The Otago Daily Times counts down the 150 greatest moments in Otago sport.
No 12: Turner's tons silence the Aussies (1974)
Australia played a solitary test against New Zealand before World War 2 and the test rivalry did not really begin until the summer of 1972-73.
But it was in Christchurch in March 1974 that the nation almost stopped as New Zealand upstaged its archrival by five wickets after Turner's monumental double.
Indeed, one fan was so excited that he left the engine in his car idling as he raced into Lancaster Park to watch Turner and the late Ken Wadsworth administer the final rites.
Turner scored 101 and 110 not out in a low-scoring match.
He batted almost 12 hours and he was on the field for all but the last 70 minutes of New Zealand's first innings.
Australia made 223 and it was mainly because of Turner's dogged innings that New Zealand was able to take a first innings lead of 32.
Australia made 259 in its second innings, Hadlee brothers Richard and Dayle taking eight wickets between them, and New Zealand was left to make 228 runs to win.
New Zealand slumped to 62 for three but Brian Hastings helped Turner add 115 runs for the fourth wicket.
This innings was Turner at his best as he gathered runs comfortably from the bowling of Max Walker, Geoff Dymock and off-spinner Ashley Mallett.
Turner never had a good relationship with the Australians and tempers flared during his second innings when he clashed with Australian captain Ian Chappell over whether a boundary struck by Hastings was a four or a six. Turner had pointed out to the umpire that the ball had bounced inside the boundary, and therefore worth four, when Chappell raced up from slip and let fly at Turner with a verbal barrage.
It was water off a duck's back to Turner but it did nothing for his relationship with the Australians.
New Zealand was 177 for four wickets at stumps on the fourth day, and only 51 runs were needed but 6000 turned up at Lancaster Park to watch history made on March 13.
Turner, who was on 85 overnight, went quietly and steadily to his century.
He lost Jeremy Coney but Turner and Wadsworth wasted no time in scoring the 22 remaining runs.
It was a great moment for Turner and New Zealand cricket and the bubbly flowed afterwards. Turner scored 103 first-class centuries and, while many were quicker and more spectacular, none were more valuable as he silenced the brash Australians.
The Australians that summer were not a popular team - they were known as the "ugly Australians" because of their aggressive sledging - and victory for New Zealand, the poor cousins from across the Tasman, was sweet indeed.
