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Underarm Bowling Incident 1981




An infamous incident in a game of Cricket , involving an Underarm delivery occurred on February 1 , 1981 when Australia was playing New Zealand in a One-Day International , the third of five matches in the final of the Benson & Hedges World Series Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground . Cricinfo scorecard of the match

New Zealand needed six runs to tie the match from the final ball, with eight wickets down. The Australian captain () would score a Six from the last ball to tie the match.

Australia won the game, but boos were heard from the crowd and the New Zealand batsmen marched off in disgust. Since that day the underarm bowling incident has been a source of discussion, both heated and jocular, between Australians and New Zealanders.

It was described as "the most disgusting incident I can recall in the history of cricket" by the then Prime Minister Of New Zealand , Rob Muldoon , who also said that "It was an act of cowardice and I consider it appropriate that the Australian team were wearing yellow". Even the Australian Prime Minister , Malcolm Fraser , called the act "contrary to the traditions of the game". Commentating for Channel 9 at the time, Richie Benaud described the act as "disgraceful" and called it "one of the worst things I have ever seen on a cricket field".

  • A video of the incident - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K65_spUU05s