Persuaded by the Board, the team returned to the ground. But, the fourth day witnessed the most unpleasant incident of the tour. Croft, who was repeatedly jeered by the crowd, appealed – somewhat belatedly – for a catch at the wicket when Hadlee hooked at a bouncer.
Again Goodall turned it down. The umpire says, “Only years later did Hadlee tell me he'd got an edge on it.”
Croft reacted with a barrage of four letter words at Goodall, and both the umpires spoke to Lloyd. The West Indian captain steadfastly stood at first slip, refusing to take a step forward to meet the umpires who had to walk all the way.
The complaint had little effect.
In his next over, Croft unleashed a series of bouncers at Hadlee. When Goodall no-balled him for bowling from too wide of the crease, Croft deliberately knocked the bails off as he walked back past the stumps. Jeremy Coney, the non-striker, picked them up.
As he ran in to bowl his next ball, in one of the most murky incidents in cricket, Croft shoulder-charged Goodall. It did look extremely deliberate. "It hurt for a while," Goodall remarks. "I told Lloyd I have taken some treatment from players in my time, but it has always been verbal. You sort this out now."
Lloyd let Croft stay on. “I had a word with Crofty. This had happened once before with his close run-up. He'd knocked Bill Alley during a game for Lancashire. He ran in very straight then broke away.”
Croft says, “In the heat of the moment they thought I did it on purpose. I did not do it purposely. If Fred Goodall was in Hollywood, he'd have picked up an Oscar. I'm six foot six and 230 pounds. If I'd meant to hit him, he wouldn't have got up. It's crap that I barged him deliberately.”
According to Howarth, “Croft tried to pretend he'd lost his run-up. It was disgraceful. He should have been banned for life. It was because it was 12,000 miles away in little old New Zealand that the authorities turned a blind eye.”
The match ended in an acrimonious draw.
Again Goodall turned it down. The umpire says, “Only years later did Hadlee tell me he'd got an edge on it.”
Croft reacted with a barrage of four letter words at Goodall, and both the umpires spoke to Lloyd. The West Indian captain steadfastly stood at first slip, refusing to take a step forward to meet the umpires who had to walk all the way.
The complaint had little effect.
In his next over, Croft unleashed a series of bouncers at Hadlee. When Goodall no-balled him for bowling from too wide of the crease, Croft deliberately knocked the bails off as he walked back past the stumps. Jeremy Coney, the non-striker, picked them up.
As he ran in to bowl his next ball, in one of the most murky incidents in cricket, Croft shoulder-charged Goodall. It did look extremely deliberate. "It hurt for a while," Goodall remarks. "I told Lloyd I have taken some treatment from players in my time, but it has always been verbal. You sort this out now."
Lloyd let Croft stay on. “I had a word with Crofty. This had happened once before with his close run-up. He'd knocked Bill Alley during a game for Lancashire. He ran in very straight then broke away.”
Croft says, “In the heat of the moment they thought I did it on purpose. I did not do it purposely. If Fred Goodall was in Hollywood, he'd have picked up an Oscar. I'm six foot six and 230 pounds. If I'd meant to hit him, he wouldn't have got up. It's crap that I barged him deliberately.”
According to Howarth, “Croft tried to pretend he'd lost his run-up. It was disgraceful. He should have been banned for life. It was because it was 12,000 miles away in little old New Zealand that the authorities turned a blind eye.”
The match ended in an acrimonious draw.
