English cricket team in New Zealand in 1977–78

The England national cricket team toured New Zealand in February and March 1978 and played a three-match Test series against the New Zealand national cricket team. The series was drawn 1–1, with New Zealand defeating England in a Test match for the first time in their history.[1][2][3]

The English team had toured Pakistan immediately before the series in New Zealand, playing three Test matches and three One Day Internationals in the country. They arrived in New Zealand in late January 1978 and played four matches against New Zealand domestic sides before the first Test of the series at Wellington in mid-February. Two more first-class matches were played between the first and second Tests, before the tour ended following the third Test at Auckland at the beginning of March.[4]

Test series

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First Test

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10–15 February 1978
Scorecard
Wisden report
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228 (87.6 overs)
JG Wright 55 (244)
CM Old 6/54 (30 overs)
215 (94.4 overs)
G Boycott 77 (302)
RJ Hadlee 4/74 (28 overs)
123 (44.3 overs)
RW Anderson 26 (62)
Extras 26

RGD Willis 5/32 (15 overs)
64 (27.3 overs)
IT Botham 19 (24)
RJ Hadlee 6/26 (13.3 overs)
New Zealand won by 72 runs
Basin Reserve, Wellington
Umpires: WRC Gardiner and RL Monteith
  • England won the toss and chose to field
  • SL Boock and JG Wright (both New Zealand) made their Test debuts
    13 February was a rest day

Second Test

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24 February–1 March 1978
Scorecard
Wisden report
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418 (145.5 overs)
IT Botham 103 (288)
RJ Hadlee 4/147 (43 overs)
235 (92.7 overs)
RW Anderson 62 (162)
IT Botham 5/73 (24.7 overs)
96/4d (22 overs)
IT Botham 30* (31)
RO Collinge 2/29 (9 overs)
105 (27 overs)
RJ Hadlee 39 (62)
RGD Willis 4/14 (7 overs)
England won by 174 runs
Lancaster Park, Christchurch
Umpires: FR Goodall and RL Monteith
  • England won the toss and chose to bat
  • CT Radley (England) made his Test debut
    27 February was a rest day

Third Test

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4–10 March 1978
Scorecard
Wisden report
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315 (105.6 overs)
GP Howarth 122 (356)
IT Botham 5/109 (34 overs)
429 (156.3 overs)
CT Radley 158 (524)
SL Boock 5/67 (28.3 overs)
382/8 (118 overs)
GP Howarth 102 (301)
G Miller 3/99 (30 overs)
  • New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat
  • The match was played over six days
    7 March was a rest day

Tour matches

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Four matches were played before the first Test, three first-class matches against Auckland, Central Districts, and Canterbury and a 35-over List A match against Northern Districts. Following the first Test England played two more first-class matches, one angst Otago and the other against a Young New Zealand side.[4] The tourists did not lose any of these matches, although the game against Central Districts ended in a tie.

27–29 January 1978
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Match drawn
 
 
210 (69.2 overs)
GRJ Roope 33
IT Botham 33
MC Snedden 3/35 (14.2 overs)
182/4d (54 overs)
MG Burgess 74
CM Old 2/40 (11 overs)
208/3d (62.1 overs)
BC Rose 107
MC Snedden 1/31 (10 overs)
114/3 (39 overs)
RJ Kasper 61*
PH Edmonds 2/24 (11 overs)
  • Auckland won the toss and chose to field
  • Three-day first-class match
30 January 1978
England XI
164/9 (35 overs)
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Northern Districts
83/3 (20.3 overs)
England won via faster scoring rate
 
 
DW Randall 24
CW Dickeson 3/58 (7 overs)
JG Wright 24
RGD Willis 1/10 (5 overs)
  • Northern Districts won the toss and chose to field
  • Only 20.3 overs were possible during the Northern Districts innings
  • 35 over List A match
1–3 February 1978
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Tie
 
 
296/6d (74.1 overs)
MW Gatting 66
AB Jordan 3/38 (13.1 overs)
198 (52.5 overs)
DR O'Sullivan 31
RGD Willis 3/45 (10 overs)
104 (49.1 overs)
GA Cope 20*
DR O'Sullivan 5/14 (17.1 overs)
202
TB Horne 40
RGD Willis 2/13 (6 overs)
  • England won the toss and chose to bat
  • Three-day first-class match
5–7 February 1978
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Drawn
 
 
173 (75 overs)
CM Old 51
RJ Hadlee 5/50 (17 overs)
144 (41.3 overs)
PG Coman 51
RGD Willis 4/46 (11 overs)
Lancaster Park, Christchurch
Umpires: Fred Goodall and DC Wilson
230/4d (55 overs)
IT Botham 126*
SL Boock 2/50 (19 overs)
142/5 (44 overs)
RJ Hadlee 56
RGD Willis 2/8 (10 overs)
  • Canterbury won the toss and chose to field
  • Three-day first-class match
17–19 February 1978
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England XI won by 6 wickets
 
 
Scorecard (subscription required)
130 (47.3 overs)
CM Kirk 22*
JK Lever 5/59 (16 overs)
195 (102 overs)
CT Radley 44
BL Cairns 4/73 (42 overs)
Carisbrook, Dunedin
Umpires: EW Dempster and NF Tapper
146 (47.4 overs)
BL Cairns 44
IT Botham 7/58 (19.4 overs)
82/4 (23.6 overs)
DW Randall 28
GB Thomson 3/44 (12 overs)
  • Otago won the toss and chose to bat
  • Three-day first-class match
20–22 February 1978
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Young New Zealand
England XI won by an innings and 23 runs
 
 
Scorecard (subscription required)
310 (114.7 overs)
DW Randall 104
EJ Gray 4/58 (25.7 overs)
139 (57.1 overs)
BA Edgar 41
G Miller 6/71 (22.1 overs)
Temuka Oval, Temuka
Umpires: AH Hart and EG Wainscott
148 (following on)
GN Edwards 28
JK Lever 4/26 (8.4 overs)
  • England XI won the toss and chose to bat
  • Three-day first-class match
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References

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  1. ^ New Zealand beats England in a cricket test for the first time, New Zealand History, Manatū Taonga — Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  2. ^ Bannister A (1979) England in Pakistan and New Zealand, 1977–78, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 1979. (Available online at CricInfo. Retrieved 2024-06-15.)
  3. ^ First Test match, New Zealand v England, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 1979.Available online at CricInfo. Retrieved 2024-06-15.)
  4. ^ a b England in New Zealand and Pakistan 1977–78, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2024-06-15. (subscription required)