Martin Crowe
A connoisseur’s
delight
Born 22.09.1962
BATTING (World Cups 1983-1992)
Matches.....21
Innings.....21
Not Out.....5
Highest Score.....100*
Runs.....880
Average.....55.00
Strike-rate.....83.49
100s.....1
50s.....8
Catches.....8
Martin
Crowe’s maiden appearance in the World Cup was symbolic of his stature as one
of the finest batsmen of the modern era. Crowe was not yet 21 when his team was
waging a hopeless battle against England in 1983. The hosts piled up 322 runs,
and when Crowe came in, the Kiwis had slipped to 62 for four. While he played a
superb innings, there was little support to be had at the other end. Though it
was a lost cause he attacked the bowling and scored a brilliant 97 off 118
balls with 8 fours. He was the last man dismissed, run out off the last ball of
the 59th over. While he was at the crease a total of 154 runs were
scored, and the next highest in the innings was 23. That was how dominant the
young Crowe was, and in an impossible situation.
Those
were still early days in his career. He had made an indifferent foray in the
international arena, so this innings must have given young Crowe immense
confidence. He scored a useful 34 in the next game against Pakistan, batting
even lower at No. 7. He put on 46 runs
for the sixth wicket with Jeremy Coney, standing firm against some perplexing
bowling by the leg-spinning wizard, Abdul Qadir. This show of defiance tilted
the balance in favour of New Zealand as Qadir’s outstanding allround display
went in vain.
Crowe
was now promoted to No.4 but he met with immediate disaster, Sri Lankan paceman
Asantha de Mel having him caught behind for a duck. There were further
disappointments as he managed just 20 and 8 in the next two matches. Then
against Pakistan he batted soundly to score 43, but his side was beaten
narrowly and made its exit from the tournament. For Crowe it was a learning
experience. He had scored 202 runs at an average of 33.66, just behind the most
successful Kiwi batsman, skipper Geoff Howarth.
By
1987 Crowe was inarguably New Zealand’s best batsman. He top-scored with 72
against Zimbabwe off 88 deliveries, having hit a six and 5 fours. He put on 84
runs for the second wicket with Martin Snedden, who appeared in the unusual
role of opener. Then as David Houghton powered the Zimbabweans on with an
amazing innings of 142 and staged a tremendous rearguard action in association
with Iain Butchart, Crowe took the catch of the tournament. As he plunged
headlong after sprinting a long way against the flight, it was a magical moment
that made the difference between victory and defeat. He came up triumphant with
the ball as Houghton departed, and the tide turned. The Kiwis won by three runs
with two balls to spare.
Crowe
made only 9 versus India. But in the match against Australia, truncated due to
rain, Crowe hit a fine 58 off just 48 balls with 5 fours. That was not enough
to prevent a three-run defeat in the 30-overs-a-side game. Another knock of 58
at a-run-a-ball embellished with 8 boundaries, in keeping with his ever-growing
reputation, and a stand of 69 for the fourth wicket with elder brother and
captain Jeff, helped his side register an easy win over Zimbabwe. The last two
matches were not too productive for Crowe, and New Zealand bowed out of the
tournament.
When
the Kiwis co-hosted the event in 1992, Martin Crowe was one of the premier
batsmen in the world, perhaps the best. He was in terrific form with the bat,
and provided inspirational leadership to his team before enthralled home
crowds. The side won seven matches on the trot before losing the last league
game to eventual champions, Pakistan. Then in the semi-final, also against
Pakistan, they had to face defeat again. But it was an outstanding Kiwi
performance in the tournament right till those last two matches.
Crowe
was a prolific scorer through the tournament. As New Zealand upset reigning
champions Australia in the opening encounter at Auckland, Crowe scored a
brilliant unbeaten 100 off 134 balls punctuated by 11 boundaries. He put on 118
for the fourth wicket with Ken Rutherford, and then had off-spinner Dipak Patel
open the bowling to the bewildered Aussies. Though Australia began well, with
David Boon scoring a fine century, they fell behind the required run-rate.
Crowe was man-of-the-match.
As
the Kiwis marched on triumphantly, Crowe was not much in evidence with the bat
in the two subsequent games. But in the rain-marred match against Zimbabwe at
Napier, Crowe was at his dazzling best again. With the weather allowing only
20.5 overs to his side, Crowe fired the fastest half-century of the World Cup
off only 30 deliveries, equalling the earlier feats of Chris Old and Imran
Khan. This mark was later bettered and eventually Brendon McCullum hit a fifty
off 20 balls in 2007. Crowe went on to eventually blast an unbeaten 74 off 44
balls, rocketing 8 fours and 2 sixes. It was indeed the batting of a champion.
He put on 129 for the third wicket with Andrew Jones. The Zimbabweans had no
reply to such firepower.
The
big test was against the West Indies, and Crowe passed it with flying colours.
With the former champions managing only 203, Crowe came in at 97 for two and
hit a blistering unbeaten 81 off as many deliveries, with 12 boundaries.
Neither Curtly Ambrose nor Malcolm Marshall could stop him. Crowe brought up
victory by five wickets and bagged his second successive man-of-the-match
award.
In
the outing against India he was run out for 26, but when his side met an
undefeated England, Crowe was back among the runs. An English score of 200 was
hardly enough to test the fired up New Zealanders. Crowe scored 73 not out off
81 balls with four hits to the fence, and added 108 for the third wicket with
Andrew Jones which effectively took the match away from England.
The
last league match saw the start of a downswing for New Zealand, just as
Pakistan were on the ascendant. Crowe was dismissed by Wasim Akram for 3, and
with him went Kiwi hopes. In the semi-final against the same opponents, Crowe
was back in scintillating form. He took only 83 balls to hit 91, and put on 107
for the fourth wicket with Rutherford.
He was run out after seven hits to the boundary and three over it. Much as Crowe and his team tried, Pakistan just managed to beat them by four wickets with an over to spare.
He was run out after seven hits to the boundary and three over it. Much as Crowe and his team tried, Pakistan just managed to beat them by four wickets with an over to spare.
It
was a moving sight as the Kiwi players waved to the cheering home crowd. Even
though they were edged out, they had done their countrymen proud, none more so
than Martin Crowe. For the first time New Zealand had looked like a team that
could win the World Cup. Crowe topped the run-aggregates as well as the
averages for the tournament with 456 runs at 114 per innings. He was the
player-of-the-tournament – dubbed world champion – and drove off with a Nissan
300 car as his prize. Peter Roebuck summed up his enthralling performance:
“Nothing has been more enjoyable this summer than seeing Martin Crowe batting
with such authority, leading his unconsidered team to a World Cup semi-final.”
Nearly 900 runs in the premier tournament at a 50-plus average and strike-rate
of 83.49 tell an eloquent tale.
Even
as a damaged knee hampered his movements during the later stages of his career,
Crowe remained a majestic batsman, a sheer delight to watch. His timing and
strokeplay were exquisite, head right over the ball, and when he was on song
there were few sights as pleasing on a cricket field. With Bert Sutcliffe and
Glenn Turner, Martin Crowe forms a trinity of the best batsmen produced by New
Zealand.
(Author Indra
Vikram Singh can be contacted on email singh_iv@hotmail.com).
ISBN 978-81-901668-4-3
Distributed in India by Variety Book Depot, Connaught
Place, New Delhi, Phones + 91 11 23417175, 23412567
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