Addicted to cricket: The Martin Crowe story

Former New Zealand cricketer Martin Crowe looks on during the Mens Premier Reserve Grade cricket match between Papatoetoe and Cornwall at Papatoetoe Recreation Ground on November 5, 2011 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Getty Images)

It often happens that if one person goes on to represent a country, state or club in cricket, another one from the same family usually takes up the sport and excels in it.

We hear of the Chappell brothers and the Waugh twins from Australia, the Flower and Strang brothers from Zimbabwe, or in more recent times, the McCullum pair from New Zealand. However, the Kiwis have also given another cricketing family to the game – the Crowes.

And one of them went on to make a mark for himself at both first-class and international level as a batsman and a captain.

Martin David Crowe is one of the finest players New Zealand has ever produced.

Born to former NZ first-class cricketer Dave on 22 September 1962, Martin played with his older brother Jeff, who went on to ply his trade on the domestic circuit in South Australia before returning to captain his country in six Tests. Blessed with sound technique and excellent footwork, the younger Crowe made his first-class debut for Auckland in 1979.

A reasonable performance with the bat led to Martin being selected for the 1981-82 home series against Australia. He made his ODI debut first, soon followed by his Test debut against the same opponents.

In both formats, however, he struggled to make an impact. The presence of stalwart opener Bruce Edgar and skipper Geoff Howarth in the side – both in excellent batting form – meant that Martin got limited opportunities to prove himself.

He scored his maiden Test century in January 1984 against the touring English, and together with Jeremy Coney, helped his side to post 537 in the second innings and force a draw.

In the same year, the 22-year-old moved to English county side Somerset, which was hampered by the departure of the great West Indian Viv Richards for international duty. He had just come off a tough tour of Sri Lanka, having been felled by food poisoning.

A broken thumb, a strange environment, homesickness and the anxiety to do well compounded his woes. As a result, he could manage only five consecutive single-digit scores in the last week of May that year. Crowe admitted later that he wanted to return home and just cry.

But then something strange happened.

Martin Crowe batting for New Zealand during the match between Lavinia Duchess of Norfolk’s XI and New Zealand at Arundel, 6th May 1990. New Zealand won by 7 wickets. (Getty Images)

The young man displayed a maturity that was rare for people of his age at the time. The perfect technique – old-fashioned yet proper, translated a bleak May into a glorious June. Four centuries in successive Championship games lead to him making 719 runs at a stunning average of 143.8. Martin himself recalled the game against Leicestershire produced his “gutsiest” innings ever.

On a fresh pitch, West Indian fast bowler Andy Roberts was breathing fire and Somerset were struggling to negotiate his hostile pace. But the Auckland youngster never flinched, matching Roberts blow for blow, playing purely on instinct, but without losing any of his technical strength.

Martin finished with an unbeaten 70, scoring almost half of Somerset’s total of 151; a knock driven purely by sheer force of will. In the second innings, he shared a record stand of 319 with captain Peter Roebuck (128), scoring a faultless 190, as Somerset chased down 341 in 87 overs, and went on to win the Championship against Nottinghamshire that season.

Returning to international cricket for the 1985 season, Martin once again squared off against the Australians in their backyard. At the first Test in Brisbane, Richard Hadlee destroyed the Australian line-up with 9/52 as they made 179 in the first innings.

Crowe and John F Reid then took over, putting on a 224-run stand for the third wicket. The former oozed class and confidence as he hammered 26 fours on the way to a magnificent 188; a subliminal innings that enabled the Black Caps to win a Test in Australia for the first time.

Knocks of 71 and 42 in the third Test secured their first overseas win, and Martin became the Wisden Cricketer of the Year for 1985.

Martin Crowe of New Zealand at Hitchin Cricket Club in Hertfordshire in 1994. (Getty Images)

The young batsman would go on to play many more notable innings for his country, despite being blighted by injuries to the shin, hamstrings and back. On his favourite Basin Reserve ground, he scored an imperious century against the touring West Indies, hooking the fearsome Malcolm Marshall with almost gay abandon, exerting superb control over his shots.

Persistent injuries to the knee would eventually curtail his cricket career. In 1986, he was an unwitting participant in Somerset’s decision to sack Richards and Joel Garner. When he next took the field for the county in 1987 as captain, he was subject to barbed comments from the media over his private life as well as the controversial axing of the West Indian superstars. Eventually, a stress fracture in the back forced him out of the side, with a young Steve Waugh chosen as his replacement.

He persevered despite the setbacks, and whacked the toothless Sri Lanka bowling to all corners of the park while compiling a record 467-run partnership with Andrew Jones in the first Test at Wellington in 1991. Martin was dismissed on 299, which has stood as a New Zealand record for 22 years. The retirement of Hadlee increased his workload, yet he carried on gamely despite his body suffering miserably.

The 1992 Cricket World Cup was his zenith in ODIs. Chosen to lead the side, he brought in innovative tactics, such as using Mark Greatbatch as a pinch-hitter to take advantage of the 15-over field restrictions, or opening the bowling with off-spinner Dipak Patel.

His tactics paid off handsomely as New Zealand made it to the semi-finals, with Crowe scoring 456 runs to be awarded Player of the Tournament. The still head and ‘watch the ball’ technique, the controlled way in which he handled the opposition’s bowling attacks, the sublime pull shot and the sweetly timed straight drive – all of it was in full flow right throughout the marquee event; his unbeaten 81 against the West Indies stands out vividly. Sadly, though, the title eluded the master.

Despite scoring a stylish 142 against England in 1994, Crowe’s body could no longer stand the rigours of cricket. Frequently sidelined with injuries, and with the emergence of batsmen such as Stephen Fleming, the 32-year old soldiered on gamely, his batting now completely motivated by will power. Remarkably, even though his body was beset with many ills, his sense of control and immaculate timing did not desert him at all.

Eventually, his back locked up on him and after an ODI series against India in November 1995, which included his 17th international century, Martin Crowe bid farewell to all forms of cricket. His premature departure left a yawning gap in the Kiwi batting line-up, which struggled for a considerable period of time. 5,444 runs in 77 Tests at an average of 45.36 reflect his prowess, and it could have been more, but for his body telling him it was time to hang up those boots.

Martin Crowe of New Zealand plays a pull shot against England during the Beach Cricket Tri-Nations Series held at Maroubra Beach January 12, 2008 in Sydney, Australia. (Getty Images)

Never again would New Zealand be witness to those booming drives or the perfect head position that characterized Martin’s time at the batting crease. Never again would one-dayers see his innovations.

He went on to do commentary for Sky Sports in New Zealand, and invented Cricket Max, a short-lived format that could arguably be conceived as a precursor to Twenty20 cricket. Crowe also served as the Chief Cricketing Officer for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first edition of the IPL, but after the team’s poor showing, he resigned following criticism from the franchise owners.

In 2009, he wed former Miss Universe Lorraine Downes – an event that brought some scrutiny in his private life.

In 2012, he announced his intentions of making a comeback to first-class cricket in order to keep fit, but within a few months, he was diagnosed with lymphoma. Just like he did when he was playing, the great man accepted the news positively and began the appropriate treatment to deal with the latest blow. He is now in remission, and the self-confessed “cricket addict” once again bid adieu to cricket.

A master tactician, a magnificent batsman and a great leader, that’s what Martin David Crowe has been for Kiwis as well as cricket fans around the world.