In 1978, prior to the start of the second season of World Series Cricket (WSC), the Australian and World XI teams embarked on a brief tour of New Zealand, the first time that WSC teams had played outside Australia. A four-day game played in Auckland was to be followed by a three-day single innings game and a total of six one day games between the two sides over a 16-day period. The abandonment of the third one-day game led to the scheduling of an additional game at the same venue later in the tour. The planned three-day game became a pair of one-day games after the first day was washed out, which led to a final total of nine one-day games on the schedule.

Background New Zealand's chief cricket administrator, Walter Hadlee, had advocated a compromise position from the start of the dispute between Kerry Packer and the Australian Cricket Board. Hadlee personally did not object to WSC making a brief tour of his country in November 1978. The tour was aided by New Zealand's star player Richard Hadlee (Walter's son) being allowed to appear in WSC matches playing for the World XI team. While the New Zealand Cricket Council (NZCC) did not formally support or approve the tour or any matches, it could only request, not order, that New Zealand players, umpires and officials not to become involved. The matches were not approved and were considered by the NZCC as unofficial exhibitions.

Below standard pitches and small crowds were a talking point of the tour. Crowds peaked at about 4,000 in Lower Hutt and were as small as around 300 in Wanganui. Tony Greig said WSC organisers were not overly concerned, at that stage, with the crowd sizes and commented "We have the unusual grounds to play on, grounds which are not accepted as suitable for cricket."

Tour itinerary Date Fixture Venue4 Nov 19784-day gameMount Smart Stadium, Auckland8 Nov 19781st ODIMount Smart Stadium, Auckland9 Nov 19782nd ODITauranga Domain Outer Ground, Tauranga10 Nov 19783rd ODIPukekura Park, New Plymouth12 Nov 19783-day gameCooks Gardens, Wanganui16 Nov 19784th ODITe Whiti Park, Lower Hutt18 Nov 19785th ODINelson Cricket Ground, Hastings19 Nov 19786th ODIMount Smart Stadium, Auckland

Four Day Game

Three Day Game

ODI Series

1st ODI

2nd ODI

3rd ODI

4th ODI

5th ODI

6th ODI

7th ODI

8th ODI

9th ODI

References

External links World Series Cricket in New Zealand 1978 – ESPNCricinfo