Wellington Collapses; Pakistan 214 For 4

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30640, 5 January 1965, Page 12

Wellington Collapses; Pakistan 214 For 4

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, January 4.

Adverse weather seems to be the Wellington cricket team’s only hope of being saved from its third consecutive outright defeat of the season. At the end of the first day’s play against the touring Pakistanis at the Basin Reserve today Pakistan was 214 for four in reply to Wellington’s 53 in the first innings.

One of Pakistan’s not out batsmen was the world record holder, Hanif Mohammad. After a diffident start Hanif settled into his shots and was 60 at the day’s end.

His positioning, elegant stroke production and effortless picking of gaps in the field suggested that he could well be the tourists’ first century maker in New Zealand. Pakistan started its innings in a manner-that indicated a long Wellington tenure of the field. With delicate, precise stroking the openers, Ilyas Mohammad and Naushad Ali. lifted the score to 47 in 41 minutes. The fastmedium bowler, N. A. Huxford, then plugged the flow. He was making his first firstclass debut. With only his fourth ball in first-class cricket, Huxford dismissed Naushad, who played on for 23. and shortly after was responsible for Ilyas’s exit.

Ilyas backed up too quickly

after a shot to wide mid-off by Saeed Ahmad and had the mortification of seeing Huxford scoop up the ball in his run through and of then throwing down his stumps. Saeed Dropped

In his opening spell of good, accurate bowling, Huxford finished with one for 21 off 11 overs, but he should have been rewarded with two wickets. Saeed, on 16, spooned an easy catch to B. W. Sinclair in the covers, but the normally reliable Sinclair missed the chance. Saeed then carried on to complete a leisurely, atractive 51 in 118 minutes.

Once the openers had gone Huxford and the left-arm spinner, L. C. Butler, settled into a steady groove and runs came only at a trickle, though neither bowler ever appeared likely to devastate the innings.

With the score 134 for four and Pakistan subdued by tight, if not penetrative, bowling. Wellington looked to have a chance of restricting the touring side’s total. But Hanif, aided by Shafraq Rana, wrested the initiative from the bowlers. In a sparkling unbroken partnership for the fifth wicket they added 80. Rana contributed 30. Too Hesitant

Wellington’s first innings debacle lasted an embarrassing 98 minutes. The Wellington batsmen were too tentative and too hesitant facing the lively fast-medium bowling of Farooq Hamid. Farooq, keeping the ball up to the bat and moving it a trifle, induced a brace of errors from the Wellington batsmen to finish with the amazing analysis of seven for 16 off 10.4 overs.

In Wellington’s scoreboard, P. T. Barton’s modest 21 assumed comparatively astronomical proportions. Next

highest score was from extras (8) and, off the bat, 7 from G. P. Bilby. Barton spanked two drives through the covers off the medium pacer, Asif Iqbal, but in the same over turned a gentle catch to Mufasirul Haq at leg slip to continue the general exodus. Scores:— WELLINGTON First Innings G. P. Bilby, c Naushad, b Farooq .. 7 B. A. G. Murray, lbw, b Maufasirul 5 B. W. Sinclair, c Naushad, b Farooq 0 P. T. Barton, c Maufasirul, b Asif . 21 P. B. Truscott, b Farooq .. 5 D. O. Neely, lbw, b Farooq 3 L. C. Butler, b Farooq .. 0 R. W. Blair, run out .. 0 T. G. McMahon, c Asif, b Farooq 0 B. D. Morrison, not out .. 4 N. A. Huxford, c Pervez, b Farooq 0 Extras (leg-byes 3, noballs 5) ..8

Total . 53 Fall of wickets: One for eight, two for 10, three for 22, four for 32, five for 38, six for 38, seven for 46, eight for 46, nine for 52

PAKISTAN First Innings Ilyas Mohammad, run out 28 Naushad Ali, b Huxford .. 23 Saeed Ahmad, c Blair, b Morrison . 51 Javed Burki, c Sinclair, b Blair ..11 Hanif Mohammad, not out.. 60 Shafqat Rana, not out .. 30 Extras (wide 1, leg-byes 5, no-balls 5) .. U Total (for 4 wickets) 214 Fall of wickets: One for 47, two for 74, three for 108, four for 131.

BOWLING 0. M. R. W. Farooq .. 10.4 5 16 7 Mufaslrul . 7 2 20 1 Asif ..3 1 9 1

BOWLING 0. M. R. w Blair 21 6 47 1 Morrison ... 18 3 65 1 Huxford ... 18 5 43 1 Butler ... 22 5 42 0 Murray i.. 3 1 6 0