The skeptic was unconvinced as usual. As cricket crazy school boys in the 80’s we used to collect the photographs of cricketers cut out from news papers or magazines and paste them on our used note books. It was cricinfo on paper. The ones with the largest and rarest collections were considered the authorities on cricket and looked up to for their comments and predictions. Those who could talk a bit of cricket history were considered the walking encyclopedias. We used to exchange the photographs and often the highest bid was for the New Zealanders since they were hard to find with the little cricket played between the two nations those days. With the very limited talent pool at home, the New Zealand team never had super stars other than the ‘Sultan of Swing’ Sir Richard Hadlee and the stylish batsman of classical mould, Martin Crowe who often skipped the tour of India. Nevertheless New Zealand did have their moments in the Sun. Their bunch of utility cricketers could bat, bowl and field and outsmart opponents of far superior reputation which helped them win the ICC Knockout Trophy in Kenya in Y2K overcoming star studded giants from the cricketing world.
Although they weren’t as flamboyant as many other teams New Zealand did produce some colorful cricketers, the charismatic cover point Ken Rutherford, powerful Chris Cairns, miserly and accurate Gavin Larsen, and that gentleman fast bowler Ewen Chatfield, perhaps the only fast bowler who never bowled a bouncer in his career by principle. It was really sad to read that someone honored with an MBE for his services to cricket had to drive taxis and mow lawns in old age to make the ends meet. Then during the ’92 World Cup saw One day cricket being turned on its head by one of the most innovative captains in the ODI history shocking the competitors with a pinch hitting Mark Greatbatch at the top of the batting order and the off spinner Dipak Patel with the new ball.
For a nation blissfully away from wars, perhaps the most heroic and poignant scene in cricket is also etched in its history. It happened more than half a century ago on a cricket field in Johannesburg. New Zealand was touring South Africa during the Christmas season in 1953. The second test of the series began on the 24th of December and Christmas was a rest day. At 10.21 p.m. on Christmas Eve the Wellington–Auckland night express plunged into the flooded Whangaehu River at Tangiwai, killing 151 people in New Zealand's worst railway accident.With a population of just over two million, many people had a direct relationship with someone involved in the tragedy. Although the full list of the victims was not yet out, the team was informed that the fiancée of 22 year old fast bowler Bob Blair was among the victims.
In spite of the tragedy the New Zealanders took to field leaving behind the distraught Blair, who was allowed to withdraw from the test, in the hotel. Flags were lowered to half mast and the crowd was informed of Blair’s personal tragedy. On a minefield of a pitch, South African fast bowler Neil Adcock wrecked havoc on the New Zealand line up in one of the most hostile spells of fast bowling witnessed since the bodyline series. Middle order batsman Bert Sutcliffe walked in with his team on 9 for 2. Before he could open his account he was felled by Adcock and had to be taken to hospital. But with his side devastated mentally and physically and half the side back in the pavilion, he heroically returned to the crease, his head heavily bandaged, his torso full of bruises and began one of the greatest counter-attacking innings in Test cricket history hammering 4 sixes and 4 boundaries.
He walked back undefeated along with the applauding fieldsmen only after New Zealand's ninth wicket fell, the follow-on heroically saved. He was interrupted however on his way back by the lone figure walking towards him from the shades of the stands. Dead calm descended on the stadium with a strong 23,000 crowd as Bod Blair emerged out of the shades into the bright sunshine.
“I’d like to feel I can help.” He told a stunned Sutcliffe as the two Kiwis walked back to the wicket arm-in-arm and the silence gave way to standing applause in one of the most poignant moments ever seen in a cricket ground. Noted New Zealand writer Dick Brittenden wrote: “Looking down on the scene from the glass windows of the pavilion, the New Zealanders wept openly and without shame; the South Africans were in little better state, and Sutcliffe was just as obviously distressed. Before he faced his first ball Blair passed his glove across his eyes in the heart-wringing gesture of any small boy anywhere in trouble but defiant.”
The crowd was treated to 10 minutes of 'joyous mayhem' as Bob and Bert added 33 invaluable runs, Bob even hitting a six to go with Bert’s addition of three more to the four he already had. "Sutcliffe had made 80 and remained not out, he had saved follow-on, and he was quite entitled to regard the tumult of cheering as a tribute to his skill and daring. But he stood aside at the gate, allowing Blair to pass in first". What they had done in 10 minutes had the stuff of folklore written all over it.
After last week's terror strikes on the Lankans at Lahore, Pakistan captain Younis Khan had made an impassioned plea to authorities to save the game in Pakistan or risk pushing future generations into the clutches of terrorists. "Our future as a nation is in our youngsters' hands. Sport helps to make good human beings. If the sport is not there, the children can do silly things. We have to be very careful about that. Nobody wants to see children going down a bad path and finding themselves involved with bombs and things like that. We all must do something to stop that happening” Younis was quoted as saying.
Cricket is indeed a great religion, the one which doesn’t preach to kill.
On that Boxing Day at Johannesburg as they disappeared, arms around each other, into the darkness of the tunnel in the stands; the two young New Zealanders left behind them a light and an inspiration which several thousand hollow and empty religious rhetorics might never kindle in the hearts of the youngsters who follow the game.
