by Abhishek Mukherjee

Today is February 6. Tony Pigott, a Sussex seam bowler, was supposed to get married this day, 1984, but he had to postpone it, though he need not have. Here is why.

England were touring New Zealand that antipodean summer. Everyone predicted they would win – after all, they had never lost a Test to New Zealand till then.

England bowled out New Zealand for 219 in the first Test, got a 244-run lead, but Coney saved the Test by batting for over eight hours for his 174 not out.

Now England lost Foster to an injury. Then, just before the second Test began, they lost Dilley as well on what seemed a pitch tailor-made for seam bowling. They had Botham, Willis, and Cowans, but they needed a fourth seamer.

There was not enough time left to fly out a seamer from home, so they got the only one in vicinity: our man, Pigott, who was playing for Wellington.

The Test was scheduled to start February 3. Pigott, as mentioned, was supposed to get married on February 6. That had to be postponed – for a Test cap had arrived for him out of nowhere.

To be fair, Pigott did not do too poorly. He came on first-change, and got Edgar almost immediately, and later on Coney. He got 2/75 in an innings of 307 – nothing great, but there have been worse debuts.

Then all went wrong for England. Hadlee had already smashed an 81-ball 99 to lift New Zealand from 137/5. He now set out to demolish England.

It took New Zealand 101.2 overs to bowl out England *twice* – for 82 and 93. Hadlee claimed 3/16 and 5/28.

It was all over by February 5, a day before the scheduled date of Pigott's wedding.

Whether Pigott hastily rescheduled his wedding on February 6 after this remains shrouded in mystery; what is certain, though, is the fact that he did not play another Test.