England will play New Zealand at Trent Bridge on 5 June 2013, the third of four One Day Internationals the two countries will play this summer.
Incredibly, despite there having been 22 previous clashes between the two sides in this country, this will be only the second time they will have met in Nottingham.
The first contest was hugely significant though, being played as part of the 1975 Prudential World Cup competition.
Both nations were drawn in Group A, together with India and East Africa. The Trent Bridge match arrived with the leadership of the group at stake.
England had run up a score of 334-4 in defeating India by a mammoth 202 runs at Lord’s. New Zealand were also in the runs, compiling 309-5 in their 189-run win over the East Africans at Edgbaston.
On a hot and clammy Wednesday morning battle was joined beside the Trent. NZ were skippered by Glenn Turner, a prolific right-handed opening batsman well-known for his stint in county cricket with Worcestershire. His opposite number was Kent’s Mike Denness.
Bad weather had severely hampered previous ODI meetings between the pair. England had won one of the two matches played on home soil in 1973, with the other washed out – and in March 1975 both scheduled matches in NZ ended as rain-ruined no results.
There were no such concerns for the World Cup-tie. The afternoon would develop into one of the hottest days of the year but in the ideal swing conditions of the late morning Turner opted to bowl first after winning the toss.
England’s openers Dennis Amiss and John Jameson, county team-mates at Warwickshire, added 27 before falling in quick succession to Richard Collinge, a tall left-arm swing bowler.
Essex’s Keith Fletcher led the re-building work. The 31-year old was a vastly-experienced batsman, yet incredibly had never scored a century in any one-day match – his best score of 99 not out having come against Nottinghamshire at Ilford in 1974.
This time Fletcher did reach three figures before selflessly running himself out from the final ball of the innings for 131.
37 from Denness, 34 from Frank Hayes and a quickfire, unbeaten 20 from Chris Old lifted England to 266-6 from their allotted 60 overs.
Amongst the New Zealand wicket-takers was Richard Hadlee – soon to become a firm favourite with the Notts supporters. Bowling alongside him was elder brother Dayle.
A third brother, Barry, was also in the side and was soon at the crease as England dismissed dangerman Turner for just 12. From that point, the contest was effectively over as wickets tumbled at regular intervals, four of them to Tony Greig.
Greig, who sadly died recently, bowled his medium-pacers to great effect, collecting 4-45 from his 12 overs. John Morrison made 55 but had little support and a long day was tidily wrapped up on cue as Derek Underwood bowled last man Collinge with the final ball of the innings.
Winners by 80 runs, England went on to top the group, with New Zealand accompanying them into the semi-finals. Neither side acquitted themselves well at that stage though, with West Indies and Australia going through to contest the first World Cup Final.
38 years after that first meeting, England and New Zealand will contest a NatWest One Day International at Trent Bridge on Wednesday 5 June. Tickets are now on general sale priced £35-£50 for adulta, £10 for under 16s and £20 for under 21s.
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