Basin Reserve magic moments: 10-16 February
Since hosting its first cricket game in 1868, the Allied Nationwide Finance Basin Reserve has been the venue of 398 first class matches and 50 Tests.
Some Magic moments this week in history were:
The Basin Reserve was cemented its status as New Zealand’s number one Test cricket ground in the 1970s, highlighted by two famous victories against India and England:
1976:
New Zealand trounces India by an innings and 33 runs for a famous Test win, Richard Hadlee the hero with a stunning 11-wicket haul to level the three-test series at 1-1.
Hadlee’s second innings 7 for 23 and match analysis of 11 for 58 is the best performance by a New Zealand Test bowler, surpassing the 10 for 140 by Jack Cowie against England at Manchester in 1937.
His match haul is all the more remarkable given that his selection for this Test was far from an automatic choice. Not included in the first Test in Auckland, Hadlee had by his own admission bowled badly in the second Test in his hometown Christchurch taking 1 for 139 off 26 overs for the match. In his previous 8 Tests had captured 21 wickets and hardly set the world on fire.
Coming to Wellington for the series decider, both he and the media had fully expected him to be twelfth man. But in one of the more inspired selections by a New Zealand selection panel, left arm spinner Hedley Howarth is asked to carry the drinks giving New Zealand a four-prong seam attack.
On winning the toss India bats first, openers Dilip Vensarkar and Sunil Gavaskar seeing off the new ball pairing of Richard Collinge and Dayle Hadlee and adding 40 runs in 72 minutes.
But Richard Hadlee is then introduced into the attack as the fourth seamer and he immediately strikes, having Gavaskar, Surinder Amarnath and Vengsarkar all caught and it becomes 47 for 3 and Hadlee has 3 for 10.
India ends up making 220 (Hadlee 4 for 35), followed by New Zealand compiling 334 (Mark Burgess 95, Glen turner 64) for a lead of 114.
India
’s second innings then collapses meekly from 62 for 3 to be all out for 81. Their last six wickets are lost in 46 minutes for the addition of 19 runs and Hadlee has finished with 7 for 23 and had captured his last four wickets from 16 balls at the cost of only three runs. His 7 for 23 becomes his best first class return and the best at the time by a New Zealander and cemented his place in the team for the next 14 years.
Hadlee bowling to India in 1976
1978: A historic week as New Zealand records its first ever Test victory over England. After 48 years of trying New Zealand finally has the taste of victory when they roll them for just 64 in the second innings and win by 72 runs.
Fans taking in the action in the 1978 Test.
England captain Geoff Boycott wins the toss and inserts New Zealand on the first morning. New Zealand then battles their way to 228, led by debutant opener John Wright’s 55, Bevan Congdon’s 44 and Richard Hadlee’s unbeaten 27.
In reply England appeared to be heading for a first innings lead at 183 for 4, aided by Boycott’s 77 at the top of the order, but collapses from their position of relative comfort to be all out for 215, their last six wickets falling in 88 minutes for the addition of only 32 runs - a portent of their second innings to come.
Richard Hadlee (4 for 74), Richard Collinge (3 for 42), Congdon (2 for 14) and another debutant Stephen Boock (1 for 21) have the wickets.
New Zealand’s second innings starts promising enough when Wright, Robert Anderson and Geoff Howarth put on 82 for the first two wickets, but Bob Willis soon skittles them for 123, meaning the English need a mere 137 to win.
But what follows is one of England’s worst ever batting collapses, inspired by the two Richard’s, Hadlee and Collinge.
First Boycott is out in Collinge’s first over, Miller in his second and Randell in his third - 18 for 3. Boycott’s wicket is Collinge’s 100th Test wicket, becoming the third New Zealander to reach this milestone behind Dick Motz and then record holder Bruce Taylor who had 111.
Boycott's castles are broken with Hadlee gleefully looking on
Hadlee then does the rest, slicing through the remainder of the batting order with the exception of a suicidal run out in the middle. England is 53 for 8 at stumps on day four and the end comes the next day at 12.30pm after rain has delayed the start.
Collinge has match figures of 6 for 77 and finishes his career with 116 Test wickets and Hadlee has 10 for 100 and finishes with 431 wickets.
This Test was also significant as being the last played on the old rectangular ground. Over the next three years the Basin was refashioned into an oval.
1982: Local batsman Bruce Edgar scores 143 and puts on the same number of runs at the top of the order in partnership with Peter Webb for New Zealand against the Rest of New Zealand in a three-day practice match at the Basin ahead of the New Zealand's upcoming home series against Australia.
New Zealand puts on 422 and then dismisses the Rest - minus selected captain John Morrison who had to withdraw through injury - for 80 and 182 for an innings and 160 run win. Martin Sneddon, Gary Troup and Ewen Chatrfield share the bulk of the 20 wickets taken for New Zealand.
The Australian tour starts three days later with a ODI in front of a record 41,500 New Zealand crowd at Eden Park in Auckland, Edgar top scoring with 79 in New Zealand's 46-run win. However, the Australians bounce back in the next two ODI's, including a thumping win at the Basin when they bowl out New Zealand for 74.
The first Test at the Basin at the end of the month is a washout. But not before Edgar scores 55 in New Zealand's one completed innings of 266 for 7 declared.
Bruce Edgar batting for Wellington in the early 1980s.