THIRTY-six years ago 2015 Willowfest Australian Cricket Club Championships ambassador and former Australian cricketer Trevor Chappell graced Mildura for a World Series match alongside some of the game’s biggest names.
The youngest of the famous Chappell brothers, he was part of the World Series Cricket Cavaliers team featuring the likes of Australian legend Doug Walters and menacing English bowler John Snow against a WSC World XI with players such as South African Barry Richards, Pakistan’s Imran Khan and the late Englishman Anthony William (Tony) Greig who played at City Oval on January 7, 1979.
“I can remember we played at the showgrounds,” Chappell recalled.
“But what happened in the game, I have no idea.”
For the record, Chappell was run out for a duck batting at no.3 and the World XI won the match by 94 runs.
“You don’t remember them,” Chappell laughed when reminded about his short innings that day.
“You need to make a few more to remember it.”
Even before that, Chappell remembered coming to Mildura on an end of season trip with Glenelg (South Australia) Cricket Club, so he was familiar with the Mildura landmarks.
“It’s been a while but I recognised the Working Man’s Club when we approached that,” he said.
Chappell was looking forward to getting out and watching some of the Willowfest action around Sunraysia.
“I enjoy coming out to the country areas,” he said.
“Particularly country New South Wales and Victoria.”
Since retiring from playing, Chappell has moved into the coaching ranks now, something he started doing while still playing – although he admitted he wasn’t as keen on it while playing as he is now.
While in Mildura, Chappell spoke about perhaps the most famous, or infamous, moment of his career: the 1981 underarm incident against New Zealand.
With one ball of the final over of the World Series Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, New Zealand required a six to tie the game.
Chappell was the bowler and, under instruction from captain and brother Greg, delivered an underarm delivery along the ground to batsman Brian McKechnie – a legal delivery at the time despite it being seen as not in the spirit of cricket.
This ensured Australia won the match, although they did not win many fans that day – with former Australian captain and legendary commentator Richie Benaud particularly scathing.
Approaching four decades later and Chappell admitted to sometimes getting sick of talking about it but acknowledged it is a topic that will often come up.
“I can’t remember when but at some point I thought I’d just be better off going with the flow rather than trying to fight against it,” he said.
In a way the underarm incident helped New Zealand cricket, as former New Zealand cricketer and commentator Jeremy Coney said to Greg Chappell.
“At one stage when they were both doing commentary together he said that New Zealand needs another underarm,” Chappell said.
“Because that was the only time the whole New Zealand population was behind the team.”
Chappell said he had caught up with McKechnie since the incident, often at reunions held on the anniversary of that fateful day.
“We get on well together,” Chappell said.
“He’s a nice bloke.”
Story: Courtesy of Sunraysia Daily Angus Dearlove
