New Zealand cricket team in Australia in 1993–94
The New Zealand national cricket team toured Australia in the 1993–94 season to play in three test matches against Australia before playing in a tri-series with South Africa. The tour began on October 19 in Perth, Western Australia against an Australian Chairman XI as they played in five warm-up matches before the test matches in Perth, Hobart and Brisbane. New Zealand were captained by Ken Rutherford while the Australians were captain by Allan Border.
After the first match of the series held at the WACA Ground ended in a draw, Australia won the remaining two matches at Bellerive Oval and Brisbane Cricket Ground to take out the series 2–0. Kiwi batsman, Andrew Jones was the top run-scorer of the series with 324 runs while Shane Warne was the leading wicket-taker in the series with 18 wickets.
Squads
On the 27 October 1993, David White was selected to fly into Australia as a backup to Mark Greatbatch who was carrying an injury leading into the test series. The first test squad for Australia was then revealed on the 9 November, with a call-up to debutant Glenn McGrath who leading into the series had only played in eight first-class matches for New South Wales. After the first test match, Martin Crowe returned home from an injury to his left knee with Ken Rutherford becoming the captain for the New Zealand test in the remaining two tests.Tour matches
New Zealand vs. ACB Chairman XI
The opening tour match for New Zealand took place at the Lilac Hill in Perth against an ACB Chairman XI which featured Jeff Thomson, Dennis Lillee and Richard Hadlee who were all over forty years old as they forced New Zealand to be 8/91 with Thomson, Lillee and Hadlee each getting in the wickets. A ninth wicket partnership between Blair Pocock and Willie Watson rescued New Zealand to a score of 189. In the run-chase, Damien Martyn top scored with 81 as he got the man of the match award as he led the Chairman team to a six wicket victory.New Zealand vs. Western Australia
New Zealand stayed in Perth to play their second warm-up against a Western Australia side. After Jo Angel took five wickets in the New Zealand innings, Western Australia scored 508 in response with an partnership of 185 runs from test-fringe hopefuls, Damien Martyn and Tom Moody being completed in only 214 minutes. Tim Zoehrer also chipping in with a solid 83 as he pushed the total past 500. Despite half centuries from Andrew Jones, Ken Rutherford and Dipak Patel, New Zealand would be bowled out for 350 with Jo Angel taking another five wickets as Western Australia won by an innings and nine runs. The match though would see Justin Langer fined $300 for refusing to walk after being dismissed with Martin Crowe doing an similar response the following day.New Zealand vs. AIS Cricket Academy XI
New Zealand headed over to North Sydney Oval to take on an Cricket Academy XI which featured Glenn McGrath who would go on to play in his first test later in the tour. For New Zealand though they would come to their third loss of the tour with only a Tony Blain 40 resembling some fight in the 110 run defeat with Chris Cairns being the best New Zealand bowler with 4/39.New Zealand vs. New South Wales
Two days later, New Zealand took on New South Wales in a four-day first-class match played at the No. 1 Sports Ground in Newcastle. The opening day of the tour match saw an partnership of 119 between Mark Waugh and Steve Waugh before Dipak Patel brought the game back with 6/87 from 23 consecutive overs to bring New South Wales from 3/218 to declare at 8/299. New Zealand first innings couldn't get going with Martin Crowe continuing his bad form only scoring 12 runs in his innings to go at an average of 10 through five innings. Eventually an 65 run innings from Ken Rutherford pushed New Zealand to 163 in their first innings. With a target of 246 runs for victory after New South Wales collapsed for 109 in the second innings, New Zealand would chase down the target with three wickets to spare with Danny Morrison and Tony Blain contributing the remaining runs on the fourth day to record the victory.New Zealand vs. Tasmania
The final tour match before the first test saw New Zealand head down to Launceston for a four-day game against Tasmania at the NTCA Ground. After New Zealand won the toss and elected to field, Tasmanian batsman David Boon only lasted ten minutes in his first match of the season. The contribution was shared between the Tasmanian batsman with batsman getting starts before getting out. Only Shaun Young and Mark Atkinson contributed half-centuries while Chris Cairns took five wickets. New Zealand responded with 7/215 before declaring as Andrew Jones top-scored with 67 before running himself out late in the second day. This was followed up by another declaration from Tasmania in their second innings with Ricky Ponting top-scoring for Tasmania with 54 as David Boon only scored 21 as he was out early in his innings. Chasing 299 for victory, Martin Crowe was dropped twice as he went on to score his 53rd century and his first of the tour as he top scored with 105. But the match would end in a draw with New Zealand scoring 7/247 with Troy Cooley being the pick of the bowlers with two wickets.New Zealand vs. South Australia
Test series
1st Test
Heading into the first test, Mark Greatbatch was brought back into the test side after damaging his finger earlier in the tour as David White went home due to a torn knee cartilage from the match against Tasmania. New Zealand coach stated before the match "For Australia, the Ashes tour of England is the big tour; this is the equivalent of an Ashes tour for us." The first test saw two players made their test debutant with Kiwi batsman, Blair Pocock opening the batting while Glenn McGrath debut for Australia.The match started two hours later than the schedule time after overnight rain vividly made the pitch greenier as the curators prolong the close-mowing to remove the green smear that was on the pitch. Selecting to bowl first, Cairns rifeled the Australian batsman with his first delivery striking Michael Slater in the midriff because taking the wicket of Slater and in the next ball, Boon to put Australia 2/37. After preventing the hat-trick, Steve Waugh with opening batsman Mark Taylor dug in to bring the score up to 100 as the Australians would make 6/229 at the end of stumps which was drawn an hour late. The following day, Ian Healy recorded his second century of his test career which after the end of the day, he stated, "It was a little gesture to my father, Neville, whose father passed away yesterday,". He was guided by some late order hitting from Paul Reiffel and Craig McDermott as he guided Australia to 398 from the position of 6/198 at one stage.
McGrath recorded his first test wicket with his 27th ball as New Zealand loss Mark Greatbach for 18. Blair Pocock was the next to fall on 34 with Jones ending the day on 62* with New Zealand being at 2/123 at stumps. Jones would go on to score 143 before being dismissed by Mark Waugh caught behind. Cairns also contributed to the bat with 66 which included a six over mid-off from Shane Warne's bowling in what was his highest test score. Ken Rutherford though would contribute to being Craig McDermott's 200th wicket. The fourth day would see New Zealand declare on 9/419 with Watson tearing a hamstring while running for a single which prevented him from bowling the rest of the match.
Australia's second innings saw the team only lose one wicket through the entire innings with the wicket of Michael Slater falling on 99 after he feathered a delivery from Patel into the gloves of Patel. A century from Mark Taylor saw Australia declare on 1/323 from their 87 overs with Greg Baum from The Age stating that they batted on for at least half an hour too long. This forced the match into a draw with New Zealand only getting to 166 before the match was declared a draw. For Crowe it was his last match of the tour with the pain in his left knee being more intolerable throughout the test match as he missed the remaining two test matches with Rutherford becoming captain.