Bruce Edgar

Who is Bruce Edgar?

Bruce Adrian Edgar was a cricketer from Wellington and one of the best batsmen New Zealand has ever produced. An accountant by profession, in the 1980s, he played 39 Tests and 64 One Day Internationals, altogether he played 175 first-class matches. In internationals, he formed a successful opening partnership with fellow left-hander John Wright.

He was non-striking partner on the pitch for the underarm bowling incident on 1 February 1981, during the third World Series Cup final between New Zealand and Australia at the MCG. His striking partner, Brian McKechnie, needed a six to tie the match from the final ball. Australian bowler Trevor Chappell, on orders from the team captain, older brother Greg Chappell, bowled the ball underarm, rolling it on the ground to prevent McKechnie from getting the six and lock the match up for Australia.

The unfortunate part of the incident was that, at the time, Edgar was 102 not-out for the innings. It is often considered "the most overlooked century of all time."

The following season, some consolation for Edgar is the fact that his highest test score, 161, was against Greg Chappell's Australians at Eden Park, Auckland. New Zealand won this Test match, only their second against Australia, by five wickets and took a 1-0 lead in the three-test series, with Edgar named Man of the Match. The series was drawn 1-1, after Australia won the final test by eight wickets at Lancaster Park, Christchurch. Edgar topped the Kiwi batting averages with 278 runs at 55.60.