26 all out: A look back on NZ Cricket’s darkest day

70th anniversary - Black Caps dismissed for 26

Seven decades on, it remains the lowest of low bars whenever a test side begins an innings - New Zealand’s 26-all out in a defeat to England at Eden Park.

Ever since, whenever a test side lose a bunch of wickets early, hope builds among New Zealand cricket fans that maybe this is the day the dreaded record can be claimed by another country.

There have been almost 2200 test matches since New Zealand cricket’s darkest day, 7855 test sides have successfully moved past 26, most of the time without trouble or even without the loss of a wicket.

When New Zealand set the record, the previous low was 30 which South Africa made in 1896, also against England.

Since New Zealand’s 26, the closest total is India’s 36 at the Adelaide Oval five years ago, India were 26-8 with a sharing of the record on the cards (boundary count would have worked in India’s favour) until number seven Hanuma Vihari got them into the 30s with a boundary.

The closest a side has come to taking the record off New Zealand is Australia.

In 2011, Michael Clarke’s side were 21 for nine against South Africa at Cape Town. However, they escaped the ignominy of taking over one of cricket’s most unwanted records when Nathan Lyon and Peter Siddle added 26 for the final wicket.

March 28, 1955 was day three of the second test against England, a Monday following the Sunday rest day.

England began the day at 148 for four, still 52 shy of New Zealand’s first innings effort.

The night before vandals had taken the covers off the block, leaving it exposed to the autumnal conditions.

Reports at the time suggested that, because there was no rain overnight, the surface was unaffected, an assessment that New Zealand captain Geoff Rabone vigorously disputed when talking to the Herald for the 50th anniversary in 2005.

“No, I didn’t agree with that at all,” he said.

“It had a hell of an effect on the pitch, unfortunately. It was dreadful, just dreadful to bat on.

“It was a wet-weather, damp pitch, and it was doing everything. There had been a dew the previous night, and although it might not have rained, the surface had been considerably freshened up.”

England were dismissed for 246 to hold a first innings lead of 46.

New Zealand spinner Alec Moir probably felt pretty good, finishing with 5-62, his second five-wicket bag since taking a six-fer on debut.

When New Zealand’s second innings began, having lost the first test in Dunedin by eight wickets, there were hopes of setting England a reasonable target.

Instead, four batsmen made ducks, three others made one. Bert Sutcliffe got 11 and Rabone made seven.

"I might have made 12"
Rabone’s role at the time was batting at No 6 and trying to hold together the tail, but he eventually became the ninth wicket to fall after being adjudged leg-before to Brian Statham.

The dismissal followed a desperate attempt to prolong the inevitable when he appealed against the light at 22 for eight - apparently because he could no longer see anyone at the end of the tunnel.

Rabone said in 2005 that his appeal had been greeted with boos from the crowd, but said 50 years later he saw the humour in the situation.

“Why not,” he chuckled.

“It was mid-afternoon, a gloomy day - and, as it turned out, it was to get a lot gloomier. I think I asked [umpire] Clyde Harris, and he gently responded that the light was fine.”

To make matters worse for Rabone, he inside-edged the next ball from Statham on to his pad, but was still given leg-before by Harris.

“I was on seven at the time and who knows - I might have made 12.”

Yorkshireman Bob Appleyard took four for seven - seven for 45 in the match - as New Zealand were rolled in 27 overs, to lose the test by an innings and 20 runs.

Appleyard was twice on a hat-trick, once in each innings, both times dismissing Tony MacGibbon and Ian Colquhoun in successive balls, and both times denied the hat-trick by legspinner Moir.

It was one of the darkest days in New Zealand cricket but just under a year later it was largely forgotten as they finally claimed their maiden test victory at the same ground, their first in 45 matches and 26 years when they defeated West Indies by 190 runs.

Yes, largely forgotten.

New Zealand have won another 118 tests since but the 26-all out remains a record.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission