Read the article of New Zealand vs England 1st ODI 1984 - England tour of New Zealand 3-match one-day international series of the 1st ODI match played between England and New Zealand at Lancaster Park, Christchurch in 18th February 1984.
Derek Randall's vital 70 and Allan Lamb's valuable 43 before Economical bowling spell by Ian Botham, Debutant Neil Foster, Bob Willis and Vic Marks helped to England comprehensive 54-run victory over New Zealand, despite a Richard Hadlee's 4th five-for and take a 1-0 lead in the first ODI.
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England scored 188-9 in 50 overs with top scorer by Derek Randall struck 70 off 85-balls including 8-fours.
Allan Lamb scored 43 off 83-balls including 3-fours, Vic Marks hit 28 off 40-balls included 3-fours and Chris Smith 17.
New Zealand best bowler by Richard Hadlee claimed a 5-wicket haul for 32-runs in 10-overs including two maidens and Lance Cairns took 2-wickets.
New Zealand scored 134 for all-out in 42.1 overs with top scorer by Lance Cairns scored 23 off 26-balls including 2-fours & a six.
Richard Hadlee hit 23 off 31-balls including 2-sixes & 2-fours, Jeremy Coney 19 and Geoff Howarth 18.
England best bowler by Ian Botham takes 2-wickets for 7-runs in 6-overs including three maidens with economy rate of 1.16, Bob Willis took 2-wickets for 18-runs in 6.1-overs included a maiden.
Debutant Neil Foster - who took 2-wickets for 19-runs in 10-overs on his debut ODI match - including four maidens with economy rate of 1.90 and Vic Marks takes 2-wickets.
This match reported by Guy Richards (Third Party Reference from The Daily Telegraph)
ENGLAND bowled and fielded like demons in Christchurch today to produce their best out-cricket of the tour, before the biggest crowd, and a startling 54-run victory over New Zealand in the first of the Rothman's 50-over international series.
The batting broke down again; only Randall, with a Man-of-the-Match 70, saving the innings, and with New Zealand needing 189 to win and a 27,538 crowd cheering and willing them on, another English defeat at Lancaster Park seemed likely.
To win, England had to concede almost nothing in their bowling or catching and to be deadly accurate with their picking up and throwing. Hardly an error was made.
"Team spirit pulled up through," said Bob Willis afterwards. "We hadn't a big total to defend and it was important we had fielders in the right places. The pitch wasn't satisfactory for a one-day game but it was better than the Test match."
Willis was surprised when Howarth, after winning the toss as usual, elected to field on a surface that both sides suspected. In fact the ball did not misbehave a great deal but by mid-afternoon the pitch was looking as worn as on the third day of a county match and batsmen on both sides treated the bounce warily all day.
Once again Hadlee was the wolf at England's throat. He fired one ball across Gower, at nine, to find the edge, and Smith and Lamb were so subdued that 22 overs had gone before England reached 50.
Smith, 88 minutes for a 17 that included a six off Robertson, was run out at 59 before Hadlee returned to tear out the England middle, dismissing Lamb, Botham and Gatting in seven balls, Marks saving a hat-trick.
Randall and Marks then produced the most sensible batting of the innings. In the next 14 overs they added 68 runs, coolly picking and choosing the balls to hit and for once Randall seemed to have a partner who could understand his calls.
New Zealand began at 3.15 with the grev, low cloud darkening as their innings stumbled along. Wright had been confounded twice by Willis before being caught behind in the fifth over; Edgar departed in similar fashion in the 13th to Botham, bowling at a little over medium pace but with a mean length and line.
By this time Foster, too, had joined the attack, starting with three maidens and emphasising how much England had missed him in the Test disaster here.
Martin Crowe, who has hardly put a foot right since his glittering century in Wellington, committed suicide, charging down the pitch on Howarth's call and being left stranded. At the same total, 38, brother Jeff played on to Botham and six runs later Howarth himself was run out, a brilliant stop at mid-wicket by Smith.
Marks then began his stint and with Cairns and Hadlee to come this was the major gamble of the afternoon. Cairns hit a fearsome straight six, the crowd recovered their spirits but in the same over a ball kept a little low and New Zealand were 76-6.
That left Coney, Hadlee and the tail with 113 wanted and 22 overs remaining. Willis Willis persisted with Marks, accepting that Hadlee could win the match in five overs and although the off-spinner was hit for two more straight sixes he had his revenge again for the great all-rounder aimed a fierce drive to mid-on where Gower, diving, made a catch magnificent enough to win any match.
Coney, swinging, had already fallen to the persistent Foster and at 120-8, England could afford a gentle mop-up before the eventual drizzle began. This result doesn't eradicate the memories of a mostly mediocre tour but, after England's 3-0 defeat in the last one-day series here, it has certainly put some spice into their last 10 days and guaranteed a sell-out in Wellington on Wednesday and in Auckland next Saturday.
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