Clarke, a more than handy right-arm fast bowler who played first-class cricket for Northern Districts in addition to his famous rugby career, became so frustrated with Reid he threw rather than bowled the delivery that ended up disappearing up Adelaide Rd.
"[Clarke] gave up and chucked one at me," recalls Reid. "He was that sort of guy, I'm afraid. I hit it over the fence and out of the park at the Basin Reserve, which is a big hit."
According to the now 86-year-old's profile on cricinfo.com, he also nonchalantly belted a Clarke beamer into one of the ground's light towers.
Eventually he was caught on the boundary attempting to bring up his triple century with yet another six.
His 296 stood as the highest score at the ground until it was eclipsed by Martin Crowe's 299 against Sri Lanka in 1991.
A man before his time, Reid never played one-day international cricket, which did not begin until 1971. Had he done so he would have been terrific. Despite playing in an era of light bats, long boundaries, dodgy pitches and scant protective gear, he smashed 33 sixes in his test career.
No surprise, then, that he was particularly approving of Kane Williamson's brilliant six to beat Australia at Eden Park in pool play. "That's my style ... Well, I'd have a go."
Williamson was impressive - "he has got a lot of responsibility and he takes it seriously" - but many of his teammates still had work to do before truly establishing themselves as international quality players, Reid said.
"They've yet got to prove themselves. A couple of them are good internationals but the rest of them have got to make their reputation, I feel."
The strength of the current team was their fast bowling, which gave them a real chance of winning the World Cup. "Hell, we haven't had four fast bowlers for years. We've got a promising team, no doubt about that.
"They must have a show of coming first in this particular tournament," he said. "I think we have got a team that is good enough to win it."
J.R. Reid
• Played 58 tests for New Zealand between 1949 and 1965, smashing 33 sixes
• Once hit a world record 15 sixes in a first-class match
• Lone surviving member of the 1949 team that toured England, drawing all four tests against the game's powerhouse nation