How a Conical Bat and Grit Forged a Cricket Legend
In short: Bernard Lance Cairns possessed an unconventional weapon—a bat shaped like a cone. His career was marked by explosive batting feats and crucial, gritty performances that defined New Zealand's cricketing moments. Discover the story behind the 'Excalibur' and the resilience it represented.
Bernard Lance Cairns, born on October 10, 1949, was a versatile cricketer for the New Zealand national team. He was notable for the unusual equipment he used, a bat nicknamed "Excalibur," whose shoulders were deliberately planed into a conical shape rather than the standard rectangle. Cairns was recognized as a swing bowler with an unorthodox 'front on' action, accumulating 130 Test Match wickets and 89 ODI wickets. His batting prowess included scoring 928 Test Match and 987 ODI runs, often at a rate exceeding one run per ball.
Cairns' career featured moments of spectacular aggression, such as hitting 110 in a single first-class match for Otago against Wellington, achieving this century in just 51 balls with nine sixes scored within an hour. His skill was displayed during the 1982/83 World Series Cup qualifying round, where New Zealand achieved a world record score of 297–6 against England's 296–5. Later, in a crucial match at the SCG, he hit a spectacular six over cover off Lawson, though his dismissal was ultimately a simple catch to Steve Smith at cover.
His career also demanded immense fortitude. Following a serious injury sustained when Wasim Akram hit him on the head in the Third Test in Dunedin in 1984/85, Cairns was hospitalized with a suspected hairline fracture of the skull. Despite this, he returned to the crease, demonstrating remarkable courage. While he was not required for the final victory, his participation was a testament to his resolve. His international career saw him playing in the 1985/86 test series, where he featured in the deciding third test in Perth, though he failed to register a wicket or run in that final international appearance.
Ultimately, by January 1986, due to a combination of injury and declining form, Cairns was left out of the World Series Cup squad, marking the end of his international playing days. Despite this, his impact remains visible in his later life; he has been profoundly deaf since age 17 and was fitted with a cochlear implant in December 2009, where he now advocates for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities.
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