KEY POINTS:
SYDNEY, JANUARY 1974
After being humiliated in the first test between the countries on Australian soil at Melbourne, New Zealand gave their hosts a real fright at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Buoyed by John Parker's 108, New Zealand made 312, then rolled Australia for 162, Richard and Dayle Hadlee sharing seven for 85.
John Morrison got his only test hundred in New Zealand's second innings 305, leaving Australia a huge 456 to win. Richard Hadlee removed Keith Stackpole and Ian Chappell leg before wicket and at stumps, Australia were in trouble at 30 for two.
There were only two possible results, but New Zealand didn't get the chance to press for a famous win, thunderstorms washing out the final day.
MELBOURNE, DECEMBER 1987
It began in controversy and ended in uproar. New Zealand, 1-0 down going into the final test, made 317, John Wright hitting 99. But the dismissal of Andrew Jones for 40 helped cut short the career of Australian wicketkeeper Greg Dyer.
He appeared to have taken a fine tumbling catch down the legside but television replays clearly showed the ball rolling on to the ground from Dyer's gloves before he scooped the ball up and claimed the catch. His die was cast.
The Aussies had a 40-run first-innings lead, and when New Zealand made 286 in their second innings, Australia were left 247 to win on the final day.
They were sailing along at 209 for five when Hadlee and John Bracewell removed Peter Sleep and Mike Veletta at that score. Then Hadlee dismissed Dyer and Tony Dodemaide.
But Craig McDermott clung on for 32 balls, last man Mike Whitney for 18 and Australia survived to 230 for nine.
However, Danny Morrison and thousands of New Zealand fans will go to their grave adamant the stocky fast bowler had McDermott lbw in the penultimate over. Umpire Dick French thought otherwise. Hadlee, bowling through the final session, was magnificent, and finished with 10 for 176.
BRISBANE, NOVEMBER 2001
How often does a team hit three centuries in the first innings of a test and come within 10 runs of defeat? Australia rattled on 486 for nine declared, Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist hitting the treble. Stephen Fleming waited until the follow-on was averted before promptly declaring New Zealand at 287 for eight.
By this stage it was well into the final morning. Australia's captain Steve Waugh, preaching a push towards more positive, attacking cricket, declared Australia at 84 for two second time round. That left New Zealand 284 to win and they gave the Aussies a real fright.
Australia resorted to shabby tactics, having Glenn McGrath bowl full and wide outside the off stump late on as Fleming (57), Astle (49) and Chris Cairns, with 43 off 38 balls, pushed New Zealand to the point of an improbable win.
They finished on 274 for six and were left to ponder a game in which they'd been outboxed until the final afternoon. Waugh, having declared giving his team no chance of winning and copping plenty for it, breathed a sigh of relief and didn't make the same mistake again.
