Chappell's Under Arm Tactics Re-Lived Down Under

Martin Sneddon is the 2011 Rugby World Cup CEO for New Zealand, having formerly held the same job with the New Zealand Cricket Union but, before then, he played test match cricket for his country and, as he told me last night over drinks and emu pizza in Sydney (yes, emu)  was involved in the famous one day international in 1981 when Australia's Trevor Chappell was instructed by his elder brother Greg to bowl the last ball of the last over under arm to prevent New Zealand hitting the winning runs. "Rod Marsh was the wicketkeeper and he kept telling them not to do it but Trevor did what his elder brother told him to do and has been haunted by it ever since," recalled Sneddon. "We were delighted because it gave us the moral high ground over the Aussies. We went in to their dressing room afterwards to have a beer and they were in a state of shock. The youngsters didn't know what had hit them whilst the old guard of Lillee and Marsh sat in the corner and shook their heads. In the next one day game Greg Chappell came out to bat and a New Zealand punter ran on to the field and bowled a cricket ball under arm as he walked to the middle." It's a great story and an act that will surely never be repeated again in international cricket. As for Sneddon, I wish him well for next year's Rugby World Cup. He says that the tournament's success will be on how well New Zealand hosts the world, not how well the All Blacks play and he is absolutely right.