World Series Cricket tour of New Zealand

Australia against World XI in New Zealand
Australia against World XI in New Zealand
	Australia
Dates	4 November 1978 – 19 November 1978
Captains	Ian Chappell
Test series
Result	Australia won the 1-match series 1–0
Most runs	Greg Chappell (163)
Most wickets	Dennis Lillee (12)
One Day International series
Results	World XI won the 9-match series 5–3
Most runs	Ian Chappell (164)
Most wickets	Max Walker (17)

In 1978, prior to the start of the second season of World Series Cricket (WSC), the Australian and World XI teams embarked on a brief tour of New Zealand, the first time that WSC teams had played outside Australia. A four-day game played in Auckland was to be followed by a three-day single innings game and a total of six one day games between the two sides over a 16-day period. The abandonment of the third one-day game led to the scheduling of an additional game at the same venue later in the tour. The planned three-day game became a pair of one-day games after the first day was washed out, which led to a final total of nine one-day games on the schedule.

Background

New Zealand's chief cricket administrator, Walter Hadlee, had advocated a compromise position from the start of the dispute between Kerry Packer and the Australian Cricket Board. Hadlee personally did not object to WSC making a brief tour of his country in November 1978. The tour was aided by New Zealand's star player Richard Hadlee (Walter's son) being allowed to appear in WSC matches playing for the World XI team.^[1] While the New Zealand Cricket Council (NZCC) did not formally support or approve the tour or any matches, it could only request, not order, that New Zealand players, umpires and officials not to become involved. The matches were not approved and were considered by the NZCC as unofficial exhibitions.^[2]

Below standard pitches and small crowds were a talking point of the tour. Crowds peaked at about 4,000 in Lower Hutt and were as small as around 300 in Wanganui. Tony Greig said WSC organisers were not overly concerned, at that stage, with the crowd sizes and commented "We have the unusual grounds to play on, grounds which are not accepted as suitable for cricket."^[3]

Tour itinerary

Date	Fixture	Venue
4 Nov 1978	4-day game	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
8 Nov 1978	1st ODI	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
9 Nov 1978	2nd ODI	Tauranga Domain Outer Ground, Tauranga
10 Nov 1978	3rd ODI	Pukekura Park, New Plymouth
12 Nov 1978	3-day game	Cooks Gardens, Wanganui
16 Nov 1978	4th ODI	Te Whiti Park, Lower Hutt
18 Nov 1978	5th ODI	Nelson Cricket Ground, Hastings
19 Nov 1978	6th ODI	Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland

Four Day Game

4–6 November 1978 (4 Day Match)
scorecard

Australia	v	World XI
184 (56.1 overs) Greg Chappell 74 Bernard Julien 3/19 (10.1)		128 (36 overs) Dennis Amiss 43 Dennis Lillee 7/59 (18)
196 (58.4 overs) Greg Chappell 89 Richard Hadlee 5/26 (15)		87 (27.2 overs) Richard Hadlee 21 Dennis Lillee 5/30 (14)

Australia won by 167 runs
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland

World XI won the toss and chose to field

Three Day Game

12–14 November 1978
Scorecard

Australia

v

World XI

No Result
Cooks Gardens, Wanganui

First day lost to rain; remaining two days rescheduled as ODIs

ODI Series

1st ODI

8 November 1978
Scorecard

Australia
136 (49.1 overs)

v

World XI
106 (30.2 overs)

Rick McCosker 39
Albert Padmore 4/28 (10)

Dennis Amiss 63*
Max Walker 5/26 (9.2)

Australia won by 30 runs
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland

50 over match

2nd ODI

9 November 1978
Scorecard

World XI
178 (46.3 overs)

v

Australia
94 (37.3 overs)

Lawrence Rowe 52
Dennis Lillee 3/15 (8.3)

Ian Davis 30
Derek Underwood 3/12 (8.3)

World XI won by 84 runs
Tauranga Domain Outer Ground, Tauranga

50 over match

3rd ODI

10 November 1978
Scorecard

World XI

v

Australia

Match abandoned without a ball being bowled
Pukekura Park, New Plymouth

Rescheduled for New Plymouth on 15 November
50 over match

4th ODI

13 November 1978
Scorecard

World XI
149/7 (30 overs)

v

Australia
124 (28.1 overs)

Barry Richards 51
Ray Bright 2/34 (6)

Rod Marsh 45
Richard Hadlee 3/8 (5.1)

World XI won by 25 runs
Cooks Gardens, Wanganui

The rain of the previous day meant a new wicket was required; the delayed start led to the game being reduced to 30 overs each
50 over match

5th ODI

14 November 1978
Scorecard

Australia
178 (49.5 overs)

v

World XI
75 (31.2 overs)

Ian Chappell 66
Collis King 5/47 (9.5)

Clive Rice 36*
Mick Malone 4/9 (10)

Australia won by 103 runs
Cooks Gardens, Wanganui

50 over match

6th ODI

15 November 1978
Scorecard

World XI
156 (42.5 overs)

v

Australia
68 (37.2 overs)

Dennis Amiss 71
Doug Walters 4/17 (4.5)

Ian Davis 20
Mike Proctor 4/6 (9)

World XI won by 88 runs
Pukekura Park, New Plymouth

50 over match

7th ODI

16 November 1978
Scorecard

Australia
171/8 (40 overs)

v

World XI
164 (37.2 overs)

Ian Chappell 49
Collis King 3/27 (6)

Lawrence Rowe 36
Max Walker 4/36 (8)

Australia won by 7 runs
Te Whiti Park, Lower Hutt

Match reduced to 40 overs per side prior to start
50 over match

8th ODI

18 November 1978
Scorecard

World XI
147/3 (37 overs)

v

Australia
107 (31 overs)

Barry Richards 64
Mick Malone 2/23 (10)

Rick McCosker 31
Collis King 5/36 (10)

World XI won by 40 runs
Nelson Cricket Ground, Hastings

Match reduced to 37 overs per side prior to start
50 over match

9th ODI

19 November 1978
Scorecard

Australia
118 (40.4 overs)

v

World XI
122/9 (39.3 overs)

Doug Walters 29
Rod Marsh 29
Richard Hadlee 4/25 (10)

Clive Rice 46
Max Walker 3/19 (9.3)

World XI won by 1 wicket
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland

50 over match

References

^ "Hadlee released for W.S.C. matches". The Press. 9 October 1978. p. 19.
^ "W.S.C. games not approved". The Press. 3 June 1978. p. 52.
^ Brittenden, Peter (25 November 1978). "With a little help from their friends". The Press. p. 10.

External links

World Series Cricket in New Zealand 1978 – ESPNCricinfo

[1] "Hadlee released for W.S.C. matches". The Press. 9 October 1978. p. 19.

[2] "W.S.C. games not approved". The Press. 3 June 1978. p. 52.

[3] Brittenden, Peter (25 November 1978). "With a little help from their friends". The Press. p. 10.

[1]

[2]

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World Series Cricket
Series (1977–78)	WSC West Indies in Australia WSC World XI in Australia International Cup
Series (1978–79)	Tour of New Zealand International Cup Supertest Series WSC Australia in the West Indies
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