Cricket World Cup 1st XI: 4) Greatbatch tees off

Mark Greatbatch of New Zealand on his way to a half century during the World Cup match against South Africa at Eden Park in Auckland. Photo / Getty Images.

With five weeks to go before the start of the Cricket World Cup, the Herald lists the stories that have defined the tournament

No.4: Greatbach tees off

New Zealand went into the 1992 World Cup, co-hosted with Australia, in a bit of turmoil.
Best batsmen Martin Crowe's captaincy was hanging by a thread after a disastrous home series against England, when they lost the ODI series 3-0 and were comprehensively outplayed.

As it was, Crowe retained the armband, scored 100 not out, opened the bowling with Dipak Patel in a revolutionary move and led his team to a famous opening-game victory over Australia at Eden Park.

As it turned out, New Zealand still hadn't played their biggest chip.

After missing the starting 11 for the first two round-robin matches, Mark Greatbatch caught a break when opener John Wright was injured in the victory against Sri Lanka.

So Greatbatch, a middle-order southpaw, strode out to face his first ball at a World Cup in the unfamiliar opening role against a fired-up Allan Donald, with his team chasing a relatively meagre 191 to win. What he did next cemented his legend and, without a hint of hyperbole, changed the way cricket was played.

In front of 27,500 fans, a pumped-up Greatbatch smote 68 from 60 balls (yes, it seems a little quaint now that we would consider a strike rate of 113 revolutionary), depositing three sixes including a massive smite off Richard Snell that would still be orbiting Earth were it not for the grandstand getting in the way.

New Zealand v South Africa scoreboard

After a comfortable victory over Zimbabwe, New Zealand's next big challenge was against the West Indies at Eden Park. Chasing 204, Greatbatch hit 63 in a slightly more pedestrian 77 balls, but left vivid memories of charging a raging Curtley Ambrose and slicing him over third man into the stands for one of his three sixes.

New Zealand v West Indies scoreboard

At Carisbrook, Greatbatch stepped it up a notch, smashing four sixes on his way to 73 and another man-of-the-match award.

New Zealand v India scoreboard

Greatbatch's good form continued right through to New Zealand's semifinal defeat to Pakistan. His were the sort of incandescent innings befitting a World Cup that was, for the first time, being played with a white ball, coloured clothing and, for some games, under floodlights.

The big southpaw with the bristling 'tache set the template that would be copied and expanded upon by the likes of Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana at the next World Cup.

Cricket World Cup 1st X1:
3) Gatting's folly
2) Kapil Dev's World Cup
1) West Indies reign