Many people are stating that the 2015 Pink Ball Test between Australia and New Zealand was the first-ever Day Night Test, but in 2002, New Zealand apparently played one day of Day-Night Test against England.
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Quiz question. When was the first time a Day-Night Test was held in cricket? Many people would say that the answer is 2015 in Adelaide. During that match, Australia took on New Zealand in the first Day-Night Test with a Pink Ball. That is the right answer. But, technically, it is actually not right. If one goes back in cricket history, there was actually one day in a Test match which was a Day-Night encounter. It was back in 2002, during England’s tour of New Zealand. Eden Park, Auckland, had seen rain ruin the match.
But, on day 4 of the Test match, a unique sight was being witnessed in Auckland. The match extended well into the night in order to accommodate the number of overs being bowled. The floodlights were on in full glow in Auckland. The rest of the city was in darkness. Yet, Test cricket was being played. This time, instead of the Pink Ball, it was with the Red Ball.
The 2002 tour of England to New Zealand was already not going well for the visitors. The five-match ODI series was lost 2-3. In the first Test, England won by 99 runs but they got an almighty scare thanks to Nathan Astle’s fastest double hundred. His knock of 222 from 168 balls almost put New Zealand on course to chase down 550. After the second Test was drawn in Wellington, New Zealand had only one chance of squaring the series.
Already, the wet international summer in New Zealand was playing havoc. Matches were getting ruined and it looked like the weather would save England. The situation was similar when the teams arrived in Auckland. The rain ruined the first three days with only 60 overs possible. Day 2 saw no action whatsoever.
On day 4, New Zealand was bowled out for 202. In an inspired bowling display, England was dismissed for 160, giving New Zealand a 42-run lead. On the same day, it was decided that play could be extended and that floodlights will be used. England and New Zealand both agreed and the day was extended.
The ICC released a press statement that focused on the need for lights. “The innovative use of floodlights during Test match cricket was the result of extensive discussion and agreement between the Test-playing nations. The safety of players was naturally a significant consideration in the deliberations. The responsibility for determining whether play should continue under lights is at the discretion of the umpires who will, naturally, take safety factors into consideration,” the statement said.
After tea on day four, New Zealand showed tremendous desperation. Astle blasted a fifty but it was Craig McMillan who stole the show. McMillan gave the finishing touches to New Zealand’s charge as Test cricket witnessed a surreal sight. The floodlights were on in full intensity in Auckland. The rest of the city was in darkness as the moon shone brightly. With the red ball, England and New Zealand were battling it out.
There were some comical instances of players not being able to sight the ball. When McMillan hooked a ball high over long leg off Andrew Flintoff, the substitute fielder, Usman Afzaal, curled up and allowed the ball to go over the ropes. It went for a six but Afzaal lost the ball in the lights. Nasser Hussain, the skipper, could only smile at the situation. On-air commentators pointed out that it was very difficult to sight the ball. Hussain complained that his players were unable to see the ball clearly against the night sky. The sight of Afzaal fielding as substitute, curled up like an armadillo to protect himself at deep square leg, lent weight to his argument. But the umpires were prepared to offer the light only to the batsmen.
For Hussain and England, it was karma coming back to bite him hard. In 2000, during the near darkness of the situation in Karachi, England chased down a total and clinched a series victory. Here, he saw a situation slipping out of his hands. A total of 16 wickets and over 400 runs were scored as play was extended to 8 PM Auckland time.
New Zealand seized upon the initiative and won the match comfortably to level the series. It was a magnificent performance from a band of players who were once again punching above their weight. But, the fourth day’s play in Auckland will forever be remembered for the floodlights. It gave Test cricket a new edge. 13 years later, it was formalized by the Pink Ball Test, which was a much-needed innovation of the time. New Zealand, once again, had achieved something for the first time in cricket.
