Cricket: Nothing underarm about this

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Twenty-three years after the infamous "underarm incident" it was ironic Greg and Trevor Chappell should play a part in launching a new transtasman one-day international series.

In a joint announcement on both sides of the Tasman yesterday, New Zealand Cricket and the Australian Cricket Board revealed plans for an annual three-match limited-over series for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.

The inaugural contest will be played as the last three matches of New Zealand's November-December tour to Australia.

They will follow a match against New South Wales in Sydney and tests in Brisbane and Adelaide between November 10-30.

The day-night matches will be played in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane on December 5, 8 and 10.

Next year's trophy series will be played in New Zealand. In subsequent years, two matches will be played in one country and the third in the other on an alternating basis.

The trophy is named after the Chappell and Hadlee families in recognition of the contributions they have made to cricket in their respective countries.

Walter Hadlee and son Barry were at the media conference in Christchurch for yesterday's announcement and the Chappell brothers were in Sydney.

In the much-discussed match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on February 1, 1981, Greg Chappell, as captain, instructed his older brother Trevor to bowl the last ball of the match underarm to Brian McKechnie to end any slight hope New Zealand had of a tie.

Trevor had earlier trapped Richard Hadlee leg-before and bowled wicketkeeper Ian Smith.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden, a key player in launching the new competition, was also in the thick of the action that night, "dismissing" Greg Chappell with a marvellous outfield catch which was disallowed by the Australian umpires.

All now appears to have been forgiven with the new series.

"Australia see us as a friend and a rival," said Snedden who, in a chance discussion on a long plane journey with Australian counterpart James Sutherland, raised the idea.

"Their agreeing to the matches is a huge vote of confidence in the Black Caps. We were looking to the future and building on the transtasman rivalry enjoyed by other sports.

"At the moment there is strong respect for the Black Caps in Australia," Snedden said.

"They feel we are a team who go out and push them.

"It suits them to have us as strong as possible - and vice-versa. If our players are being exposed to the best in the world they have to lift their game accordingly."

The new series will affect the annual VB World Series which will, from this year, be reduced from 12 round-robin matches to nine.

Playing the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy matches will not interfere with New Zealand's participation in the VB Series.

"We will still take our place when scheduled," Snedden said, "just as any normal tour arrangement will continue."

Australia are due to play three tests and five one-day internationals in New Zealand in February-March next year.

That incident

What: ODI Australia v NZ.

When: February 1, 1981.

Where: Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Result: Australia won by six runs (to lead series 2-1).

Top performers: Greg Chappell (Australia) 90; Bruce Edgar (NZ) 102no. Martin Snedden (NZ) 2-52; Greg Chappell 3-43.