losing eight wickets for 101 in the second innings New Zealand was only 84 ahead and apparently heading for defeat, but Burgess scored 119 not out, in an eventual total of 200, putting on 96 for the ninth wicket with Bob Cunis. According to Wisden Burgess "gave a magnificent display" over four and a quarter hours. Cricket career in the 1970s When Burgess scored centuries against England in Auckland in 1970–71 and against the West Indies in Kingston in 1971–72 he achieved the rare feat of centuries in three consecutive Tests, even if they were spaced over two and a half years. He hit further Test centuries against England at Lord's in 1973, and against Pakistan in Lahore in 1976–77. Burgess captained New Zealand in 10 of his 50 Tests. During his term as captain, New Zealand only won one Test, his first as captain, in Wellington in 1977–78, but it was an important victory, the first ever by New Zealand over England, in the 48th Test between the two countries.</ref> He also captained New Zealand in the 1979 World Cup, when they reached the semi-finals but lost to England by nine runs. He played his last Test against Australia at Melbourne in 1980–81, scoring 49 and 10 not out under the captaincy of Geoff Howarth, who had succeeded him. He hit 134 against Tasmania in the next match, and retired from first-class cricket at the end of the tour, at the age of 36. The highest of his 20 first-class centuries was 146 for Auckland against Central Districts at Auckland in 1971–72, when he captained Auckland to victory by an innings and 165 runs. Despite his success at Nagpur in 1969–70, afterwards he seldom bowled in Tests, and only occasionally in first-class matches. Christopher Martin-Jenkins summed him up as "a fair-haired right-hander with a sound technique and some handsome attacking strokes, especially adept at driving", and says of his captaincy and overall attitude to cricket, "he was popular with both his own team and his opponents. Essentially a dedicated amateur cricketer in a professional age, his attitude was that winning or losing was not life or death." During the 1970s, before the advent of professional sport in New Zealand, sportsmen were required to support themselves and take unpaid leave to complete overseas tours. In the mid-1970s Burgess joined the staff of a leading Auckland sportsgoods wholesaler, Brittain Wynyard &