On November 27, New Zealand plays in Adelaide for just the fifth time in 40 years. And it is a venue that hasn’t been kind to the Black Caps, with all three big losses and a draw recorded at Adelaide Oval.
January 26-31, 1974: Australia won by an innings and 57 runs
New Zealand’s first Adelaide Test was in 1974, the first series in almost 30 years. Australia went into the third and final Test with a 1-0 lead.
Beginning on Australia Day, the Aussies were a formidable 6-332, with Kerry O’Keefe (58 not out) and Rod Marsh (44 not out) capitalising on early runs from Doug Walters (94) and Greg Chappell (42). O’Keefe and Marsh continued on the second morning, their partnership reaching 168.
Marsh scored 132 and O’Keefe 85, while New Zealand spinner David O’Sullivan toiled away for 5-132. The poor old Kiwis never stood a chance.
By stumps on Day 3 – with a rest day to follow – they were 4-98 in their second innings, following-on from 218 all out (O’Keefe 3-55). Day 4 was abandoned and New Zealand lost 6-104 on Day 5, defeated by an innings and 57 runs.
Geoff Dymock took 5-58 while captain Bevan Congdon (71 not out) showed some resistance in New Zealand’s second innings.
December 11-15, 1987: Match drawn
New Zealand returned to Adelaide in 1987 with brighter prospects, as they had drawn a series in 1981-82 and won 3-1 during six home-and-away Tests in 1985-86. Australia took a 1-0 lead into Adelaide and kept that advantage after a high-scoring draw.
Batting first, Andrew Jones (150) complied 128 for the second wicket with John Wright (45) and 213 with Martin Crowe (137) for the third wicket. Strong lower-order runs allowed New Zealand to declare at 9-485.
Australia captain Allan Border, who’d singlehandedly dragged the Aussies through the dire Eighties, was rewarded with 205, sharing partnerships of 116 with Steve Waugh (61) and 154 with Peter Sleep (62).
Australia ensured a draw by batting into Day 5 – wicketkeeper Greg Dyer scoring 60 from number eight – as they made 496. Richard Hadlee bowled 42 overs for 5-68. Jones (64) and Dipak Patel (40) enjoyed some second innings batting practice, but Australia won the series with another draw in the MCG Boxing Day Test.
November 26-30, 2004: Australia won by 213 runs
It was 17 years before New Zealand – now nicknamed the Black Caps – visited Adelaide for another Test. The 2004-05 edition was a minimum two-Test series, with Australia wining by an innings at the Gabba and wining almost as easily in Adelaide.
Mark Richardson – in a lovely beige and brown body suit – did manage to beat Darren Lehmann in the post-match 110-metre ‘sprint’ (complete with beer keg hurdles). At least the race was for a good cause, with $200 going to Intellectually Handicapped Children (IHC) and $1000 to the Shane Warne Foundation.
The actual Test match was a snooze. Australia made 8-575 declared as Justin Langer (215) compiled 137 with fellow opener Matthew Hayden (70), 103 with Ponting (68) and 184 with Lehmann (81). Half-centuries from Shane Warne (53 not out) and Gilchrist (50) continued the torture.
Daniel Vettori bowled 55.2 overs for 5-152.
Black Caps captain Steven Fleming (83) and Nathan Astle (52) provided some resistance as opening bowlers Glenn McGrath (4-66) and Jason Gillespie (3-37) dismissed New Zealand for 251. Resuming at 0-57 on Day 4, Australia declared at 2-139, with Hayden (54) and Langer (46) adding 93.
The target of 464 was well beyond the Black Caps, in trouble at 4-34 after 20 overs. Vettori (59), Jacob Oram (40), Astle (38) and Brendon McCullum (36) dragged the game into the fifth day and at least created anticipation for the Richardson versus Lehmann race. McGrath (2-32), Michael Kasprowicz (2-39), Gillespie (2-41), Lehmann (2-46) and Warne (2-79) shared the wickets.
November 28 to December 1, 2008: Australia won by an innings and 62 runs
New Zealand returned to Adelaide four years later, again given the minimum two-Test series. Australia, again, complemented a big Gabba win with an even bigger win at Adelaide.
New Zealand were competitive on Day 1, reaching 6-262 (Aaron Redmond 83, Ross Taylor 44), but the tail fell in the second morning, with Brett Lee taking 4-66.
Australia’s reply was highlighted by big tons for Brad Haddin (169), Michael Clarke (110) and fifties for Ponting (79) and Mike Hussey (70). Trailing by 265, New Zealand were 0-35 heading into Day 4. Another five wickets to Lee (5-105) saw New Zealand lost 10-168 in just 65 overs.
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