The first test of the series between New Zealand and the West Indies at Carisbrook in 1980 is arguably the greatest cricket test played in this country. Cricket writer Adrian Seconi would have given anything to have seen it.
The sport: Cricket The event: New Zealand v West Indies, first test
The place: Carisbrook
The date: February 8-13, 1980
The acrimonious 1979-80 West Indies tour of New Zealand is memorable for lots of reasons, not least for the amount of makeshift padding No 11 batsman Stephen Boock was able to stuff down his trousers.
The left-arm spinner had been hiding in the dressing room under the Main Stand at Carisbrook, praying he would not be required to bat a second time.
New Zealand had dominated the first test and, with a modest 104 needed for victory, it appeared Boock's prayers had been an-swered.
But that small target was never going to be easy with a hostile and aggrieved West Indies attack of Michael Holding, Joel Garner and Colin Croft breathing fire.
Earlier in the match, Holding, nicknamed Whispering Death for the way he glided to the wicket, had kicked the stumps out of the ground when his appeal to have John Parker caught behind was declined.
A guilty-looking Parker fumbled nervously with his gloves, as if he was going to remove them for the march back to the dressing rooms, while an enraged Holding gave the stumps a boot.
With New Zealand's top order of John Wright, Bruce Edgar and Geoff Howarth all back in the dressing room, Boock retired deeper into the bowels of the building but the wickets continued to tumble.
The home side slumped to 100 for nine and as Boock nervously trailed his bat behind him on his way out to the middle to join Gary Troup, he turned to his team-mates and apparently said, "I don't know whether to meditate, immigrate or defecate."
Boock squeezed two runs through gully to tie the scores and Garner came tearing in again.
The ball cannoned into Boock's pads and the batsmen set off on a comical but successful single to seize a dramatic one-wicket win.
A relieved Boock grabbed a stump out of the ground for a keepsake when he safely reached the other end.
Both sides have signed it and it still bears Holding's sprig mark.
The test was also memorable for some superb bowling by Sir Richard Hadlee.
He took 11 wickets for 102 runs and surpassed Richard Collinge's record for the most test wickets for New Zealand.
He removed West Indies greats Gordon Greenidge and Clive Lloyd in both innings and chipped in 51 with the bat in the first innings.
It was also Geoff Howarth's first match as captain.
The second and third tests were drawn and New Zealand won its first test series at home after 50 years of trying.
