Kiwis for dessert: The tale of Test cricket's lowest ever innings score - 26 all out

England squad for 1954-55 Australia and New Zealand tour

Cricket, by itself, is a very funny game. You seldom see an even contest between bat and ball these days – with quite a few exceptions. It makes one wonder how the game fared back in the fifth decade of the twentieth century, when the duel between wood and leather was fairly even. Then again, that flighty temptress, called Exception, makes her appearance, and triumph once again belongs to just one of the two protagonists.

The second Test match of the 1954-55 series between England and New Zealand witnessed Exception in full glory. Virtually a David v Goliath battle, the former were coming off a successful yet gruelling Ashes tour, while the latter were looking for their first ever victory in the longest format, having suffered a multitude of losses and draws in their nearly 30-year journey of the game. While England looked to the stylish Len Hutton, young turks Peter May and Colin Cowdrey and the fearsome pace duo of Frank Tyson and Brian Statham, the Kiwis had Bert Sutcliffe and John R. Reid in their ranks to counter the opposition. On paper, you could call it even stevens for both teams.

But what unfolded during the third innings at Auckland Park that March would have surprised the eventual winners as well, though they tried not to betray any sign of an emotional response. Contrasting yet sublime knocks from Reid and Sutcliffe had pushed the home team’s total to 200, and, with leg-spinner Alex Moir bagging a five-for, the odds were beginning to look in favour of a maiden Test win for the trans-Tasman nation. They had managed to withstand the raw pace of Tyson and Statham, and even held the webs of Bob Appleyard and Johnny Wardle at bay for a brief while. In response, Hutton and May had set England’s innings up nicely, gaining the crucial innings lead.

And that’s when Exception made her appearance.

Typhoon Tyson strikes the first blow

Normally, a hard, dry pitch would have something in it for the batsmen. But at precisely 3 pm that Monday afternoon, it behaved extremely wildly. The ball nipped and darted around, spun faster than a table top, and the willow wielders suddenly found themselves in all sorts of discomfort.

And why wouldn’t they be? Against Typhoon Tyson and Hurricane Statham, three wickets crumbled. Leggat was the first to go, beaten by Frank’s express pace and popping a catch to the England skipper. It ended a horrid game for the opener, with only five runs to his kitty. He would retire a year later.

Matt Poore, the No. 3 batsman, played all over a scorcher from the energetic pacer, leaving his stumps in disarray. Not to be outdone, Statham unleashed his thunderbolt on the unfortunate Reid, disposing of the Kiwi all-rounder for just one run. New Zealand were reduced to 13/3 by the seventh over of the innings, yet the crowds still clung on to hope; Sutcliffe was still in, and he, like his recently-dismissed partner, was capable of taking the fight to the opposition.

Turning Point: Hutton plots, Johnny delivers

The left-handed opener had already made eleven of the thirteen runs on the board for his side, having watched three of his comrades fall by the wayside. His knock in the first essay had reeked of style and substance, and he was equally adept at playing both spin and pace. Undeterred by the nature of the pitch and resolute in his defence, Bert was the ideal man to bail his side out of the hole they’d dug themselves in.

Len, however, knew the importance of getting another wicket – and Sutcliffe’s no less – in order to demoralize the Kiwis even more. In what most spectators felt was his last throw of the dice, he tossed the ball to left-arm spinner Johnny Wardle. It looked like a rather risky move, but it had to be attempted.

Johnny turned the game on its head with a chinaman delivery. Bert fell into the trap, positioning himself to whack the ball into the stands. But because the pitch was turning viciously, he misjudged the amount of drift on the delivery, swung wildly and missed, to be bowled through the gate. The entire stadium was shocked into sepulchral silence; their best hope had been dismissed against the run of play. Almost half the side was back in the hut, and not even twenty runs had been scored.

I’m Bob Appleyard, and Auckland Park is your new graveyard

Kiwi captain Rabone strode out to the middle, having watched his side flounder in the sea of despair. His dour, defensive technique wasn’t favoured by too many Kiwi supporters, but, after his two mainstays Reid and Sutcliffe had fallen, it was mostly up to him and Noel McGregor to bring some stability and respectability back into the innings. They went about their business calmly, blocking as many balls as they could.

Bob Appleyard, the Yorkshire off-spinner, entered the attack after Hutton decided to give Tyson a breather. With his mix of occasional medium pace, off-cutters and leg-cutters, he was going to prove more than a handful for the beleaguered opposition. The last delivery of his opening over yielded the wicket of McGregor. Five down and five more to go.

And then, as former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri is wont to say, the wheels fell off the Kiwi innings. Bob added three more victims to his tally in four balls, but Moir prevented the hat-trick yet again. By then, England needed the final two wickets to round off the win, with Appleyard finishing with excellent figures of 4/7 in six overs of mayhem.

Statham ends New Zealand’s misery

The slower bowlers had exceeded Hutton’s expectations by removing most of the opposition’s batsmen, so he decided to bring back the Tyson-Statham duo to complete the final rites. In the end, only one over would be needed.

Statham trapped Rabone leg before with his fourth delivery before sending Johnny Hayes’ stumps cartwheeling, completing his three-wicket haul. New Zealand had crumbled to the lowest score ever in the history of Test cricket – 26 all out – handing the Englishmen a 2-0 series victory.

Not only did Len Hutton enjoy yet another victorious tour in his illustrious career, he brought down the curtains on a glittering journey as well – in just three match days.

New Zealand were left struggling to recover from the aftermath of such a disastrous display as this game resulted in the abrupt end of a few careers. But such is the power the temptress called Exception wields that, though it was a shameful collapse for the batting side, the memories of this match still live on.