England head to Wellington looking to clinch the series following a 267-run victory at The Bay Oval. Richard Spiller takes a look back at previous clashes between the sides in windy Wellington
While the Bay Oval is New Zealand’s newest Test ground, the Basin Reserve is one of the game’s traditional homes. It first staged cricket in 1868 and was the venue for the country’s second Test, in 1930.
The 1929-30 winter saw England sending separate touring parties to West Indies and New Zealand, both taking their baby steps at Test level. Having won easily in Christchurch at the now defunct Lancaster Park, Harold Gilligan’s side met stiffer opposition second time round.
Openers Stewie Dempster (136) and Jackie Mills – making 117 on his debut – put on 276 against an attack led by Surrey’s Maurice Allom (1-73), the left-arm spin of veteran Frank Woolley (7-76) ensuring the home side were contained to 440. England were grateful to Essex all-rounder Stan Nichols (78) for keeping down the deficit to 110, Dempster shining again by making an unbeaten 80 before Tom Lowry declared at 164-4dec.
Set 285, England had to bat out the remaining 39 overs in the three-day match, finishing at 107-4 in a series they won 1-0 over four matches.
It would be 21 years – that included the Second World War, before England returned, at the tail end of their 1950-51 Ashes tour. Freddie Brown’s side had been beaten 4-1 by Australia, although their consolation victory at Sydney set the tone for what proved a successful decade.
At the Basin Reserve they dismissed the Kiwis for 125, Kent leg-spinner Doug Wright claiming 5-48, although batting was never easy and it needed opener Len Hutton (57) plus 47 from Brown – who had launched his career at Surrey before moving to Northamptonshire – for the tourists to make 227. Off-spinner Roy Tattersall’s 6-44 took star billing in the second innings of 189, the target of 88 being overhauled by six wickets.
England next saw Wellington after their 1962-63 Ashes tour and again enjoyed success, victory by an innings and 47 runs the second of three heavy wins.
Fred Trueman (4-46) and Essex seamer Barry Knight (3-32) sank the Kiwis for 194, Surrey’s Ken Barrington making 76 in the reply. Having damaged a finger on the first day, Colin Cowdrey batted down the order at eight but the injury did little to hinder him, stroking 128no with his unbroken ninth wicket stand of 163 – which established a new record – alongside wicketkeeper Alan Smith (69) lifting England to 428-8dec.
Barrington’s leg-spin was given few opportunities to shine but his 3-32 aided off-spinner Fred Titmus (4-50) in rolling out the Kiwis for 187 for victory by an innings and 87 runs.
Over 47 Tests – covering 48 years – New Zealand had never beaten England until the teams convened at the Basin Reserve in February 1978, the tourists flying on from a three-match series in Pakistan and now led by Geoffrey Boycott after Mike Brearley had broken his left arm.
Debutant John Wright’s 55 saw the Kiwis to 228 after being sent in – seamer Chris Old’s 6-54 a magnificent effort as he bowled into a gale – with England also finding batting hazardous on a pitch of inconsistent bounce. Boycott’s 77 over 442 minutes led the way and his best support came from Surrey’s Graham Roope (37). They conceded a 13-run lead but the hosts then collapsed from 93-2 to 123 all out, principally against Bob Willis (5-32).
That left England needing 137 only for Richard Hadlee, having taken four wickets in the first innings, to run amok. His 6-26, backed by Richard Collinge’s 3-35, sent the tourists spiralling to 64 all out and the Kiwis could celebrate a famous day.
What was to become known as the “sex, drugs and rock’n’roll’ tour of 1983=84 had a misleadingly quiet start at the Basin Reserve. Ian Botham followed 5-59 in New Zealand’s 219 all out by hammering 138, enjoying a sixth wicket stand worth 232 with Derek Randall, whose 164 ensured England totalled 463. The Kiwis, led by Surrey’s Geoff Howarth, made 537 second time round and the match ended in a draw but Howarth’s side would go on to win a series against England for the first time.
Bowlers were on the wrong end of it again in 1987-88 in the final Test of a series which ended 0-0. Martin Crowe (143) and Ken Rutherford (107) relished conditions for the hosts to make 502-6dec, Wisden describing the pitch as “bare of grass – and almost bare of hope for the bowlers”.
England’s reply of 183-2 saw Martyn Moxon 19 runs short of his maiden Test century at the end of day three but if rain ruined his hopes it was a relief to many of his colleagues.
By contrast, Graham Gooch’s men were already 2-0 up when they headed to Wellington four years later and had Alec Stewart in superb form at the top of the order. He followed a century in the opening match at Christchurch with 107 at Wellington, although England were disappointed with their total of 305. Tons from Wright and Andrew Jones took New Zealand to 432-9dec before Allan Lamb’s 142 – Stewart making 63 – lifted England to 359-7dec. The hosts were 43-3 after being set a nominal 233.
Stewart was back and in form again for the 1996-97 tour, making 52, but found himself outshone by Surrey colleague Graham Thorpe. The left-hander’s 108 was the centrepiece of England’s 383 after they had bowled out the Kiwis for 124, half-centuries from Nasser Hussain and John Crawley contributing.
Darren Gough’s 4-52 in the second innings came on top of five wickets earlier to give Mike Atherton’s men victory by an innings and 68 runs, winning the series 2-0.
When England returned to the Basin Reserve in March 2002 in a series drawn 1-1, events in the middle felt irrelevant because of tragedy elsewhere. Nasser Hussain’s 66 led his men to 280 after a rained off first day, seamer Andy Caddick’s 6-63 then rolling the Kiwis for 218. But as England added to their lead in the second innings, Marcus Trescothick making 88 and Mark Butcher – one of three Surrey players alongside Graham Thorpe and Mark Ramprakash – news emerged of the death of Surrey and England all-rounder Ben Hollioake in a road crash in Perth. The match fizzled away into a draw, little wonder with minds elsewhere.
Six years on it needed a century from wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose, the highlight of his 11 Tests, to put England in command, raising Michael Vaughan’s side to 342 and then aiding Jimmy Anderson’s 5-73 with two catches off him in engineering a lead of 144. Half-centuries from Alastair Cook and Paul Collingwood – his second of the match – ensured New Zealand had to chase 438, Ryan Sidebottom’s 5-105 ensuring they went down by 126 runs.
Rain and a batsman-friendly pitch played their parts in ensuring England’s last visit to Wellington, a decade ago, ended in stalemate. Nick Compton (100) and Jonathan Trott (121) put the visitors on top through a second-wicket alliance of 210, backed up by Kevin Pietersen making 73 and Matt Prior’s 82. Stuart Broad’s 6-51 scythed through the Kiwis, who were dismissed for 254 and forced to follow on. Second time round they were doing better at 162-2 only for the fifth day to be abandoned.
