In Jan 1978, WI needed 5 runs from 2 balls in a limited overs game.
WI's Number 11 Wayne Daniel smoked the ball from Australia's Mick Malone over square leg for a six to help West Indies win the game.
And this incident played a major role 3 years later. A thread. 🧵
This game was a part of the World Series of Cricket which does not have official status, but the entire series was played with high intensity.
Ian Chappell was captain of this WSC Australian Side.
Greg Chappell had top scored for Australia in that game.
Wayne Daniel was the number 11 for West Indies that day and his First Class average over 266 games of 11 should tell you about his batting ability.
But in a moment of brilliance he was able to win the game off his bat.
On February 1, 1981 Australia and New Zealand were in the midst of a best of 5 series to determine the winner of the Tri-Nation series.
The 3rd nation in the tournament - India. It was the first time India were playing an ODI in Australia and also their first in colored clothing
Greg Chappell was the captain of the Australian team during that summer. They had a relentless schedule.
Tests, ODIs, Sheffield Shield games..
The tri-series - each team played preliminary games followed by a best of 5 final.
Feb 1st, 1981 was a hot day. Greg Chappell won the toss and elected to bat. He top scored with 90 and Australia scored 235/4 in their 50 overs.
He even bowled 10 overs and took 3/43.
The intense pressure of being captain of Australia along with the relentless schedule took its toll on Chappell.
He even wanted to walk off the field exhausted after 40 overs. But was persuaded to stay by Rod Marsh.
With the Final series locked at 1-1, NZ chased down the target with gusto.
Bruce Edgar scored what is considered the most forgotten heroic ODI century of all time. He opened the batting and anchored the chase. He ended up with 102*.
With 7 needed off 2 balls, Ian Smith (then a ferocious lower order batter) was bowled by the finest off margins of the penultimate over by Trevor Chappell.
7 needed to win off the last ball and 6 to tie with a number XI walking in, his mind went back to the game where Wayne Daniel hit a six to win the game for West Indies.
He also did not want to play the full 5 game series & instructed his brother Trevor to bowl underarm.
The batter was Brian McKechnie who was a double international. He had famously scored the winning penalty in a rugby game against Wales in 1978.
He was not known to be a hitter, but with no chance of hitting a six off an underarm ball, he blocked the ball and threw his bat away.
It was a huge diplomatic row. Politicians got involved.
The NZ PM Sir Robert Muldoon called it an act of cowardice and it was appropriate that Australia wore yellow.
In 2005, during the first ever international T20 game between Australia and New Zealand, @glennmcgrath11 jokingly tried recreating the underarm ball.
He was promptly shown a red card by umpire Bill Bowden.
McGrath is the only cricketer to have been shown a red card in cricket.
Here is an image of Brian McKechnie playing lawn bowls and "Bowling underarm".
In 2017, Trent Boult, Tom Latham, Adam Zampa, Glenn Maxwell re-enacted the incident.
If this ad is to be believed, maybe Brian McKechnie could have removed his abdomen guard and hit the ball for a six!
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