Short in stature, a handicap more than made up for with spirit, Danny Morrison succeeded Richard Hadlee as New Zealand's main strike bowler, and with a slingy action and a good outswinger, he led the line with distinction and for the first half of the 1990s was an ever present in the side. As a genuine strike bowler he often went for a few runs, but developed into a good one-day bowler, with a well-disguised slower ball and nagging accuracy, and his ability to swing the ball made him a difficult proposition in his pomp. New Zealand won only two of his last 35 Tests, but each time Morrison was the catalyst, with 6 for 37 against Australia at Auckland in 1992-93, and eight wickets against Pakistan at Christchurch a year later. As a batsman he was a genuine rabbit, at one time holding the world record of 24 Test ducks. It was not really fitting that his final bout of heroics for New Zealand came with the bat, scoring 14 in an unbeaten 10th-wicket stand of 106 with Nathan Astle which saved a Test against England - he was dropped and it turned out to be his final appearance. He played throughout his career for Auckland, and also had one season in England with Lancashire but failed to adapt as well as had been expected. He is now a television commentator and analyst.
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