Between Two Beers Podcast - Lance Cairns: The Story That Could Not Be Told

Lance Cairns was one of the biggest names in New Zealand sport in the 1970s and 1980s, a bowler who took over 100 test wickets for NZ and captured the public’s imagination with his powerful hitting.

What you might not know is that for the best part of 50 years he was profoundly deaf – and he shied away from long conversations or social interaction. But in 2009, he got his hearing back – which allowed us to have a conversation that wasn’t possible for most of his life.

We talk about his on-field exploits, the six sixes at the MCG in 1983 and meeting Don Bradman after the game, getting hit in the head by Wasim Akram when not wearing a helmet, how he knew Christopher would be a cricket star aged 7.

We also talk about the really tough times, Lance opens up on the loss of his son Hayden to cot-death at seven months, the tragic accident that took his daughter Louise at 19 – and how he got through the pain, and the way he dealt with his son being on trial in London.

Huge thanks to Air New Zealand's grabaseat for providing flights for this episode!