00:00When we talk about the legends of New Zealand cricket in the 1980s, the name of Richard
00:06Hurley often steals the spotlight.
00:08But every great strike baller needs a partner who is as steady as a rock, someone who can
00:14lock down an end and suffocate the opposition with pure relentless accuracy.
00:20The man was even Chetfield, the 90 Express whose performance in the third test against
00:25Pakistan in February 1985 remains a masterclass in the art of workhorse baller.
00:32Let's watch his balling spell against Pakistan in 1985.
00:55Chetfield for 21 and Pakistan now 157 to 6.
01:02This ball from Ewan Chetfield, shortish but it kept low and came back in on Dalpat and he
01:08couldn't get down on it, struck the off stump, high back lift, didn't really get down, it
01:14kept low, kept the bottom half of the stumps there, the off stump.
01:22There's an edge and Omar's on his way, caught by Smith off Chetfield for 89 and the valuable
01:30wicket of Omar goes as Pakistan are now 169 for 8.
01:34But here is facing Chetfield.
01:42Nice drive, heading on its way out to the fence with Martin Crow after it but it's four
01:47runs.
01:47Lead is about 230.
01:52There's a loud appeal and it's in fact bowled, Harpies bowled with a ball that didn't really
01:58get up very much, so Harpies is out for 7, Pakistan lose their 9th wicket at 181.
02:09Let's have a look at his dismissal now, just standing there.
02:16If he bets with more responsibility against Chetfield, he goes for a hit here, it's high
02:24in the air, he's actually going to get four backward of square, and he hammers this through
02:30the offside, a beautiful shot, four runs, down for four.
02:41And that's hammered through the offside and it's in the air and it's a drop catch at cover
02:45by Martin Crow.
02:58Stepping onto the trough at Chris Brook in Dunedin, Chetfield was not there to blow Bassman
03:04away with terrifying speed.
03:05Instead, he was a medium-paced artist who turned bowling into a game of chess.
03:10Over a staggering 26 hours in the first innings, he proved why he was the ultimate mentor.
03:16While others might have tired, Chetfield seems to find his rhythm as the day grew longer.
03:23Conceding only 65 runs and bowling 5 beating, his job was simple but cruelling.
03:29Build the pressure, dry up the runs, and wait for the mistakes.
03:32The patience paid off handsomely as he dismantled key parts of the Pakistani line-up.
03:38He first trapped the dangerous Qasim Umar then clinically removed wicket-keeper Anil Dalpat
03:44before finally cleaning up Azeem Hafiz.
03:46Every wicket was a testament to his straight-work stamina.
03:50He was the perfect foil to badly for over a decade.
03:54They formed a thunder and lightning partnership where Chetfield actually created the frustration
03:59that led to wickets at other ends.
04:02But even Chetfield's story is about more than just stats.
04:05It's about incredible resilience.
04:07Many fans still remember the harrowing moments earlier in his career when he was struck in
04:12the head by a bouncer.
04:14Requiring life-saving help on the pitch to return from such a brush with death and become
04:19a man who could ball 26 and over in a single inning speaks to a rare kind of mental toughness.
04:25It was this same cricket-down-to-earth nature that saw him famously transition from international
04:31cricket to driving a taxi in Wellington, remaining just as humble behind the wheel as he was
04:37on the boundary.
04:38So, by the time the match in Dunedin concluded, New Zealand secured a hard-fought victory by
04:43two wickets and the series was there.
04:45Chetfield's 3-for-65 was not just a spell of scoring.
04:49It was a lesson in how consistency and hard work can define a career.
04:53He may have been overshadowed by the freshest stars of his era, but for any true students
04:58of the game, even Chetfield was the backbone that allowed New Zealand cricket to reach its
05:03greatest height.
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