00:00In this classic video, witness Jeff Crowe stylish stroke play as he cracked six delightful boundaries
00:06against Pakistan during the first test at Lahore in the 1984-85 season. He smashed four boundaries
00:14to Abdul Qadir and one each to Tawseif Ahmed and Iqbal Qasim. Although his stay at the crease was
00:21brief scoring just 43 runs of 71 deliveries in 96 minutes, it was an innings of real value.
00:28With the game situation demanding quick runs, Jeff Crowe rose to the occasion even lifting
00:33one delivery over the ropes for a class A6. So let's relive his fine stroke making
00:39against a strong Pakistan spin-balling attack.
00:58That also brings up to 150 for New Zealand for the loss of four wickets, taking Crowe on to six, rolling to Jeff Crowe. Cracked out and that's a lovely looking shot through the covers, a tulip of a shot and it races to the cover boundary for four runs.
01:16And it races to the cover boundary for four runs.
01:23And it races to the cover boundary for four runs.
01:30And back foot pair, mid-bicket, four runs.
01:38And back foot pair, mid-bicket, four runs.
01:45The racket was quite slow.
01:49The racket was quite slow.
01:53And right foot pair, mid-bicket, four runs.
01:56And it became a short game.
01:59The lay-back, mid-bicket, the pitch that he was finding,
02:00the pitch that made him move,
02:02would be very short.
02:03He was very short.
02:04And in the range of short games,
02:05the challenge was found that Jeff Crowe was eligible for the score,
02:07the score was only 385.
02:08The play-back, mid-bicket, being a wild-bicket,
02:09when he was innings,
02:10the couch was too deep.
02:11It is easy to find 2-4 runs.
02:14And in the range of short games,
02:16the edge of the score was not 4-4 runs.
02:18and the final game was 180.
02:20The reach is more than the other batsman.
02:26The sight of the game is very nice.
02:32The fielders have no doubt in running.
02:36The shot is very nice.
02:39The shot was very nice.
02:41I was saying that when I was closing fielding,
02:43I was standing up and standing up.
02:45If you look at the ball, the natural reaction will get up.
02:54Short and dispatched to the mid-wicket boundary for six.
03:00That was a very, very fine shot indeed.
03:03It was a short ball and he picked it up very well indeed.
03:09Perfect timing. You must have seen it earlier.
03:12This is dropped short and Jeff Crowe pivoted round, heaved it over mid-wicket for six.
03:19The third six of the innings.
03:22There it is again. Short and there's Crowe. Perfect position.
03:32The 200 of the New Zealand goes up with a flourish.
03:42That's a nice looking stroke down to the mid-off boundary for us.
03:55Must have been perfectly timed because it is effortless.
03:59Just Evan Gray has to go out.
04:01One step below.
04:02Where he should have gone, but because of the night watchman coming in, he dropped the plate.
04:04That's a nice looking stroke.
04:05That's a nice looking stroke.
04:06Down to the mid-off boundary for us.
04:07It must have been perfectly timed because it is effortless.
04:08Just Evan Gray has to go out.
04:09One step below.
04:10Where he should have gone, but because of the night watchman coming in, he dropped the plate.
04:14It's a very confident appeal for a catch.
04:18One step below where he should have gone, but because of the night watchman coming in he dropped the plate.
04:38It's a very confident appeal for a catch.
04:42Ampire Nebuchadnezzar says now,
04:46Jagad Niyadar brought that off from Silly Point.
04:50That's the replay.
04:52Well-flighted ball.
04:56Jeff Crowe went forward.
05:00And then Jagad Niyadar diving for a catch.
05:16Pressure on New Zealand in the last 15 minutes.
05:24That was the last delivery and that is stumps.
05:30So, at close of play on the third day of the first test match between Pakistan and New Zealand.
05:38The position is that Pakistan this morning got a lead of one of 64 when they were all out for 221.
05:50And New Zealand are 211, 211 according to our scorers and 212 according to the scoreboard on the ground.
06:00So, we'll have to reconcile that and give the score tomorrow morning.
06:06But if we take 211 and take off a lead of 64, New Zealand stage, I don't think he can afford to do that.
06:18So, that's the wicket. Pakistan were wanting and Iqbal Qasim gets it for them.
06:32Trying to push that ball onto the onside and possibly that one went off his path.
06:38And then on to the stunts. We'll have a look at it again. Crowe out. That's a very vital wicket.
06:46That's the replay.
06:51Tossed up.
06:54It didn't turn at all, I think. He played in the wrong line.
06:57In fact, it came into him a little bit and he played across.
07:00Geoff Crowe born on 14th September 1958.
07:18He represented New Zealand in both test and ODI between 1983 and 1990.
07:24He was tall, fair-haired and strongly built.
07:27He was a dependable middle-order best man and a reliable fielder who could also keep pickets when required.
07:34Off the field, Geoff Crowe and his younger brother Martin Crowe often amused commentators by swapping helmets.
07:41Such was their resemblance.
07:42Cricket ran in the family.
07:44Their father had also featured in three first-class matches for Canterbury and Wellington between 1953 and 1957.
07:52Geoff Crowe himself played 75 ODIs, including appearance in two Cricket World Cups, England in 1983 and India and Pakistan in 1987.
08:01This short but impactful knock at Lahore reflected the essence of Geoff Crowe's games gritty, purposeful and played with a touch of elegance.
08:10He showcased his ability to adapt and deliver with style.
08:14Performances like these remind us that cricket is not just about big hundreds.
08:19It's also about the small but significant contribution that keeps the game alive and thrilling.
08:24If you like this video, please comment, share and subscribe. Thank you very much.
08:28Thank you very much.
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