In the Shadow of Packer: England’s Winter Tour of Pakistan and New Zealand 1977 78 by David Battersby

Author:David Battersby [Battersby, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

7

The tour concludes in Auckland

Ian Botham had come in and thrown the bat and then called his captain for a quick single. Boycott, having advanced a few yards, then sent him back, but Botham in full cry was not to be halted and charged past his captain before the wicket had been broken.

THE following day, after the victory over Young New Zealand, England returned to nearby Christchurch for the second Test, which was being played at the same ground where they had drawn their three-day tour match against Canterbury.

It was a quiet eve of the Test for England who named a squad of 13, but the build-up to the Test had proved more of an anxious time for the hosts. Mark Burgess, the New Zealand captain, who had broken his right forefinger, had come through a batting trial

and his chances of playing in the game were looking good. With reports that Burgess did not quite have full batting power in his hand, questions were being asked as to whether he would field at second slip, where he had already taken a number of good catches.

Bruce Edgar, who played for Young New Zealand in Temuka, was on standby in case Burgess had to withdraw. Dayle Hadlee, however, had not recovered from his back injury and Ewen Chatfield, who was already in the 12, would take his place.

England decided on leaving out birthday boys John Lever and Geoff Cope from their side. Geoffrey Boycott won the toss and decided to bat and with England soon crumbling to 26 for 3, probably wished he hadn’t. Boycott was first man out when a fast break back delivery from Richard Collinge kept low and rapped him on the pads. Derek Randall lasted seven balls and fell for a duck, snicking a delivery from Richard Hadlee low to Mark Burgess at second slip. Then first change bowler Ewen Chatfield had Brian Rose caught brilliantly by Geoff Howarth diving at leg slip, but the batting collapse was soon thwarted by Graham Roope and Geoff Miller. The New Zealand team were buoyant after Wellington and had now relieved themselves of the psychological handicap of never having beaten England in a Test. By the time Roope and Miller had started on their 77-run stand, some of the cutting edge had been blunted. Twice Roope escaped. The first was a hard fourth slip catch to Bob Anderson off Collinge when only on 4, and the second was even harder, to Hadlee at gully from Chatfield when on 27. Roope and Miller did their country proud in stopping the rot.

When Miller was on 31 he played an early hook shot off Collinge and as he finished the stroke he felt the ball crack into his cheek below his right ear. Miller soon found himself falling to the ground in agony. He was taken to hospital where, luckily, an X-ray showed no break, and he was later able to join in the birthday party held for Lever and Cope.

The short-pitched deliveries and

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