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New Zealand's selectors had an unusual cure for opening bat Blair
Hartland when he retired with cramp after scoring 98 and 54 for New
Zealand's Emerging Players against India in 1994 - they put him on a
plane to Auckland to play in a Test against Pakistan. Of course the
cramp was a ruse to get him away early from a less important match in
Hamilton, but lucky Hartland still has the benefit of the not out boost
to his average that the 'retired hurt' in Wisden allows him.
In
Auckland, though, he came up against Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram at
their fast and swinging best and could not duplicate the fine form he
had shown against the Indians. Hartland made his Test debut in the
series against England just before the 1992 World Cup and scored 22 and
45 in the Christchurch Test. He made a pair in Auckland, and just 2 and
19 in Wellington and then lost his place until the New Zealand's 1992-93
tour of Sri Lanka. There he made 52 in Moratuwa and 21 in each innings
at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground.
He made 43 in the one-off Test
against Pakistan in Hamilton that season, when Waqar and Wasim bowled
New Zealand out cheaply when they seemed certain of victory. He did not
play when Australia came to New Zealand, but scored 68 not out at
Christchurch in one of the ODIs against Pakistan. On the 1994 tour of
England he had no international success, save for 80 not out against
Ireland at Malahide and 36 at Comber. He made 49 and 60 against
Yorkshire and 65 against Derbyshire. (Bob Harragan)
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