Test Match Series End On Bright Note

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30677, 17 February 1965, Page 10

Test Match Series End On Bright Note

It was a draw again; but this time the cricket had character and quality.

There could have been few complaints about the entertainment at Lancaster Park yesterday, when the Pakistan tour ended, for both sides got on with the game most hearteningly.

Pakistan, 181 for four wickets When play began, went to 309 for eight wickets declared and New Zealand, in the last four hours, scored 223 for five wickets.

In all, 351 runs were scored in 350 minutes, and if Pakistan’s batsmen pleased with their aggression, New Zealand’s found even more favour because they had no target other than saving the game, yet did this comfortably while playing attacking cricket.

The Pakistan captain, Hanif. scored the only century of the series, and the second half of it was resplendent with strokes. For New Zealand, R. W. Morgan, in only his second test match, fell only three runs short of a hundred. Eight through the day, the pace bowlers were denied any comfort or hope, and New Zealand, sadly lacking in spin, could do no more than try to contain the Pakistan batsmen. Turned Sharply But the Pakistan spinners were able to turn the ball quite sharply, and quite dangerously at times, although the ball never whipped through swiftly enough to suggest the batsmen were likely to be picked off regularly. However, Morgan, J. R. Reid and B. W. Yuile all batted with resolution and skill and from this draw New Zealand could derive as much comfort as it did from the excellent positions it achieved at various stages of the first two matches.

Morgan, if not in the least elegant, was in much better form than in the first innings, and he played a highly encouraging innings. Declared Too Late He was watchful and patient, but he hit the loose ones hard, and this time he was able, on occasions, to get down the pitch to the leg spin of Intikhab, from whom both he and Yuile scored readily. Hanif was superb, full of flashing strokes, but he might have regretted not having scored a little faster earlier in his innings. By the time he achieved his century and declared, there was time for only one over against the New Zealand batsmen before lunch. At that stage Pakistan had gone too long to have any hope in inducing New Zealand to chase runs; 314 in four hours on a turning pitch was not an alluring invitation against a side stacked with spin.

Hanif could and should have declared earlier, for although New Zealand was within 91 runs of winning the match at the end, there was more than a suspicion that Hanif was not sorry to see runs being scored during a period of loose bowling once the spinners had failed to break through; his last chance then was a final burst from Asif with the new

ball, and the total reached 200 with almost half an hour to go. Pakistan needed a little more time, and would not have been in danger of defeat with an earlier declaration, for Hanif could have slowed and closed the game to suit his own ends at any stage. The only disturbing feature ( for the Pakistan batsmen in the j morning was the regularity , with which Yuile, bowling round , the wicket, could get the ball . to jump from bowlers’ foot- 5 marks a little wide of the off ( stump. Occasionally Yuile com- < imitted them to a stroke from j this roughened patch, and he j took two wickets, but he was < expensive, and Hanif played him with consummate ease. < Hanif, whose record in the J tests had been distinctly mod- , erate, took nearly two hours j and a half to score his first ' 50, only an hour for the second. ' He hooked the pace bowlers * majestically, cut deftly, drove ; strongly, and he was a busy ’ little batsman while Pakistan J scored its third 100 runs in ‘ 65 minutes. Only during Reid’s great innings at Wellington had 1 there been such an overthrow 1 of the bowlers. , When the innings was closed just before lunch, Pakistan had made 309, the highest score of the series, and Hanif had scored his tenth test century, the for-

tieth of his career. There were 18 fours in an innings which, in its secondary phase, placed him, properly, among the game’s great batsmen. He had strong support all down the line. Ilyas did not add to his score, but Nasimul (12) helped add 23 in 25 minutes; Asif (20) was in while 32 were scored in 24 minutes; Intikhab’s share was 15 in a partnership of 46 in 22 minutes. Character Roles Of those in supporting roles—all of them character actors— Asif was the most appealing. In an over from Collinge, there was a firm straight drive for four, a magnificent drive through the covers, all elegance, for four, and another straight hit for three. In 108 minutes Pakistan scored 128, and the morning was a delight. The New Zealand bowling was not very accurate, Cameron again taking a hammering—3l from five overs. With drinks, and J. T. Ward being injured, Morgan taking his place behind the stumps, New Zealand was in only its 28th over of the day when Pakistan declared. Hanif’s scoring rate In the morning was extremely fast: from Bartlett, 13 runs in 15 balls he received, Collinge 10 from 13, Cameron 20 from 17, Motz 10 from 12, Yuile 16 from 17, Reid four from 10—in all, 73 runs from 84 deliveries. The New Zealand fiielding was only fair, Collinge missing two slip catches. Hanif snicked one, at 37, from Reid, and Nasimul, on seven, edged one from

Yuile. Intlkhab, when two, drove Yuile mightily to Truscott at deep extra cover, but the catch was missed—and Intlkhab scored six.

N.Z. Win Impossible

There was never any prospect of New Zealand making the runs required, but there was much to admire In the forthright way the batsmen went about saving the game. There was never a hint of the hestltatlon and diffidence which have so often drawn New Zealand into difficulties. The batsmen all hit hard whenever the oportunlty arose. Pakistan had two quite quick successes, although Truscott demonstrated vividly why the New Zealand selectors were interested in an opening batsman who goes after runs. He drove and cut handsomely in scoring 26. At 41 for two, New Zealand was in trouble, but Reid and Morgan saw out a very fine spell of spin from Pervez and Intlkhab, a combination which, it seemed, Hanif broke up rather too soon.

Reid, In his final test innings in New Zealand, batted with some prudence, but he looked sound and safe, and there were several of the magnificently fierce strokes which have helped make him great. He was out, sadly, in the last over before tea, when he attempted to pull Intlkhab but succeeded only in lobbing up an easy catch from the top edge. Reid and Morgan, with 57 in 72 minutes, made the game fairly safe. Morgan and Yuile then put on 81 in 77 minutes, and it was basically good batting. The bowling deteriorated, or appeared to do so, and Yuile, using a powerful sweep, and thrusting the full tosses firmly through mid-wicket, scored 21 off 24 balls from Intlkhab. Yuile was much more positive than he had been in the first innings, and if he scored all but one of his runs on the on side, it was a sound and highly useful innings. Three Runs Short It was only an attack of test match century nerves which cost Morgan his wicket. He went along splendidly for a long time, using his feet well, cutting hard, driving firmly, and scoring quite steadily on the on side.

But at 94 he was dropped in the slips off Asif, and at 97 he lost his wicket repeating his error of the first innings*—trying to hook a ball from Mufasirul which was running across him too sharply for the shot to be made safely. It was the easiest of caught and bowls.

Morgan, who hit 13 boundaries, batted 214 minutes, and with Sinclair, he added 40 in 32 minutes. It was an innings which further increased Morgan’s stature, and which gave much pleasure to the spectators.

Intlkhab was not the fine spin bowler of the first two tests, but Pervez was a problem and Asif, in his first spell, moved the new ball beautifully away and had both openers, Congdon from a lovely swooping slip catch by Hanif.

In his final spell, however, he was not dangerous, although, when he bowled the last over of the tour with five wickets still standing, he looked like a man who had been instructed to get them.