New Zealand cricket team in Australia in 1980–81

The New Zealand national cricket team toured Australia in the 1980–81 season and played 3 Test matches. Australia won the series 2–0 with one match drawn. This was followed by a one-day series, which included the match that featured the underarm incident.

Test series summary[]

First Test[]

28–30 November 1980
(5-day match)
Scorecard

New Zealand	v	Australia
225 (70.1 overs) GP Howarth 65 (119) JD Higgs 4/59 (16.1 overs)		305 (115.5 overs) GM Wood 111 (229) BL Cairns 5/87 (38.5 overs)
142 (41.1 overs) BA Edgar 51 (88) RJ Hadlee 51* (57) DK Lillee 6/53 (15 overs)		63/0 (21.3 overs) GM Wood 32* (65)

Australia won by 10 wickets
Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane
Umpires: RC Bailhache and MW Johnson
Player of the match: GM Wood (AUS)

Australia won the toss and elected to field.
The match was scheduled for five days but completed in three.
GF Lawson (AUS), and JG Bracewell and IDS Smith (both NZ) made their Test debuts.

Second Test[]

12–14 December 1980
(5-day match)
Scorecard

New Zealand	v	Australia
196 (73.5 overs) JV Coney 71 (165) DK Lillee 5/63 (23.5 overs)		265 (81.1 overs) RW Marsh 91 (161) RJ Hadlee 5/87 (27 overs)
121 (48.1 overs) WK Lees 25* (55) JD Higgs 4/25 (8 overs)		55/2 (22.1 overs) J Dyson 25* (75) RJ Hadlee 2/20 (11.1 overs)

Australia won by 8 wickets
Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, Perth
Umpires: AR Crafter and DG Weser
Player of the match: RW Marsh (AUS)

Australia won the toss and elected to field.
The match was scheduled for five days but completed in three.

Third Test[]

26–30 December 1980
(5-day match)
Scorecard

Australia	v	New Zealand
321 (121.3 overs) KD Walters 107 (206) JV Coney 3/28 (12.3 overs)		317 (108.2 overs) GP Howarth 65 (124) RM Hogg 4/60 (26.2 overs)
188 (87.2 overs) GS Chappell 78 (221) RJ Hadlee 6/57 (27.2 overs)		128/6 (54 overs) JG Wright 44 (115) GS Chappell 2/7 (7 overs)

Match drawn
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Umpires: RC Bailhache and AR Crafter
Player of the match: RJ Hadlee (NZ)

New Zealand won the toss and elected to field.

External sources[]

CricketArchive – tour summaries

Annual reviews[]

Playfair Cricket Annual 1981
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 1981