New Zealand v South Africa 1998-1999

Seven days before the first ball of this bizarre Test was bowled, it was clear that all was not well with the pitch. A fungal disease had ruined much of the grass cover and, as the third one-day international was played on a neighbouring wicket the previous weekend, there was plenty of time to examine the suspect surface. Ross Dykes, chairman of the New Zealand selectors, claimed the pitch was so poor that the teams should decamp to Hamilton, 75 miles south, but lost the argument. As a precaution, New Zealand summoned another spinner, Matthew Hart, while South Africa may have regretted their decision that Symcox, the experienced offspinner, should not hang around for the Tests.

However, on the first morning, the teams were surprised to see an apparently grassless, but very firm and true surface; the ground staff had applied litres of PVA glue and then rolled in grass clippings to give a healthy tinge. In what was probably a dressing-room decision, Nash, acting captain in Fleming's absence, chose to bowl after winning his first Test toss. Like most people, Nash had little idea what effect glue might have on a pitch. He might have expected a sticky dog; instead all the life went out of it.

So began the long, unequal struggle between feasting batsmen and subservient bowlers. The surprise was that South Africa lost as many as two wickets on the first day: Gibbs misjudged Vettori's arm ball and was bowled not playing a stroke, and Kallis was lbw to Doull after several rain interruptions. For the New Zealand bowlers, though, the dark clouds were massing. Kirsten went on doggedly as Cullinan gradually moved into fluent, attacking mode. Kirsten reached his century just before the close while Cullinan completed his next morning.

New Zealand pierced South Africa's armour when Kirsten was caught at slip, but the third-wicket stand had taken them to 280, and the only question was whether South Africa had enough time to win. The rest of the middle order all shared partnerships with Cullinan, but the innings was losing rather than gaining momentum.

An hour into the third day, Cullinan passed the previous highest Test innings for South Africa: Graeme Pollock's 274 against Australia at Durban in 1969-70. Cullinan hit 27 fours and two sixes, faced 490 balls and batted two minutes short of 11 hours, longer than any other South African in Tests. Cronje promptly declared, with South Africa only one short of their highest Test score, 622 for nine declared, in that same match against Australia in 1969-70.

The New Zealand bowlers were sagging at the knees, but their batsmen soon began to enjoy themselves. Horne led the way, and by stumps had reached 92 not out. Carelessness was the problem, however; Horne added just a single, and no one was consistent enough to grab the centuries which were there for the taking.

There was another batting record, though this was no more than a monument to the turgidity of the Test. Allott, a genuine No. 11, joined Harris with the follow-on target still over a hundred runs off. For 101 minutes, he toiled away, eventually establishing a record for the longest Test nought. "It was the best duck I'll ever make" said Allott. The sparse crowd gave more generous applause to his non-batting than to Cullinan's patient accumulation. It did no save the follow-on but New Zealand had few problems batting out the last day.