NEW ZEALAND v ENGLAND 1987-88

At Christchurch, February 12, 13, 14, 16, 17. Drawn. This match began amid excitement and expectation. The mood did not last. That it ended in stalemate was largely the fault of the weather, which accounted for five hours of playing time. That it ended in local disappointment was due to an injury which foiled Hadlee's attempt, on his home-town ground, to take the one wicket he needed to overtake I. T. Botham and set a new world Test record. Hadlee strained a calf muscle on the first afternoon, having bowled eighteen profitless overs, and took no further part in the game, or the series, a grievous blow to New Zealand. It was the first time in his 74 Tests that Hadlee had broken down and, without him, New Zealand's attack was modest, with the skilful exception of Chatfield.

As had become customary at Lancaster Park, the pitch had too great a say in the course of the game. It began green and moist, the bounce was never consistent, and for three days at least, there was exaggerated help for the seamers. Both captains felt it was not an ideal Test pitch, and in Gatting's case frustration overcame criticism. Having left themselves all of the final day to dismiss New Zealand a second time, England were mortified to find that a combination of the heavy roller and the rare appearance of the sun had drained the pitch of its spite.

New Zealand won the toss and chose to bowl. Moxon went early, an ominous sign, but thereafter Broad and Robinson played with character and considerable good fortune against the moving ball. They put on 168 in 223 minutes before the erratic Morrison picked up two wickets with long-hops. Broad, however, went on to complete his third century in four Tests, and his sixth in only ten Tests overseas. It was yet another testimony to his appetite for runs and his fine, five-day temperament; it was not, however, a memorable innings, with just eleven four coming in 5 hours 41 minutes. Emburey held together the lower order and, critically, saw the score past 300, giving New Zealand a very tough order.

At 40 for four on the second evening, New Zealand were desperate. All four wickets fell to Dilley, who kept a disciplined off-stump line and troubled everyone. Jeff Crowe and Bracewell delayed England, and Hadlee, hobbling badly and batting for three hours with a runner, made the highest score before becoming Dilley's sixth victim in his best Test analysis

England's second innings was messy; they were 55 for two at the close of the third day but could not resume, owing to rain, until four o'clock on the fourth. The mission then was to score another 100 runs in the remainder of the day and this was virtually achieved, although they were all out in the attempt. The final day was mercifully dry (50 minutes were lost to bad light) but New Zealand, intent only on survival, achieved their aim comfortably. Dilley, who took two further wickets, was involved in an unsavoury incident in mid-afternoon, releasing a shouted series of swear-words when an appeal was rejected. He was fined £250 by an apparently divided tour committee and the Test ended with a sense of resentment invading the England dressing-room once again.

Close of play: First day, England 235-4 (C. W. J. Athey 18*, D. J. Capel 10*); Second day, New Zealand 83-4 (J. J. Crowe 15*, J. G. Bracewell 22*); Third day, England 55-2 (M. D. Moxon 27*, M. W. Gatting 3*); Fourth day, England 152.