New kid in town

In 24 heart-stopping hours on November 30, 2001, 23-year-old Lou Vincent changed the face of New Zealand cricket. On that day Vincent opened the batting for New Zealand in the third Test against Australia at the WACA in Perth, went on to score a century in what was his first Test, and almost led New Zealand to an epic Test, and series, win over Australia.

A bright, blazing comet had soared across the New Zealand cricketing sky, and the glow promised to last for years. The magic of the moment was that it was all so unexpected. Vincent had been a very talented youngster in Auckland primary school cricket and, after he moved to Adelaide, seemed headed for state and Australian under-19 selection. His coach, Andrew Sincock, thought differently, so Vincent returned to New Zealand, played for NZ under-19, then for Auckland, and later still, joined a group of about 10 players who might develop to full international level. There was a hiccup when Vincent, who relied on his bubbly personality and flamboyant strokeplay, found runs scarce and his Auckland place in danger. He managed to reach New Zealand one-day level as a spare-parts middle-order batsman though, and had much the same role with the full New Zealand side on the three-Test tour of Australia.

With only two openers, and Matthew Bell in dreadful form in the first two tests, New Zealand gambled in giving Vincent the task of opening the batting against Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee, perhaps the most dangerous new-ball group in world cricket at the moment. Before the Test a group of cricket-writers, looking like pallbearers preparing for yet another New Zealand cricket funeral, asked Vincent how he felt going straight into the hottest seat in Test cricket.

"Worried? Not a bit of it. I have always dreamed of going to bat in a Test match, and facing McGrath, Gillespie and Lee. Well, it does not get any better than that, does it?" said Vincent, his eyes sparkling. Fast forward six days to Vincent facing the same people at a press conference (a press-box poll had already established him as the new No. 1 pin-up boy). "I'm new to this," he said. "Fire away with the questions."

The beauty of it all was that Vincent's batting, even in the first day hot-seat, mirrored his lively attitude. New Zealanders who feared he would be another middle-order batsman murdered by crazy selectors were delighted that Vincent batted like a mature professional. He played both back foot and front with equal ease and had the ball racing from the meat of the bat. His footwork and quick sighting of the ball gave him attacking freedom against even the quickest bowlers. His full-blooded, and often bold, strokes went to every part of the WACA.

Ian Chappell marvelled from the Channel Nine television box "at the best New Zealand batsman I have seen since Martin Crowe," and all New Zealand rejoiced as Vincent scored a century in the first innings, and a quickish half-century in the second. New Zealand just failed to finish winning a Test they always had under control. Vincent might have had an even more distinguished start had not umpire Darrell Hair given him out caught off Shane Warne - replays showed Vincent did not hit the ball. New Zealand looked world Test cricket squarely in the eye as Vincent, Stephen Fleming, Nathan Astle and Adam Parore all scored first innings centuries at the WACA.

And Vincent, the new boy, the test-match novice, was the man who led the way.