1999 holds a special place in the heart of Kiwi cricket fans - the year their team beat the Poms in a series. This saw England ranked as the worst team in the world.
It was one of the rare times in the 90s England tried a 6-1-4 combination. For most of the series, anyway.
That's what they used in the first test. Mullaly and Tufnell meant the tail was long but it was a good enough combination to beat New Zealand (a side jam packed full of all-rounders or kind-of all-rounders: Cairns, Astle, Nash, Vettori).
England kept to a 6-1-4 combination for the second test, which they lost, and the third test, which they drew.
England clearly had problems - their bowling was lacklustre and their batting prone to collapse.
For the fourth test, as so often was England's want, the selectors panicked and resorted to all-rounders. They dropped a batsman, dropped Chris Read as keeper and replaced him with Alec Stewart, and brought in Ronnie Irani as the all rounder. Batting weakened, wicketkeeper position stuffed around with, the bowling not particularly strengthened.
England lost the test and the series. The all-rounder policy had yet again failed. Not that anyone seemed to notice.
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