Meckiff had been at the centre of the international throwing crisis since the 1958-59 Ashes, when MCC manager Freddie Brown had quietly raised concerns about his action. He had been left out of the 1961 Ashes tour, recalled at home, dropped, recalled again. By December 1963 he was Australia's incumbent left-arm seamer.
The Brisbane Test began on 6 December. South African captain Trevor Goddard won the toss and batted. Australia opened with Graham McKenzie. Meckiff, bowling from the Vulture Street End, took the second over. Egar — bowling at square leg — called no-balls on the second, third, fifth and ninth deliveries of the eight-ball over. Benaud took Meckiff off after the over and bowled himself for the rest of the day.
Meckiff did not bowl again in the match. South Africa made 346, Australia 435; the Test was drawn. On the final day Meckiff issued a brief statement announcing his retirement from all forms of cricket. He was carried off the Gabba on the shoulders of his teammates after the close, an extraordinary public salute by Benaud and the rest. He never played again.
The Egar calls were controversial within Australian cricket for years. Egar and Meckiff were close friends; they had won a pairs lawn bowling competition together a few months earlier. Some — including Meckiff's family — believed Egar had been put under quiet pressure by the Australian Board to make an example of Meckiff and so demonstrate to England, the West Indies and South Africa that Australia was serious about cleaning up suspect actions. Egar denied this until his death in 2008. Meckiff himself never publicly criticised the umpire.