4/3/24, 12:11 PM 'I'm still having therapy from that Boxing Day Test match in 1987'

New Zealand's longest serving captain, ended his

career without ever getting to feel the singular thrill
of leading his team out to face Australia the day after
stuffing himself full of Christmas ham.

Danny Morrison, New Zealand fast bowler:

Obviously with South Africa's re-entry [in 1991] and
other teams with a bit bigger billing, you can
probably argue, "Oh you poor little country cousins
from across the Tasman are second tier." It will be
fascinating to see with all that spice around it
coming up this year.

"I got to the middle and Craig McDermott

punches me in the chest and says we can
get the 20 runs! And I went, 'No we can't.
You'll have to get 'em all'"
AUSTRALIA NO. 11 MIKE WHITNEY

Back to 1987. Whitney had been named in Australia's

ODI squad for the upcoming World Series Cup
featuring New Zealand, Sri Lanka and the hosts, and
was planning to fly to Perth for the first game once
the Test finished.

Whitney: I had my bag packed and I was just ready

to go. All I had to do was take my tracksuit off, have
a shower, get in my blazer and pants, have a couple
of beers in the dressing room and off to Perth that
night. Then the wickets started falling.

147 for 4 (Border), 176 for 5 (Steve Waugh), 209 for 6

(Peter Sleep), 209 for 7 (Mike Veletta), 216 for 8
(Greg Dyer), 227 for 9 (Tony Dodemaide).

Australia had done well until then. They stopped

John Wright from scoring a century in the first
innings. To this day, Wright's 99 remains the highest
Test score by a New Zealander in Melbourne. Then
they took the lead, which had looked impossible until
Peter "Sounda" Sleep came in at No. 7 and played the
innings of his life, alongside a debutant who had no
idea what he was in for.
https://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/1210332/i-was-there-australia-v-new-zealand-melbourne-test-1987-88 3/13