Harris bowling style wasn’t really like Coney’s though (other than in velocity). Harris was more like a much slower version of Lance Cairns – both employed a very odd action, bowling off the wrong foot which enabled them to produce a lot of swing. Harris managed to get a one day hatrick with 3 consecutive deathly slow in-swinging yorkers.

OJ loved your Top 8 – I remember the Kiwis’ innovation in the 1992 World Cup (Greatbatch slogging, Patel opening the bowling) and their great batting last year (the 347 chase was superb – I think McMillan got the runs? Same match Hayden got 180 I think, the last 80 on one leg), but hadn’t heard the Bert Sutcliffe/Bob Blair story. Is that possibly why so many NZ have been called Blair?? Blair Young, Blair Pocock etc.

Probably I should have included some more modern moments but like many it’s the Beige Brigade I most fondly remember! Chris Harris’ dibbly-dobblies were straight from the Jeremy Coney playbook. However I think Coney’s middle name began with V, and therefore was not Zinzan. Harris has the edge there.

cheers
AJ

Also the classic 1985 where Paddles V Australia was a joy to behold.

Big big call, but I think Hadlee by himself made New Zealand at least 30% more competitive.

Who are all these no names in the kiwi side now – what about the days of Chris Cairns, Martin Crowe, Chris Harris or even the handy Dipak Patel (now he was a fine spinner). At least they still have two class players in Vettori and Mccullum.

Hobart, 1990 World Series Cup. With one over remaining, Australia need two runs to win. Chris Pringle bowls a maiden over to Australian tail-ender Bruce Reid, who runs himself out on the final ball.

Eden Park, 1992 World Cup. Martin Crowe scores one of his melodramatic centuries (with runner), as NZ win the opening game of the Cup. Heartbreak at the same ground a few weeks later. OJ sheds tears.

Hamilton, 1993. Jeff Wilson scores the winning boundary, pumps his fist, runs off the park, ditches cricket for rugby, beat s the Aussies at that too.

2002, Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. New Zealand defeat Australia three times in the same summer, knocking them out of the VB series.

Melbourne, 2004. This was special. Inaugural match in the Chappell-Hadlee series. New Zealand, chasing 247 to win, look well out of it at the 40 over mark. McCullum and Marshall start running between wickets like you’ve never seen before, turning singles into twos, twos into threes. Ian Smith starts jock riding NZ cricket and Lawry gets right under his skin. Bill says we’re close enough if we’re good enough, McCullum plays some crazy, inventive shots that only our batsmen can make because we don’t have proper technique.

Christchurch, 2005. Chappell-Hadlee dead rubber. New Zealand chase down 332 to win. McCullum’s the man again, smacking a 50 off 25 balls. Nobody cares that we lost the series 2-1.

2007, Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton. Fleming’s triumph. A clean sweep of the Aussies to lift the Chappell-Hadlee trophy. New Zealand chase 337 to win it all and 347 for a laugh. Aussies go on to win the World Cup. Nobody cares.

Seriously though, Bert Sutcliffe’s 80 not out against South Africa in Johannesburg on Boxing Day 1953 is the greatest moment in New Zealand cricket history.

From wikipedia: “New Zealand’s batsmen were destroyed by South African fast bowler Neil Adcock on a green wicket. Sutcliffe was hit in the head by Adcock (as were a number of his team mates) and left the field to receive hospital treatment. He unexpectedly returned to the crease, deathly pale, his head swathed in bandages. He took to the bowling, smashing a number of sixes, until the ninth wicket fell. The New Zealand fast bowler Bob Blair was understood to be back at the team hotel distraught as his fiancee had been killed in the Tangiwai disaster two days earlier.

Sutcliffe started to walk off only to see Blair walk out into the bright sunshine. Despite the presence of 23,000 fans, silence enveloped the ground. The two Kiwis walked back to the wicket arm-in-arm, stunning the South African crowd in one of the most emotional moments ever seen in test cricket history. 33 runs were added in 10 minutes before Blair was out. New Zealand lost the test match by a considerable margin. Notwithstanding this, the noted new Zealand cricket writer Dick Brittenden said ‘it was a great and glorious victory, a story every New Zealand boy should learn at his mother’s knee.’”

One of these things is not like the others, one of these things does not belong….

THe oval and Lords tests are drawn (weather) – - Kiwis win in England 1-0.

Eng 256, Kiwis 413, Eng 230 and Kiwis storm home 2-77.

Hadlee takes 10-140 for match

J.Bracewell scores 110

series 0-0 after 2 test,

Aust 314 batting first, Kiwis rolled for 258 conceding 56 on first innings,
then

Boonie carries his bat,………for 58*………..out of 103……..

J.Bracewell 6-32 and the ‘demon’ Ewen Chatfield 3-19!!!

And the kiwis chase down 2-160 with Kenny Rutherford exorcising a few personal demons finishing 50*.

Kiwis win series 1-0

This series was remembered for J.Coney hitting 90+ in each of the 3 tests, but only cracking the ton once.

A super kiwi batting line up with Wright, Edgar, J.Reid, M.Crowe, Rutherford and J.Coney followed by Hadlee, I.Smith+ and J.Bracewell.

Not bad, not bad at all, and a 1-0 home series win.