The day when Determination overcame Genius at Lancaster Park

Twenty-six summers ago, New Zealand batsmen did unthinkable, turning the tables at historic Lancaster Park, against two of the most lethal bowlers of their generation, in what was not only a Test victory but the victory of the self-belief

Bryan Young and Shane Thomson scripted one of the greatest comebacks in the history of Test Cricket

“Determination beats everything” anonymous when Bryan Young walked out with Blair Hartland in twilight hours of the third day of the final Test against Pakistan at Lancaster Park, New Zealand were set a daunting 324 to win. It was 26^th February 1994, and New Zealand was left with two difficult tasks either to bat out the next two days or to chase the target against rampaging Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. The duo had created havoc on that tour wrecking the home team batting. The visitors led the series 2-0 and it looked almost on verge of a historic clean sweep.

When Young walked out to bat he was determined, not to give up so easily this time, as he and his colleagues have done over the course of a month against the fearless pair. Young and Hartland survived the testing spells on the evening of the third day and New Zealand went into stumps unscathed at 9-0.

Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis were at peak during the tour slicing through the Kiwi batting

On the fourth morning Wasim Akram struck early, sending Hartland to the pavilion, the score was 22-1. Veteran Andrew Jones who was playing in his final test innings (he returned a year later for another season) looked in full flow before succumbing to an unfortunate run out, his second in the match. Jones's dismissal was a crucial blow for New Zealand as he was the highest scorer for both sides in the series. The score was 76-2 as captain, Kane Rutherford, who had a sorry series walked in next and looked out of sorts in his short stint before he was trapped smartly by Wasim Akram.

By the time Waqar Younis ended Mark Greatbatch’s miserable stay at the crease, where he could score only 1 run off 25 balls, New Zealand had again fallen to the brilliance of two W’s, the scoreline read 133-4 and the home side were in a deep hole, the spectators who had seen their team’s batting faltering time and again throughout the series had decided to stay away in order to avoid any further despair.

Bryan Young's marathon 120 ensured that New Zealand ended the series 2-1 

Shane Thomson, who had scored just 86 runs in 5 innings, arrived at the crease, in positive gear, he cut and drove Waqar and hooked Wasim with great authority, it seemed that he had decided it was the only way to play the two stalwarts. On the other hand, Brayan Young who had just given up wicketkeeping, to return as an opener, was solid and determined taking multiple blows on his body. In words of Young” Akram and Younis come down and abuse the living crap out of both of us when they couldn't get us out, and have the sweat pouring off them as they were charging in at 90mph and hitting us at will”’.

Young and Thomson’s opposite ways started paying dividends as the scoreboard continued to move, the 50 partnership was completed and New Zealand had reached 183-4, started creating some confidence in the dressing room, on the other hand, Saleem Malik was running out of ideas as the backup bowlers Aamer Nazir and Akram Raza looked out of sorts, both of them were neither able to contain the batsmen neither they were able to break the partnership. Malik even tried himself, Saeed Anwar and Aamer Sohail but whatever he threw to Young and Thomson they faced with a lot of bravado, once the score reached 225-4, The equation started to change, as the local crowd started cheering both Young and Thomson, however, the duo knew that with Wasim and Waqar, it was not over until they had reached over the line. New Zealand had bitter experience at Hamilton 12 months back.

The Chase went into the full flow as Thomson hit flurry of boundaries, in fact, his strike rate in that innings was 72. In the final session, the pair tried to ensure that New Zealand didn’t give up the advantages, During this New Zealand reached 250-4 and Bryan Young racked up what was a magnificent century, probably the best of his 35 Test career, Young later said “"I've never faced anything like it," We're talking about a flat wicket and those guys could hit us when they wanted.

New Zealand survived the crucial last hour on the fourth day and ended up with 277-4, with Young on 115* and Thomson on 93*, for the first time Pakistan bowling looked deflated in the series, Wasim and Waqar had bowled more than 50% of the share of overs, in absence of proper support.

Shane Thomson's 120* and his partnership with Young ensured that the team reached to 324-5

On 28^th February 1994, the fifth and final day of the morning, Young and Thomson went out to rewrite history books, while Young was out early, as his compact defense was breached by Akram, as his off stump took a severe beating. The score was 287-5, and the target was only 37 runs away, however with Wasim and Waqar bowling in tandem, there was no denial of a collapse, New Zealand had lost 9-91 in the first innings. This time however Thomson was keen to end the things on high and Tony Blain, who had been receiving end-all of the summer, adopted Young’s style of play he supported Thomson and made a dogged 11 of 34 balls in 40 minutes, Thomson, on the other hand, kept on playing the shots spanking bowlers all round the Lancaster Park. The partnership of 37*, took New Zealand to 324 for the loss of 5 wickets. Thomson completed a brilliant hundred and ended up up with 120*.

When the winning runs were hit, few minutes before lunch, New Zealand had etched up one of the greatest ever comebacks in the history of the game on the back of two of the finest innings ever played, by Shane Thomson and Bryan Young. Both of them were exhausted and Thomson even had his finger dislocated. But such was their gumption that no adversity could hinder them from achieving the target.

Lancaster Park witnessed some of the greatest moments in New Zealand's cricket history 

By the time people had left Lancaster Park, their memory was chiseled with one of the most remarkable comebacks ever, the day when determination defied the genius. While few people may raise a question on Pakistan, but such has been the followers in the 90s, who never believed that their team could be defeated. Every defeat was looked with suspicion.

It's probably time to give New Zealand credit of achieving unthinkable, for Christchurch 1994 was no less than Chennai 2008, When India chased 387 to win or Headingly 2001 when England chased 316. It's also time to acknowledge that what Young and Thomson did was bloody unthinkable.