What do you deem as the bravest/most courageous act undertaken in world cricket?
There's one I read about, which i will detail below.
From the book, "Great Days in Test Cricket", by Rick Smith. (I've edited it to make it shorter. Hope it doesn't retract from the story)
South Africa vs New Zealand in 1953.
Second day of the second test.
Resuming with South Africa at 8/259 on a "moist and green pitch", the New Zealanders were informed that morning of Tangiwai rail disaster back home, where a mudslide destroyed a bridge and the express train was not informed. Included in the 150 people dead was the fiancee of Kiwi pace bowler Bob Blair. Blair, understandably, chose to stay in his hotel room, and not attend the game.
The Kiwis, after bowling out the Springboks for 271, had to face Neil Adcock, arguably the fastest bowler in the world at time, on this lively pitch, and Adcock struck both openers in the body in the first over. Bert Sutcliffe, the teams best batsman, came in at 2/9, and was struck behind the ear third ball, and was, by his own admission, "going out like a light". He was taken to hospital and fainted twice, bleeding profusely, and the crowd was informed that Sutcliffe would not bat again.
The South African bowlers continued to wreak havoc, falling to 4/41 including two retired hurt, and then 6/82. At this point, Bert Sutcliffe walked back out, head covered in bandages. "He confessed to being strongly fortified by a product of Scotland which he refused to name, except to say that it was not porridge" . He took the long handle to the SA attack, hitting his third ball in his resumed innings for 6. When the players went off for afternoon tea, the pair (Sutcliffe and wicketkeeper Frank Mooney) had added 50 in 30 mins.
However, after Tea, wickets 7, 8 and 9 fell quickly, with Sutcliffe stranded down the other end, and the score 154. As Sutcliffe was walking off, he looked up as he heard the crowd go silent. Joining him was at the wicket was Bob Blair.
"Sutcliffe remembered what he called 'a bloody marvellous moment', the most vivid of his memories of the day.
'I said, "What the hell are you doing here?" He half-smiled through teary eyes, "I'd like to feel I can help". I told him we had just avoided the follow on and to throw the bat and let's get out of here.'
Blair survived the rest of the over somehow, playing and missing at every ball. Sutcliffe took the chance then to blast Hugh Tayfield for three sixes off the next over, then took a single with one ball to go. Then Blair took a wild swing and deposited Tayfield for a fourth six from the over, to the raptures of the foreign crowd.
Eventually Blair was stumped without adding to his one boundary. The pair had scored 33 in 10 minutes, and Bert Sutcliffe had made 80* off 106 balls, including 7 sixes and 4 fours. New Zealand, 10/187.
They went on to lose the game by 132 runs. But I think its fair to say that no-one really remembers the result.
