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The Agenda

"Special Episode: Rewatching The Underarm"

31 Jan 2026

Transcription

Chapter 1: What is the significance of the Underarm incident in cricket history?

0.031 - 25.01 Unknown

This is the Agenda Underarm Special. The Agenda, an alternative commentary collective podcast. G'day there, this is the Agenda Podcast Underarm Special with myself, ACC Hauraki here, G Lane, Matt Heath and Jeremy Wells. 40 years today. Wow. 40 years. Since that infamous underarm incident at the MCG.

0

25.051 - 32.721 G Lane

1982. Hey, do you know people think that this incident did a lot to actually popularise cricket in New Zealand?

0

32.701 - 54.408 Unknown

Yeah, I was listening to the BYC podcast. They talked to Martin Sneddon, and he said at the time cricket and golf was more popular than, not cricket, golf and tennis were more popular than cricket at the time. Wow. And after this incident, it actually made cricket, actually one of the turning points in cricket's popularity. Still hurts today, though, doesn't it? Let's be honest, it still hurts.

0

54.468 - 57.932 G Lane

It's as raw as it was in 1982.

0

57.912 - 73.727 Unknown

I was very young. I can't remember it. In fact, I was three. But what we're going to do now, today, we're going to re-watch this final over. We're going to watch all six balls. I don't know. And we're going to pick it to pieces. I know it's raw for you, Gary. I don't know if I can do this.

Chapter 2: How did the Underarm incident impact cricket's popularity in New Zealand?

73.747 - 75.308 Unknown

You're all of four or five.

0

75.328 - 78.451 Matt Heath

I don't know if I can do this again. It's too soon. I live through this. We're going to do it.

0

78.491 - 80.873 Unknown

We did it with the World Cup final. Okay. And we're doing it again.

0

80.913 - 97.269 Matt Heath

All right. You understand, this is one of my first sporting memories. This is one of them. And did this turn you on to cricket? Well, I remember we were actually at the Mount. We were on holiday at the Mount when this happened. And I don't know if it turned me on to cricket, but I remember we did play a lot of backyard cricket.

0

97.289 - 112.665 Matt Heath

My dad, my brother, and I, over this particular summer, is when I started being interested in cricket, whether or not this had anything to do with it. But I've never watched this underarm before. I've never seen it. I've purposely made sure I saw it when I was four, and then I just turned myself away from it.

112.685 - 121.479 Unknown

Whenever I saw it, I closed my eyes. Lock the doors. Lock the doors because this over, there's a lot goes on in this over. It is a lot goes on. So let's get into it.

122.18 - 126.908 Jeremy Wells

Richard Hadley. And will he be able to perform the miracle New Zealand so badly needs?

127.69 - 147.716 Unknown

So he's facing Trevor Chappell. It's a dibbly-dobbly. Look at him. Hadley, no helmet. Boom. Good start to the over. So how many do they need at this point? So great start to the over. Richard Hadley, without his helmet on, gets served up.

Chapter 3: What emotions do the hosts express while rewatching the final over?

148.237 - 152.481 Unknown

This looks like a juicy half volley from Trevor Chappell and smashes him over mid-on.

0

152.701 - 173.315 Matt Heath

So this pitch at the MCG, famous for being slow and low that summer. It was a hot summer. And this day, I think, was a particularly hot day. I think in the 40s. Yeah, well, that was a good start, and we'll find out. But hang on, I don't know what's the score, how many they need, what's the equation at this point? Well, they didn't used to tell you in those days.

0

173.335 - 174.819 Matt Heath

You didn't really know what was going on the whole time.

0

174.839 - 185.141 G Lane

Because all we know that on that last ball needed six off the last ball. To tie. To tie. Yeah, so only six to tie. Yeah. Which just makes how ridiculous.

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185.161 - 190.527 Matt Heath

I feel like they needed 15 off the over, but I might be wrong. It might be 11.

191.047 - 200.318 Unknown

Which was impossible back then. But also great, such disrespect for Trevor Chappell. With Richard Hadley coming out with no, not a hat on, not a helmet on.

200.358 - 210.009 Matt Heath

No, he didn't wear hats in those days. If you weren't wearing a helmet, and they did have weird hats in 1981, weird helmets, but if you didn't wear a helmet, then you just wore no hat at all.

210.129 - 210.229

Okay.

210.648 - 216.153 Unknown

Most people in the audience knew.

Chapter 4: What were the key moments during Richard Hadley's batting?

283.659 - 288.345 Unknown

He's been struggling all season to get an LBW himself. On this occasion. Oh.

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288.825 - 289.727 Matt Heath

No. Oh, God.

0

289.747 - 298.499 Unknown

That is pitched so far outside leg. Rod Marsh is down the leg side. Rod Marsh, where he's standing, where I've paused it right there.

0

298.519 - 298.719 G Lane

Yeah.

0

299.52 - 312.718 Matt Heath

Is that a wicket keeper who thinks it's hitting the wickets? No. It definitely would have. I think it would have hit leg stump because it just nipped away from Richard Hadley. But there is no way that was shaped the wrong way. And look how quickly he puts his finger up.

312.738 - 314.44 G Lane

Immediately. No deliberation at all.

314.741 - 315.662 Matt Heath

Watch the finger.

315.682 - 315.782

Yeah.

315.762 - 321.315 Unknown

I think that Richard Hadley could justifiably... Terrible decision.

Chapter 5: How did the umpire's controversial decision affect the game?

417.603 - 419.285 Matt Heath

Do you reckon he would have made the second now?

0

419.886 - 424.473 G Lane

How many ones is he turning into twos now? How many twos is he turning into threes?

0

425.314 - 429.3 Matt Heath

Not a lot. How many threes is he turning into no runs at all dots?

0

429.42 - 440.459 Unknown

Controversial, though, because you think about it, at the other end is Bruce Edgar on 102. Do you feed the strike to him, or is it all about runs, or is Stockley Smith the one to get us home?

0

440.54 - 458.803 Matt Heath

I think he's the bigger hitter, Stockley Smith, isn't he, than Bootsy? I mean, yeah, Bootsy wasn't a big hitter, but he is on 100. But look, there was no strategy to one-day cricket in 1981. I mean, it was only new. They'd only just got into the coloured clothes a few years before that, so nobody really knew. And this is a high-pressure environment. Full house at the MCG.

458.963 - 459.924 Matt Heath

So what are we looking at here?

459.944 - 461.987 G Lane

We're looking at... You now need...

463.385 - 469.261 Unknown

Let's look at a tie. Seven off two. Seven off two balls for a win for New Zealand.

469.281 - 476.801 G Lane

Now this is a controversial shot here from Stockley Smith. He's got the grey nickels scoop. Come on.

Chapter 6: What strategies were discussed regarding the pressure on players?

590.456 - 599.89 Unknown

And gives him a little tap on the ass there. You see that little tap? He goes, go on, mate. And now the umpires are coming together, telling each other, little cheating motherfuckers,

0

600.865 - 601.935 Matt Heath

Why are they telling each other?

0

601.955 - 603.771 Unknown

They're saying they're going to bow under him.

0

604.966 - 609.752 Matt Heath

Oh, McKinney's throwing his bat. McKinney, who's operating quite a good package, by the way.

0

610.433 - 612.236 Unknown

Rod Marsh is saying no, mate.

612.256 - 614.679 Matt Heath

He's not happy about it. Rod Marsh not happy about it.

615.219 - 632.442 Unknown

Yeah, so listening to the BYC podcast again with Martin Sneddon, he said, look, Rod Marsh, great guy. Great guy that he's folding his arm saying, nah, mate, don't do it. But he could have stopped it. He could have walked up the pitch and he could have said, don't do it, mate. But he said he sat behind the stumps and shook his head. Also...

632.422 - 637.246 Unknown

Martin Sneddon said, everyone knows you don't bowl underarm. Everyone knows that. The umpires could have stopped it themselves.

637.386 - 652.72 Matt Heath

Yeah, but hold on. But it was in the rules. I'm not blaming Rod Marsh for getting out. I mean, he just stood there. He said no. I mean, what else can you do? He's captain. You can walk out and say, don't do this. Yeah, but he showed that he wasn't into it. But I mean, it's his captain. I don't know. It was a different time.

Chapter 7: What happened during the final moments of the match?

708.291 - 711.414 Unknown

He is a real good bastard. He is one of the greatest Australians.

0

711.474 - 713.276 G Lane

Well, it wasn't really his fault either, was it?

0

713.296 - 715.338 Unknown

No, I know. But just saying, he's not the villain here.

0

715.358 - 715.618 G Lane

No, no.

0

715.638 - 722.667 Unknown

Greg Chappell is. Greg Chappell is. Here we go. See? Hey, can we stop it for a second?

722.867 - 732.188 G Lane

You own this ball? Yes, I've got this ball. You bought this ball that's about to be bowled here, didn't you? It's been hit. How much did you pay for it? 10 grand? Yeah, 10 grand. You've done terrible things to it.

732.289 - 732.99 Unknown

It was 15 years ago.

733.692 - 734.734 G Lane

Skipper. Here you go.

736.659 - 744.392 Unknown

Here we go. You're going to get an underarm. If you haven't believed it. Now, he's bowled that. Was that going down leg?

Chapter 8: How do the hosts reflect on the legacy of the Underarm incident?

1023.661 - 1030.491 Matt Heath

That wasn't with any kind of benefit of hindsight. That was live and he got it right, Richie Beno, most of the time, didn't he?

0

1030.512 - 1041.588 G Lane

That's interesting that, because I never understood, I've always heard, I've heard that a lot. I don't understand what he meant by he's got his sums wrong. I thought that was a saying like he's got this wrong. But what he's actually referring to is the sums of the amount of overs, the bowlers wrong.

0

1041.628 - 1045.474 Matt Heath

That still hurt. I mean, that's opening a can of worms for me. Yeah.

0

1045.454 - 1046.376 Unknown

You're okay?

0

1046.396 - 1048.2 Matt Heath

I wish I didn't see that. Why do I have to see that?

1048.22 - 1050.927 Unknown

Well, because everyone has to at some stage. Can I open another can of worms?

1051.027 - 1051.247 Matt Heath

No.

1051.648 - 1065.934 G Lane

Well, I've got a can of worms because there's been Australians that have said that an Australian wouldn't have just blocked the ball and then huffed the bat like McKee cleaned in. He would have attempted to flick it up with his foot and then smash it for six.

1066.295 - 1074.845 Unknown

At the MCG. At the MCG. So a ball with no pace coming at you, you're basically trying to changer it for six.

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