20. New Zealand v England at the Basin Reserve, Wellington. February, 1978.
A first for New Zealand, their debut win against England after 48 years (and 48 Tests) of trying. And England seemed to be on such a high, after winning in India and then regaining the Ashes in the summer of 1977. English cricket was then thrown into disarray, with Underwood, Greig, Knott and Woolmer joining Kerry Packer's cricket circus. And even more damaging, Mike Brearley elected not to tour.
His replacement as skipper was... Geoff Boycott, the single most disruptive influence on English cricket in my lifetime. Windy Wellington was his first Test as captain. Boycott had only the previous summer returned to the team after his refusenik years of the mid-seventies when many accused him of avoiding the Australian and West Indies pace attacks. The dressing room was in turmoil. This was the series where Ian Botham was sent to deliberately run out the Yorkshire blocker in the second Test in Christchurch, successfully ('I've run you out, you ****').
In hindsight, New Zealand were well placed to make the most of an underprepared pitch because they had a legendary fast bowler in Richard Hadlee. But in 1978 he had an average of 35, his halcyon years were ahead of him, and England had a great attack of Willis, Hendrick, Old and Botham. But England bowled badly having inserted the hosts. Hadlee took 10-100 in the match, well supported by Richard Collinge, another left arm nemesis of Geoff Boycott..
Boycott batted for seven and a half hours for his first innings 77, the top score in the game. But the innings didn't impress his colleagues or the press for its obduracy. They felt he invited pressure onto the others. After he went in eight minutes in the second innings England submitted to the Kiwi seamers for 64 in only 27 overs, Botham top scoring with 19. They were chasing 137. England were a shambles, and unwelcome tourists. When Ewen Chatfield ran out Derek Randall, backing up in Christchurch, it spoke eloquently of the rancour between the sides.
At the Basin, New Zealand celebrated long and loudly. England drew the series, but Boycott never captained England again.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63203.html
I always say that everybody's right.