Coming from Spring Creek, a Marlborough hamlet, Lance Cairns was the rawest of cricketers. The first Test he saw was the first one he played in. He had no idea that his awkward wrong-footed delivery was not the orthodox bowling action. But soon Cairns' ability to bowl big inswingers, and batsmanship born of broad shoulders and a good eye, made him a crowd-pleasing match-winner. He carried a wooden club, rather than a bat, with cutaway shoulders and bearing the name Excalibur - a massive blade that carved six sixes in one memorable one-day international against Australia at Melbourne. And one Christchurch day when New Zealand were waiting for Lancaster Park to dry out, Lance Cairns was bowling on the outfield to a classy 14-year-old - the Chris Cairns who in a decade or so would surpass his father's famous deeds.
Wisden Cricinfo staff