Martin Crowe's gone, but no one is happy. The former New Zealand captain and batsmen died on Thursday after a long battle with lymphoma in Auckland. Without doubt, Crowe was a Kiwi legend – a fine batsmen and a shrewd captain who stamped his authority on the game.
As a batsman, Crowe was a rare breed, at home in both Test and ODI formats. Among his 17 Test centuries, two stand out. One was a gutsy 137 against Australia in 1986. Crowe was hit on his face when he missed a bouncer on 51. He shrugged it off to continue batting, hitting 21 fours in a stroke-filled 137 (video above above from 3.48 onwards).
Another peak in his career was his mammoth 299 against Sri Lanka in 1991, where he was truly unlucky to have been dismissed one short of a triple century. It remained a New Zealand record for the highest individual score in Test cricket for more than two decades before Brendon McCullum went past it in 2014.
It was in the 1992 World Cup that Crowe reinvigorated cricket. A spinner opening the bowling was considered a strict no-no before Crowe had his spinner Dipak Patel bowl first up and befuddle the opposition.
He was also the first captain to understand how to use field restrictions, promoting pinch-hitter Mark Greatbach up the order with much success. Under his captaincy, an unfancied side finished top of the table and qualified for the semi-final, where they lost a close game to eventual champions Pakistan.
Crowe made a statement of intent with his own batting right at the start of the tournament. In the opening game against rivals Australia in Auckland, he hit a flamboyant century to set the tone.
Even when it came to fielding, Crowe was no mug. At the 1987 World Cup, Zimbabwe were on course to pull off a stunning upset against New Zealand, chasing 243. However with 22 runs short of victory, Crowe pulled off a blinder, running back and taking a diving catch to dismiss his opposition number Dave Houghton for 142. New Zealand went on to win by three runs.
In the latter part of his life, Crowe fought a valiant battle with cancer. He was a gifted writer whose thoughts on cricket captivated millions. This is an excerpt from a piece he did just before the 2015 World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand.
My precarious life ahead may not afford me the luxury of many more games to watch and enjoy. So this is likely to be it. The last, maybe, and I can happily live with that. To see the two sons I never had, Ross Taylor and Marty Guptill, run out in black, in sync with their close comrades, drawing on all their resolve and resilience, will be mesmerically satisfying. I will hold back tears all day long. I will gasp for air on occasions. I will feel like a nervous parent.
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