EDITORIAL: Addicted to the thrill of Test cricket

I LOVE Test cricket.
It is the form of the game that I adored as a sports-mad youngster. In fact, it was the only form of the game during my formative years in white clothing.
Being old enough to remember New Zealand's first victories at home over Australia in 1974 and England in 1978, and the golden era that followed, there have been many highlights. And as always with our cricket ... lowlights.
Test cricket struggles these days for public interest, but one of the best Tests I've been to had no such problem.
Against India at the Basin Reserve early in 1981, it directly followed the infamous underarm incident at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Being university students, we were resourceful when it came to getting into the ground and, over the first three days, the brick fence was no obstacle for either us, or our beer supplies. But the authorities gradually caught on and, by the fourth day, the police and officials presence on the perimeters made it impossible to get in free.
Well, almost. Fortunately, Victoria University Cricket Club were manning the gates so Steve Dawe (ex-Taradale High) and I volunteered for duty, before slipping off to join proceedings on the bank.
It didn't go down too well and I was called to the match office later that day.
There wasn't a snowball's chance in hell of me going anywhere near it but, during the afternoon, I was chased by and evaded an angry university official who spotted me at the hotdog stand.
Back to the cricket. New Zealand captain Geoff Howarth hit a magnificent 137 not out in the first innings as New Zealand amassed 375. India replied with just 233, Lance Cairns collecting a five-wicket bag. But then the Black Caps were rolled for 100 giving India two days to score 253 for victory.
Late on the fourth day, with Richard Hadlee taking four wickets, New Zealand dismissed India for 190 to win by 62 runs - just their 12th victory since entering test ranks in 1930.
The great wicketkeeper, Ian Smith, whom I had the pleasure of playing club cricket with - right here in Hawke's Bay - equalled the New Zealand record of seven dismissals in a Test.
It was a magnificent game, but all a bit much for Mr Dawe.
He awoke long after the ground had emptied, and looked up at the scoreboard which showed India at 190 for nine wickets.
Off he trotted home for a good sleep. Then in the morning he returned to the Basin Reserve to watch New Zealand win a Test match - only to find that he made a queue of one.
When you love Test cricket, you want to be there right to the end. And Steve, who now works for the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund - something brilliant - retains his passion for cricket to this day.
While my interest in cricket has not stayed at the level of my youth, I still love it when I sit down and take in a session of Test cricket. It is the ultimate test of cricketing skills - physical and mental.
Any number of commitments are likely to keep me from McLean Park, where New Zealand has never won a Test, over the next three days.
But if the Black Caps and Pakistan can take their battle into a fifth day on Tuesday, when I start a short holiday, I'm definitely going to go over and enjoy the atmosphere.
And I'll go through the gate.