Cricket: Marsh blames complacency for NZ's shock dumping of Aussies in '92 Cup

Martin Crowe was in a class of his own during the 1992 World Cup, averaging 114 and heading the aggregates with 456.

It remains one of the great days of New Zealand cricket, February 22, 1992, a sunlit Eden Park and the hosts dumping defending champions Australia in the World Cup opener.

How New Zealand feasted on that. Martin Crowe's magnificent century to kickstart a wonderful personal tournament; Dipak Patel's offspin opening the bowling in Australia's chase for 249 and flummoxing the Australian batsmen; Chris Harris' direct hit from the deep to run out a scuttling David Boon, turning the game decisively New Zealand's way; the last five Aussie wickets falling for just 12 runs.

Everyone knows it began a wonderful few weeks as New Zealand marched towards their first cup final, only to fall short at the final hurdle, against Pakistan on the same ground.

But what of Australia, co-hosts then as in 2015? What was their take on the tournament? They had triumphed unexpectedly on the sub-continent in 1987, and had the bulk of the same players back again.

Instead, having lost to New Zealand, they were rolled by South Africa in their second game and never recovered. Four wins and four losses meant they fell short of the semifinals.

Opener Geoff Marsh has clear recollections of that first game - and the tournament. "When I look back at the preparation for the 1987 World Cup, we weren't as well prepared in 1992," he said. "When we went to New Zealand we probably thought we'd get through that game, win it and roll back to Australia and it was all going to happen.

"It was basically the same team as 1987 and when we got to New Zealand you guys were hungry.

"In that World Cup you came real hard at us and we were on the back foot before we knew it."

The choice of Patel to open the bowling in Australia's innings - not unusual now, but it was then - remains one of the imperishable memories of a campaign in which Crowe and coach Warren Lees recognised New Zealand had to pull a few strokes, be innovative, if they were to prosper.

Back to Patel. What did Marsh and opening partner David Boon make of it? "It didn't really surprise us but the fact is when a spinner opens the bowling you've got to slow him down, and he was bang, bang, bang.

"Before we knew it he'd bowled a number of overs, and bowled them well, and we were overs down."

Patel, who hadn't played an ODI for 15 months before the cup, remembers the planning which went into the decision.

"Wally and Hogan had discussed it well before," he said.

"We went to the opening in Sydney and on our last day there, flying back, Warren in his own little way mentioned 'just imagine you're opening the bowling in the World Cup'."

Two days before the game, Lees, selector Ross Dykes and Patel went out to check the pitch and "that was when it was mentioned to me as a possibility".

"Martin came up to me before the team meeting started the night before the game and advised me I was in the playing XI but also if we were bowling second I'd be opening.

"It was a bit of a shock to the system, but he gave me total confidence. He didn't want me opening as a defensive move, and gave me the freedom of setting my own fields.

"It was certainly a confidence boost for me that the captain and coach wanted to use me as an attacking option."

Patel's one for 36 off 10 overs played its part in the win. He took eight wickets in the cup with a 3.1 runs an over economy rate.

Crowe, in a class of his own, averaged 114 - 45 runs more than the next best, South African Peter Kirsten - and headed the aggregates with 456.

So how does Marsh, later an Australian and Sri Lankan coach and now assistant to another former test opener Justin Langer at Western Australia, reflect on the events 21 years ago?

"New Zealand had a good side. You can't take that away from them.

"Ever since I played New Zealand, they've always prided themselves on being nice and aggressive and taking the game to every team.

"But at the end of the day we weren't ready for that World Cup. I reckon we were chasing from the first ball Patel bowled.

"We never seemed to get into any rhythm. It was probably more an attitude thing, because Simmo [coach Bob Simpson] worked us pretty hard. It just didn't work out right.

"In 1987 we were hungry; in 1999 [Australia's second cup title, when Marsh was coach] we were hungry and I don't think we ever really forgot that 1992 cup because we were caught off guard.

"You can have all the talent in the world, but unless you're mentally ready and prepare well, then you ain't going to do any good."

Scoreboard

New Zealand

J. Wright b McDermott0R. Latham c Healy b Moody26A. Jones lbw b Reid4M. Crowe not out100K. Rutherford run out57C. Harris run out14I. Smith c Healy b McDermott14C. Cairns not out16Extras (7w, 6lb, 4nb)17 - - Total (for 6 wkts, 50 overs)248Fall: 1/2, 2/13, 3/53, 4/171, 5/191, 6/215

Bowling: C. McDermott 10-1-43-2 (2w), B. Reid 10-0-39-1 (4nb, 2w), T. Moody 9-1-37-1, S. Waugh 10-0-60-0, P. Taylor 7-0-36-0, M. Waugh 4-0-27-0 (1w).

Australia

D. Boon run out100G. Marsh c Latham b Larsen19D. Jones run out21A. Border c Cairns b Patel3T. Moody c and b Latham7M. Waugh lbw b Larsen2S. Waugh c and b Larsen38I. Healy not out7C. McDermott run out1P. Taylor c Rutherford b Watson1B. Reid c Jones b Harris3Extras (6lb, 2w, 1nb)9 - - Total (48.1 overs)211Fall: 1/62, 2/92, 3/104, 4/120, 5/125, 6/199, 7/200, 8/205, 9/206, 10/211

Bowling: C. Cairns 4-0-30-0 (1nb, 1w), D. Patel 10-1-36-1 (1w), W. Watson 9-1-39-1, G. Larsen 10-1-30-3, C. Harris 7.1-0-35-1, R. Latham 8-0-35-1.

Result: New Zealand won by 37 runs.