The 53-year-old seamer opened the bowling with fellow Central Districts Stag Gary Robertson in a three-day, first-class, warm-up match against Australia at an even more stifling Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, on March 8-10 in 1986.
He took 3-91 from his 14 overs, including a maiden, snaring the prized scalp of Australian opening batsman David Boon who scored 109 runs in the tourists' 309 all out in the first dig. He also had the other opener, Geoff Marsh, feathering his delivery to wicketkeeper Tony Blain for a five-ball duck.
The right-armer then took 3-56 from 13 overs, including two maidens, in the second innings.
This time he took the caught wicket of No 6 Steve Waugh for an eight-ball duck as well Marsh for 109 runs.
"We got the word from New Zealand selectors to soften them up a bit before the third test against us in Auckland three or four days later," he says with a laugh.
Coming around the wicket to the right-handers and pitching it short to their ribs to give the Aussie batsmen a hurry up apparently worked wonders because the New Zealand team won the test.
Stirling didn't play but Robertson did. His recollection was John Bracewell was pivotal in spearheading the victory.
Robertson, who also was a New Zealand representative from Taranaki, claimed 4-70 from 20.5 overs, including a pair of scoreless overs in the CD match but didn't add any more wickets in the second innings.
"Boon was just class that day."
Stirling says Eden Park today isn't as bad as Pukekura Park, with "tiny straight drives but quite good on the sides".
He attests to the gospel that the one-day affair is the altar of worshipping to willow whackers.
"It's been like that for a while so that's ODI cricket for you."
Veteran Kyle Mills has religiously reflected that bowler apathy and Stirling reckons 350 should be a par score.
An explosive start will be ideal but equally imperative is Williamson, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott and Luke Ronchi forging partnerships if they stray from the script.
Stirling believes the Black Caps won't be playing the same XI throughout the cup because they 'll be risking injuries and fatigue.
CD Stags speed merchant Adam Milne, Tim Southee and Trent Boult are a potent force but he suspects Mitchell McClenaghan will enter the fray in the Black Caps v Afghanistan game on Sunday, March 8, at McLean Park, Napier.
"I love Mitch's aggression and passion. He's a fantastic bowler so somewhere along the way he'll play a big part," he says of the left-arm quickie who has shades of Australian counterpart Mitchell Johnson.
In Stirling's day, bowlers took nothing for 20 runs and were lauded for it but nowadays if they can't take wickets then they are unlikely to catch the selectors' eye.
However, veteran spinner Daniel Vettori is the miserly one.
"At Eden Park, if you go for [fewer] than six runs an over and take 2 to 3 wickets then you'll win the game for your team."
Stirling hastens to add today's much-hyped encounter will separate the men from the boys.
"Just exactly how good we are will be known although there's huge support for New Zealand," he says, emphasising a win will certainly be an endorsement of McCullum and his men "going all the way".
The last time New Zealanders were frothing around the mouth about a cricket match was in the 1992 World Cup semifinal as well as the first match at a sold-out Eden Park after the infamous under-arm match in February 1981at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
"Tomorrow is a hell of a match and there'll be millions of eyes on it with New Zealand in prime form."
While David Warner and Aaron Finch have the propensity to turn an innings into an OK Corrall-type shootout, he believes the tourists look somewhat anaemic in the Williamson, Taylor, Elliott and Ronchi department of cool customers for the hosts.
"If Warner and Finch don't come off then it puts them under pressure because of [captain Michael] Clarke's injury layoff."
He stresses a loss today won't signal the end of the Kiwis' campaign but the victors will "take a little psychological advantage" into the cup playoffs.
"If we play poorly then we'll have a fairly lot of work to do."
Stirling says while opening batman Martin Guptill has looked scratchy Eden Park is his playground.
"It's a lottery at Eden Park but it's where Guptill scores runs so he'll be due [for runs there] tomorrow," he says, mindful youngster Tom Latham is itching to do his bit off the bench.
