A history of NZ at the Champions Trophy
In 1998, NZ only makes the tournament after beating Zimbabwe in a last-ball minnow thriller in Bangladesh. In that match, Zimbabwean skipper Alistair Campbell makes a ton but is overshadowed by Deadball's favourite Chris Harris, who clobbers a four off the last ball to win the match - his score of 37 from just 21 balls is the decisive innings after NZ is all but dead and buried at 216/5 in the 47th over chasing 260.
The win against the Zimbos was the tournament highlight for patriots as NZ was shot out for 188, and duly KO'd by Sri Lanka in the 42nd over of their run chase. Some dared to dream when the men in blue were 5/3, before portly Arjuna Ranatunga saved the day with an unbeaten 90 punctuated with just 8 fours and a seemingly endless succession of waddling singles and trotted twos.
>> Most outrageous selections: Mark Bailey.
The year 
2000 is the high watermark for NZ one-day cricket - the springtide, if you will, given it was played in October. This win gave the 2000 team some ammunition for their pub arguments against the "1980s cricket mafia" that pervades the game in NZ. The images of a slightly creepy-looking coach David Trist on the balcony, manager Jeff Crowe sporting a magnificent pair of Oakley frogskins, and Chris Cairns going berserk are indelibly etched into any Kiwi cricket fan's mind. I was very, very late for work that morning.
Having thumped Zimbabwe and squeaked past Pakistan in the semifinal, New Zealand chases down India's 264 in the final over, sealing a mind-blowing win with two balls to spare. Cairns, saddled with a knee injury, ended 102 not out, and the architect of our greatest ever one-day innings. The win in Nairobi earned the team a huge amount of respect - as The Guardian wrote soon after: "Last week its Men in White, a side that has about as many big names as an episode of Stars in Their Eyes, won the ICC Knockout Trophy in Kenya...The Kiwis have defied the odds and taken flight. Patronise them at your peril."
>>Most outrageous selection: Chris Nevin
In the 2002 tourney, New Zealand wallops Bangladesh but that ends up being a dead rubber after a humiliation by a rampant Australia in Colombo a few days earlier. None other than Shane Bond was the Kiwis' top score - with a paltry 26. Thirty-two-year-old Glenn McGrath is the destroyer, bouncing back reasonably well after Stephen Fleming smokes him for a couple of fours in the opening over. The former caravan dweller scalps Fleming as well as Vincent, Styris, Sinclair and Oram to secure a heartbreaking, ball-raising 5-wicket bag. NZ is 71 for 7 after 15 overs, but a last-wicket stand sees a not-quite-as-dreadful 132 posted in the 27th over, still a million miles short of Australia's imperious 296.
>> Most outrageous selection: Paul Hitchcock
America's ragtag team of expats is trounced by NZ and then Australia in 2004, meaning that once again we face the men in yellow to make the semifinals. That match at The Oval is another complete and utter hiding as NZ's lame total of 198/9 is trampled down by Australia (199/3) with more than 12 overs still to be bowled. Coming into the match, NZ was highly regarded with 13 wins from our last 14 matches and a rare swagger in the step - a misplaced one, as it turned out. A couple of dicey LBW decisions didn't help the NZ cause.
In the cruisy run chase, crash-tackler fisherman extraordinaire Andrew Symonds is to the fore with a fierce unbeaten 71 off just 47 balls, and completes the degradation by pumping Kyle Mills for a lofted six off the last ball.
>> Most outrageous selection: Ian Butler (when he was an old school tearaway)
In 2006, Australia completes another victory and ticks the box labelled "Give NZ a hiding" - making it a hat-trick of Kiwi executions in Champions Trophy tournaments. But this win was not as easily achieved as the previous two - although when New Zealand is 35/6 chasing 241 to win, a genuine contest was appearing extremely unlikely. A remarkable 103-run partnership between the reigning double wicket world champions (Jacob Oram and Daniel Vettori) ensures some tension. However, Groundhog Day eventually arrives and New Zealand is well short - shot out for 206 in the 45th over.
>> Most outrageous selection: Mark Gillespie (and not selecting Ross Taylor)
IMAGE: PHOTOSPORT
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That 2000 tournament brings back brilliant memories. Cairnsy hobbling in to bowl 10 overs straight for 40 on an absolute belter with postage stamp boundaries, then scoring an epic hundred. Magic. Isn't it sad how our heroes fall though? Drifted off into the IPL, got kinda pudgey, and now is never heard from.
The harry profile is by far our most popular non Next Top Model related post of all time. And was written by James Milne, aka Lawrence Arabia, who last night won the Silver Scroll for writing the best New Zealand song of the past year. Talented chap huh?
Didn't he make fudge when he retired? Might explain the pudginess.
That win in 2000 was hands down the greatest TV watching experience of my life. We knew it was poxy, irrelevant tournament, but also that it was likely the only big prize we could ever win. Cairns was just on another planet, just owning the moment. Great post Paul.
> the "1980s cricket mafia" Good call!
Ahh, yes true gold that 2000 tournie. I still rate the opening world cup game in '92 as the single best live sporting moment of my life. Watching Martin Crowe straight drive the ball back past the bowler, staright towards the south stand where I was sitting was poetry in motion. Harry's run out from side on to get rid of Boon! Anyone know if Radio Sport is going to have live commentary available?
Alvin, that was Cairnsey all right (he says holding his 12" "Cairns Fudge" desktop cricket bat and looking frantically for his spongeball to practice his Gupt-Pull shot). He does a bit of walking these days I hear.
My result prediction is in post #80 in the last blog. So, votes for the "Most outrageous selection" for 2009?
Predictions for 2009:
South Africa will beat us
Sri Lanka will beat us
England will beat us
And I'm an optimist! Just get the feeling like the better teams will do well and England will relish some pop-gun kiwi's after 7 ODI's against the Aussies.
That's not to say I don't think there will be some good performances.
I'll back Ryder and Elliott to score hundreds. Taylor, Guptill, McCullum and Broom to score 50's.
Bond to take 5 at least once and Butler to also grab a couple of bags of 3.
Where the hell is Nathan McCullum?
My other great Cairnsy memory was the win V South Africa during the 2002 VB series. The BCs were staggering at 98/5, chasing 241, before Cairnsy belted an unbeaten 102, with assitance from Harry and Parore. That was the same series in which Bond owned the Australians, in particular Ponting. Sweet times.
This was the team on the day: Stephen Fleming (captain), Mark Richardson, Brendon McCullum, Lou Vincent, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns, Chris Harris, Adam Parore, Daniel Vettori, James Franklin, Shane Bond.
Pretty handy collection of talent that.
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That Deadball profile of Harry is pure gold... ah the memories!