Clayton Murzello Column: When the big boys played at night

To the current Australian and New Zealand cricket teams tomorrow November 27 2015 will be remembered as a special day in their careers mdash the day the lights came on in Test cricket And for all who congregate at the Adelaide Oval to watch cricketrsquos first daynight Test it will be an experience of a lifetimeThere wonrsquot be a pink ball revolution so soon Neither can we predict if daynight Test cricket will be a hit but a start has been made to give Test cricket a chance to attract more interest in the standsA record crowd of 50000 at the Sydney Cricket Ground enjoy the Australia vs West Indies International Cup action on November 28 1978 Australia won this World Series Cricket encounter by five wicketsPicGetty ImagesCricket under lights did wonders for viewership all over the world and Kerry Packerrsquos World Series Cricket must take the credit for this Before November 28 1978 daynight World Series Cricket games were played on noncricket grounds And on that afternoon the spectators outside the main gates of the Sydney Cricket Ground SCG were so huge in number that Packer instructed the personnel at the gates to let the crowd in before the scheduled time of opening He didnrsquot want a situation where the spectators were outside while the first ball was being bowledA little more than a year before that day there were only 500 spectators for the start of the Packer series at Football Park in Adelaide and at one point in time Packer and his assistants would actually count how many spectators were heading to their cricket circus Later floodlights improved the numbers through the gates but Packer was never given traditional cricket grounds for his gamesHowever in 1978 the government of New South Wales replaced the trust that ran the SCG with another one which erected floodlights at Australiarsquos second lsquoseniormostrsquo Test venue Packer grabbed the opportunity and thus WSC Australia took on WSC West Indies in their International Cup opener at the SCG with 50000plus crowds in anticipation of the lights The players were no less excited Michael Holding looked outside the dressing room and noticed a packed house and even a slowtoemotion man like Ian Chappell felt his hair standing when the crowds sang Crsquomon Aussie Crsquomon To play under lights at a Test ground seemed so very specialThe noise at the ground was such that the late David Hookes couldnrsquot hear his partner Ian Davis and Hookes was run out for three while chasing a 129run target set by Clive Lloydrsquos West Indians Opener Bruce Laird was run out as well but Davis 48 not out guided them to a fivewicket win In the DVD Rookies Rebels and Renaissance Ian Chappell revealed what was said after the game ldquoRodney Marsh said wersquore bloody back They cricket followers love us and the indication of Rodneyrsquos words was we have been accepted That was the moment we felt we were accepted as lsquothersquo Australian team We were lsquothersquo Australian team that night at the SCGrdquo Marsh revealed that players who were not even in the playing XI had tears in their eyesChappell now a television commentator will witness a historic moment tomorrow just as he did on November 28 1978 but sadly Richie Benaud who played a big role in the Packer series is not around for the daynight Test He was a traditionalist but always welcomed changes that were going to have a beneficial influence on the gameAfter that hugely appreciated match Benaud and his wife Daphne raised their glass of wine to Packer and said nothing The crowds had said it allIt must be stressed that Benaud played a leading hand in the revival of Test cricket in Australia during the 196061 summer when he and his opposing captain Sir Frank Worrell encouraged positive cricket to prevail in the Australia vs West Indies fiveTest contest On the eve of the opening Test of that series Sir Donald Bradman asked Benaud whether he could talk to his team Benaud agreed but stressed to the legend that he would first have to ask his team And when they expectedly agreed Bradman came in and urged them to play in a fashion that would entertain the public What emerged first up from that lsquolicence to thrillrsquo was the Brisbane Tied Test and the rest is historyNew Zealandrsquos skipper Brendon McCullum and his rival captain Steve Smith have something to emulate If flair and positive cricket flow in tomorrowrsquos Adelaide Test the pink ball apprehension can be seen off and Test cricket will get a glimmer of hope to survive as a spectator sportClayton Murzello is middayrsquos Group Sports Editor