lbw b Drum 106
GP Thorpe c Fleming b Drum 17
MR Ramprakash c Parore b Astle 31
A Flintoff lbw b Astle 0
JS Foster lbw b Drum 19
AF Giles c Drum b Butler 8
AR Caddick lbw b Butler 0
MJ Hoggard not out 0
Extras (b 1, lb 10, nb 9) 20
Total (81.2 overs) 228
Cairns 15 4 58 3
Drum 20.2 8 36 3
Butler 16 2 59 2
Astle 18 10 32 2
Vettori 9 1 26 0
1-0, 2-0, 3-46, 4-83, 5-139, 6-151, 7-196, 8-214 , 9-226
New Zealand 1st innings
MH Richardson lbw b Hoggard 2
MJ Horne c Thorpe b Hoggard 14
DL Vettori c Foster b Hoggard 42
L Vincent b Hoggard 12
SP Fleming c Giles b Caddick 12
NJ Astle lbw b Hoggard 10
CD McMillan c Vaughan b Hoggard 40
CL Cairns c Flintoff b Caddick 0
AC Parore lbw b Caddick 0
CJ Drum not out 2
IG Butler c Hussain b Hoggard 0
Extras (lb 5, nb 8) 13
Total (all out, 51.2 overs). 147
Caddick 18 8 50 3
Hoggard 21.2 7 63 7
Flintoff 12 2 29 0
1-4 , 2-50 , 3-65, 4-79, 5-93, 6-117, 7-117, 8-117, 9-146
England 2nd innings
ME Trescothick c Vettori b Butler 33
MP Vaughan b Butler 0
MA Butcher hit wicket b Butler 34
N Hussain c Parore b Drum 11
GP Thorpe not out 200
MR Ramprakash b Drum 11
A Flintoff c sub b Astle 137
JS Foster not out 22
Extras (b 6, lb 4, nb 10) 20
Total (6 wkts dec, 96.4 overs) 468
AF Giles, AR Caddick, MJ Hoggard dnb
1-11, 2-50, 3-81, 4-85, 5-106, 6-387
Drum 32 6 130 2
Butler 23 2 137 3
Cairns 4 0 8 0
McMillan 10 0 66 0
Astle 5.4 0 20 1
Vettori 22 3 97 0
New Zealand 2nd innings (target: 550)
MH Richardson c Foster b Caddick 76
MJ Horne c Foster b Caddick 4
L Vincent c Butcher b Caddick 0
SP Fleming c Foster b Flintoff 48
NJ Astle c Foster b Hoggard 222
CD McMillan c & b Caddick 24
AC Parore b Caddick 1
DL Vettori c Flintoff b Giles 12
CJ Drum lbw b Flintoff 0
IG Butler c Foster b Caddick 4
CL Cairns not out 23
Extras (b 9, lb 11, w 1, nb 16) 37
Total (all out, 93.3 overs) 451
Caddick 25 8 122 6
Hoggard 24.3 5 142 1
Giles 28 6 73 1
Flintoff 16 1 94 2
1-42, 2-53, 3-119, 4-189, 5-242, 6-252, 7-300, 8-301, 9-333