England had battled to draw in the first Test of the 1986 series against New Zealand. But there was little respite as the team prepared to face up to Richard Hadlee at his second home of Trent Bridge.
As England and New Zealand prepared for the second Test of the 1986 series, two all-rounders were very much in the spotlight. Ian Botham, beginning his comeback after his cannabis related ban, was never far from the thoughts of England fans enduring a terrible 1986. New Zealand supporters had no such worries.
Defeating Australia home and away in 1985/86, the undoubted star of the New Zealand team was Richard Hadlee. Taking 49 wickets in six Tests in the wins over Australia, Hadlee claimed seven wickets in the opening Test of the series in England, a Graham Gooch century helping the hosts to hold on for a draw.
With the next Test at Hadlee's adopted home of Trent Bridge, there was trouble ahead for Mike Gatting's team. Playing for Nottinghamshire in his benefit season between Tests, Hadlee gave an indication of the form he was in during a NatWest Trophy quarter final at Surrey. Taking 5/17 and striking 55 with the bat in a losing cause, Hadlee had fired a warning to England.
England's draw at Lord's had extended their unbeaten run to two Test matches. But that sarcastic sentence is a weak attempt at offering the faintest of praise amongst a pretty damning year. A 5-0 hammering in the West Indies, a 2-0 home loss to India, and the removal of David Gower as captain, painted a very chaotic picture of English cricket in 1986.
The four home Tests had seen England select 21 different players, and two more would join the party at Trent Bridge. Out went Peter Willey, Neal Radford and Neil Foster, along with the injured Graham Dilley. In came debutant Gladstone Small, Greg Thomas (for his home debut), Derek Pringle, and John Emburey (after missing Lord's with a broken nose).
Small, who the press repeatedly mentioned was Barbados-born, had seemingly benefitted from a change in his bowling run-up during the early part of the season. Taking 61 wickets for Warwickshire, he would form England's fifth new ball partnership of the summer with Glamorgan's Thomas, the Welshman earning a recall after playing four Tests in the Caribbean at the start of the year.
"Gladstone is on a very productive run and everybody speaks highly of him," Chairman of Selectors Peter May announced. "It seems an ideal time to introduce him." New Zealand opener John Wright was not so sure regarding the decision to select Small and Thomas. "There will be a lot of pressure on them. They are both very inexperienced at this level and that will suit us fine."
New Zealand would make just one change, with bowler Derek Stirling brought into the team in place of Ken Rutherford. On winning the toss at a grey Trent Bridge, skipper Jeremy Coney inserted England, subjecting them to an examination at the hands of Hadlee. For the most part it was a test they failed.
Hadlee removed openers Gooch and Martyn Moxon to leave England 43/2, but a maiden Test 50 from Bill Athey (55) and a return to form for Gower (71) steadied the ship. After Willie Watson dismissed Athey, Gatting joined Gower to take England into a strong position of 170/3. But it was the calm before the all too familiar storm.
Soon England were reduced to 205/8, Hadlee removing the Middlesex trio of Gatting, Emburey and Phil Edmonds. Left-arm spinner Evan Gray took the scalp of Gower with a delivery that spat out of footholes. And Pringle was caught trying to pull Stirling, as England folded.
Thomas and wicketkeeper Bruce French battled, but appropriately Hadlee had the last word, bowling Thomas to leave England 240/9 overnight. Watson finished the innings off the next day, with Hadlee repeating his first innings bowling figures at Lord's in taking 6/80. In doing so, Hadlee moved on to 328 Test wickets, ahead of Bob Willis, and with Botham and Dennis Lillee in his sights.
The general opinion was that England's 256 was slightly below par, and eventually it would prove so. But there was hope as the New Zealand reply progressed. Wright made 58 after a pair at Lord's and was one of two victims of Small, who impressed on debut. When Martin Crowe was dismissed by Emburey, the visitors were 144/5 with the match in the balance.
Enter Hadlee. Contributing an unbeaten 53 in a stand of 67 with Gray, the all-rounder guided New Zealand to 211/5 at the end of day two. The Guardian's Matthew Engel summed up the situation, describing the scene as "21 mortals being wholly eclipsed by Hadlee." The Mirror's Paul Weaver added: "Richard Hadlee should be reported to the Monopolies Commission."
Even so, England were still in the match, although a strong Saturday was essential. What followed gave long suffering followers that typical sinking feeling, as chances were spurned, and the New Zealand lower order piled on the agony.
Thomas did remove Hadlee (68) with New Zealand still trailing by 17 runs. But any hopes of containing the visitors drained away slowly. Gray batted for nearly five hours in reaching his only Test half century, and John Bracewell, averaging just over 16 in his Test career, achieved his one and only Test hundred, aided by Stirling and Watson.
Talking about Gray's innings, Coney hit the nail on the head. "It may not be pretty stuff. It may not be stuff scribes like to write about. But it wins Test matches." New Zealand's 413 gave them a first innings lead of 157, and when man of the moment Bracewell earned a controversial decision against Gooch, England ended day three on 23/1 and staring down the barrel.
After the rest day, the English weather provided a glimmer of hope for the hosts. But even though just 18 overs were possible, England lost two wickets for the addition of 33 runs. Moxon's struggles continued, and a harsh decision against Athey provided wicketkeeper Ian Smith with his 97th dismissal, surpassing the previous New Zealand record held by Ken Wadsworth.
Going into the final day trailing by 93 runs, all hopes seemed to rest on Gower and Gatting. Nightwatchman Edmonds lasted for almost two hours in total before Hadlee struck, and when the captains present and past followed shortly after - Gatting removed by Gray, and Gower by Bracewell - England were 104/6 and seemingly doomed.
The ignominy of an innings defeat was at least avoided, as Emburey struck a Test best of 75, and Pringle dropped anchor. But Stirling and Hadlee shared the last four wickets as England were dismissed for 230, setting New Zealand 74 to win. Hadlee's 4/60 saw him equal the record of Sydney Barnes, Clarrie Grimmett and Lillee in taking ten wickets for the seventh time in a Test match.
Despite losing Wright and temporary opener Jeff Crowe - replacing Bruce Edgar who was absent with a thumb injury - New Zealand won by eight wickets with eight overs to spare. A clear throw from Gower provided a suitably messy end, as the visitors won just their second Test in England. And then came the fallout.
May was honest in his assessment: "We have simply not played well in this match and New Zealand have outplayed us - what more can you say?" An eighth Test defeat in ten naturally led to many bleak words in the papers.
"We hoped, as ever for a cricketing Dunkirk; instead we ended up with yet another Bannockburn," Engel noted. Weaver, speaking for a lot of English cricket fans, summed up the situation neatly: "There is a permanent chill of depression around this England side."
Hadlee was named man of the match, as Gatting and his England team contemplated a first home series loss against New Zealand. The looming presence of Botham was unavoidable, as Gatting and May were forced to field questions about his possible recall for the Oval Test.
Gatting stated he had concerns about Botham's bowling form since his return. But with bat in hand it was hard to ignore the great all-rounder. A century off 65 balls in a County Championship match against
Worcestershire was followed up by a blazing 175 not out - 13 sixes
and 12 fours during the 116-ball innings - in a Sunday League match
against Northamptonshire.
Despite concerns, realistically there was no way England could afford to leave Botham out for the final Test. England's summer would ultimately end in damp fashion. But Beefy's script writer was about to get to work on another chapter in the colourful career of Ian Terrence Botham.
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