AUSTRALIA V. NEW ZEALAND DECEMBER 28, 2019 BOXING DAY TEST FACT SHEET - DAY 3 Australia and New Zealand have only met in Tests at the MCG on three previous occasions. The MCC library fact sheets for each of the first three days of this match will highlight one of those contests. Today's sheet reviews the Third Test of the 1987/88 series. ‘The 1987/88 New Zealand tour’ The New Zealanders embarked on the two-month tour in mid-November less than three weeks after returning from the World Cup in India, faced with a challenging itinerary of 19 matches, including three Tests, three first-class matches and 10 one-day internationals. The touring party, however, was an internationally-hardened and settled combination, despite the absence of the recently-retired Jeremy Coney and Bruce Edgar. The party comprised 12 of the World Cup squad, bolstered by the inclusion of star pace bowler Richard Hadlee, who had been unavailable for the World Cup, and left- arm spinner Evan Gray as a like-for-like replacement for Stephen Boock. ‘Third Test Match, December 26-30, 1987’ New Zealand entered the match needing a win to square the series, having lost at Brisbane by nine wickets and drawn at Adelaide. Both sides made two changes to their line-ups from Adelaide, the visitors substituting Ewen Chatfield and Philip Horne for Evan Gray and Martin Snedden, while Australia were unable to consider injured pacemen Bruce Reid and Merv Hughes, replacing them with Test debutant Tony Dodemaide and Mike Whitney, whose only two Test appearances had been in England six years earlier. Having won the toss, Australian skipper Allan Border surprised most critics by sending NZ in, but the visitors countered by making a steady start, despite the early loss of the immobile Horne, who took 45 minutes to score his first run and 81 minutes overall for his 7. Fellow opener John Wright became only the third NZ batsman to reach 3000 Test runs when completing his 20th run and was still there at lunch – NZ 1/64 (Wright 40, Jones 13). The pair had extended their association after the adjournment before Jones was controversially adjudged caught down the leg-side by a diving Greg Dyer, after consultation between the two umpires. Had the current Dismissal Referral System been in vogue at the time, Jones would have survived, as the replay available to countless television viewers clearly showed that the ball had touched the ground during the juggled completion of the ‘catch’. Martin Crowe joined Wright (310 minutes, 223 balls, 10 fours), taking the score to 187 before the opener edged Craig McDermott to Dyer one run short of what would have been a well-deserved century. McDermott also later dismissed captain Jeff Crowe and Dipak Patel (second ball), NZ ending the day on 5/242 (Martin Crowe 76, John Bracewell 4).Next morning, the early departure of the impressive Martin Crowe (196 minutes, 147 balls, nine fours) sparked a collapse and only a forceful display from ‘keeper Ian Smith (82 minutes, 45 balls, seven fours) resulted in a final total of 317, McDermott and Whitney sharing the bowling honours In reply, the early Australian batting was sorely tested by a fearsome opening spell from Richard Hadlee. Allan Miller maintained in his 1987/88 Australian Cricket Annual that Hadlee’s sixth over “was surely one of the finest ever bowled in Test cricket: with his first ball he cramped Geoff Marsh, with his fourth ball he had him caught at fourth slip, with his fifth ball he had Border dropped first-up at slip from a rearing delivery at the Australian captain’s throat, and with his sixth ball he dismissed Dean Jones with a ball that cut appreciably off the wicket”. Gritty displays from Border, Mike Veletta and Steve Waugh blunted the onslaught without ever at any stage giving the impression of total control. Having been the guilty party who dropped Border first ball, off-spinner Bracewell had the Aussie skipper caught at 4/78 just prior to the tea adjournment. Steve Waugh joined Veletta and the pair fought hard to restore their side’s fortunes, only for Hadlee to trap Veletta in front at 5/121. Waugh displayed the courage and determination that were to characterise his long and distinguished career, and together with all-rounder Peter Sleep, guided his side to 5/170 at stumps, remaining undefeated on 55 and Sleep on 16. Although Waugh (130 minutes, 92 balls, seven fours) fell in the first over next day, Sleep (311 minutes, 256 balls, five fours) demonstrated both skill and character while shepherding his side to within reach of the NZ total, the surpassing of which was completed by a 61-run ninth-wicket stand between a stubborn Dodemaide (243 minutes, 191 balls, four fours) and a defiant McDermott. Hadlee, although not as menacing as on the previous day, finished up with 5/109 from his 44 overs. There was time for only one over before stumps, Horne surviving the six deliveries sent down by McDermott without troubling the scorers. Horne and Wright laid a solid foundation next day until their dismissal within three runs of one another immediately prior to the luncheon adjournment. On resumption, Martin Crowe (116 minutes, 111 balls, 12 fours) carried on from where he had left off in the first innings with another classical display, dominating his third-wicket partnership of 82 with Andrew Jones. It took an excellent catch by Border (his 100th in Tests) to remove the dynamic strokemaker just before tea. Jeff Crowe, Patel and Hadlee threatened to take control afterwards but were kept in check by the persevering Dodemaide, assisted by Sleep’s leg-spin. The visitors ended the day at 9/285 (Smith 12, Chatfield 0), a lead of 245. Dodemaide dismissed Smith almost straight away next morning to complete a fine debut performance with figures of 6/58 from 28.3 overs. The Australians made steady progress towards their victory target of 247, led by David Boon (184 minutes, 121 balls, seven fours) and Border (120 minutes, 97 balls, five fours). At 4/176, with 28 overs left and Veletta and Waugh apparently in control, the remaining 71 required appeared well within reach. Ewen Chatfield dismissed Waugh without addition and Hadlee’s advent to the bowling crease at 5/199, with about 40 minutes remaining, then turned the game on its head. He removed Sleep, Veletta (137 minutes, 88 balls, four fours), Dyer and Dodemaide in quick succession, those four wickets enabling him to draw level with Ian Botham’s record 373 Test victims. McDermott, who had batted capably in the first innings, was still there, but even Whitney’s most ardent supporters doubted his ability to last the remaining 4.5 overs against the rampaging Hadlee. In one of the most tense and remarkable finishes in Test history, he survived the final six deliveries of the match from Hadlee to force a draw, punching the air in both relief and excitement at his achievement. Hadlee acknowledged Whitney’s effort in one of those unforgettable acts of sportsmanship, by placing his arm around his opponent’s shoulder as they left for the pavilion to a standing ovation. Hadlee (5/109 and 5/67) was the undisputed Man of the Match, while his 18 wickets in the three Tests also made him Player of the Series. You can view Richard Hadlee’s 10 wickets vs Australia 3rd test MCG 1987/88 on YouTube by scanning the QR Code. On the Left. To see Mike Whitney survives Richard Hadlee’s last over of the match for the draw, scan the QR code to the right Catalogue: Log in to the MCG Free WiFi to view the library’s database of collection holdings, available online through the cloud hosted Liberty Library Management System. Search at tinyurl.com/ mcclcatalogue and through the MCC Library webpage at tinyurl.com/melbccl Social Media: You can find us posting as @MelbCCLibrary on Instagram and Twitter. If you comment or are going to post about us please ensure your posts include @MelbCCLibrary, #MelbCCLibrary and #MCG Facts sheet research by MCC Library Volunteers Ray Webster and Ross Perry. Edited by David Studham and Trevor Ruddell, with thanks to our friends at Tastats and Cricket Archive..