Tail-Enders Again Hold Up N.Z. Bowlers

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30711, 29 March 1965, Page 3

Tail-Enders Again Hold Up N.Z. Bowlers

(From R. T. BRITTENDEN, N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent)

RAWALPINDI, March 28.

Pakistan’s tail*end batsmen carried on where they left off in New Zealand last month, on the second day of the first test of the current series at Rawalpindi.

After the New Zealand bowlers had struck back well in the hot, humid conditions to dismiss eight Pakistani batsmen for 220, the tail-enders again came to their country’s rescue as they did in all three tests in New Zealand.

Pakistan was all out for 318, giving it a first innings’ lead of 143. In reply, New Zealand had lost two for 45 with 90 minutes remaining.

India had resumed at 138 for three in reply to New Zealand’s meagre first innings total of 175.

B. R. Taylor was again New Zealand’s top scorer, with 76 which included 13 fours and one six.

Three changes were made in the New Zealand team for the side which lost to India at New Delhi.

The injured wicket-keeper, J. T. Ward, was replaced by A. E. Dick, B. W. Yuile came in for F. J. Cameron and B. W. Sinclair for B. L. Congdon. Badly Outplayed New Zealand was badly outplayed on the first day on Saturday. Sent in to bat when Hanif won the toss, New Zealand lost half its wickets for 39 on a pitch extraordinarily receptive to cut and spin. As the pitch lost its venom Taylor, who scored a dashing 76, led New Zealand to a minor recovery. But there was still some turn there and New Zealand did not bowl well enough to use it properly. Pakistan at the close being 138 for three. This strange clay pitch, used for the first time for test cricket allowed the fast bowler. Farooq, to cut the ball back from the off stump to wide of the leg stump, while the left-arm spinner, Pervex, fairly fizzed the ball through before lunch. Dusty Pitch Within four overs all shine had disappeared from the ball and before the New Zealand Innings finished it was quite white in appearance. There were spurts of dust from the faster bowlers’ feet at every pace and from the batsmen when they moved quickly. Even when the ball landed in the outfield there was a puff of dust. But, apparently, it is the very loosening of the top sol! which takes the sting out of this pitch for it was not nearly as lively during the afternoon as in the morning. Test cricket In Rawalpindi made a colourful start. There was a pipe band on the ground before play and as the Pakistan team filed out a great cluster of vividly coloured balloons was released from the centre of the ground. It was disappointment to discover that this pretty gesture contained a touch of sordid commercialism—the bunch of balloons carried a large sign advertising a make of shoe. New Zealand was in trouble from the beginning. Jarvis after a graceful flowing drive for four, was caught from a ball which left him wickedly late While Sinclair batted particularly well the bowling soon defeated him and Reid played outside an off-break. Sinclair was bowled by a ball from Farooq which cut back at

him savagely and Morgan turned the 18-year-old off-spin-ner Salahuddin, into a leg trap. With the ball turning sharply at both ends Sutcliffe was but a shadow of his former self but he clung to batting life while Taylor attacked with refreshing vigour.

The tall Taylor was hard to bowl to and although he mishit once or twice he hit some tremendous off drives and pulled Salahuddin beyond the awnings covering spectators at square leg for six, to make 26 in 15 minutes.

It took Sutcliffe more than half an hour to get off the mark with an edged single, but the pair added 52 in 45 minutes before Sutcliffe was defeated by a ball from Pervez which turned very quickly and came in a long way. Before lunch Pervez dropped a ball beautifully on Dick and bowled him, to leave New Zealand 91 for seven. Gay And Gaudy Taylor at that stage had scored 41 in 46 minutes and in the early afternoon he straight drove Farooq twice for four with magnificent strokes. Pollard helped him add 52 for the eighth wicket before Taylor, on the stretch, was beaten by Pervez’s leg break. Taylor, in another gay and gaudy innings, hit 13 fours and one six.

Pollard, padding up, was out leg before, but Collinge and Yuile put together 27 very useful runs for the last wicket. In all New Zealand batted 220 minutes and with a score of only 175 It is not much compensation for the New Zealanders to reflect that a strong Commonwealth team was dismissed in similar conditions for 81 three years ago. Reid’s views on the pitch were clear when he gave Taylor only two overs before bringing Pollard on and bowling at the other end himself soon afterwards. Four overs were ample to remove the last vestige of shine from the ball and the situation demanded tight spin bowling from New Zealand. Reid soon went through Naushad’s defence with a ball which left the bat a little, but Ilyas and Saeed then took charge. Strong, Graceful Saeed was beaten twice by Pollard, but otherwise his display was beautiful. His driving was clean, strong and graceful and when the ball dropped short he leant back and square cut like the lash of a whip. When Reid cut the ball at him sharply Saeed’s reflexes were astonishing. He played the ball very late and with supple wrists flicked it away to the onside for runs on several occasions.

Ilyas, although he has a timid-looking crouch and is forever biting at his batting gloves as if in a dreadful state of nerves, had the audacity to play violent pull shots from the off stump and outside. He often lofted the ball, but always it fell a yard or two away from racing fieldsmen. With a batting aristocrat at one end and a self-made man at the other the Pakistan score was advanced by 114 in only 83 minutes and all the slow bowlers—Pollard, Yuile and Morgan—came in for heavy punishment because none was able to bowl many overs without one or two loose balls.

It was Taylor who broke the partnership when Saeed tried to force a short one to the onside. Shortly afterwards another of Ilyas’s lofted shots was superbly caught by Pollard at extra cover, who flung himself far to his left. But the afternoon’s play showed up New Zealand’s present grave deficiency in slow bowling. Taylor Sick The weather was hot and the skies clear when the match resumed today. There was expected to be some little life In the pitch for the first hour, but New Zealand was handicapped by Taylor having suffered an attack of dysentery He was, however, on the field and was able to bowl.

Collinge bowled with Reid at the start of the day and it was Reid who looked the more dangerous. Only five runs had been added when Asif tried to pull Reid and the ball lobbed up to give Jarvis, at slip, a reasonably easy catch running back, but he dropped it. However, New Zealand made useful progress when Burki was yorked by Collinge. Asif, however. took two fours from an over by Reid, leaving Hanif to face Collinge, the bowler who dismissed him five times in succession in New Zealand.

Hanif played Collinge watchfully but well, although the tall left-hander was very accurate in a tiring spell of seven overs which cost only 11 runs. Hanif Bowled Yuile took over from Reid, who also bowled well this morning, but Pollard struck a major blow by bowling Hanif just after the Pakistan captain had put his side in front. Hanif tried to pull a straight one. Asif and Majid were associated in a partnership of 38, Asif, a pronounced on-side player, doing most of the scoring. New Zealand had no bowler able to make the ball leave the bat and Asif, taking balls from the middle and off stumps, scored repeatedly on the leg side. However, when the new ball was taken at 209 New Zealand had a further chance and Taylor made use of it by bowling Asif with an inswinging yorker. At 215 for six, Pakistan was 40 ahead, but at 217 Majid played on to Collinge and just before lunch Intikhab also went, easily caught in Reid's short leg field.

At lunch, Pakistan was struggling at 220 for eight. At that stage Reid had taken three for 59, Collinge two for 13 and Taylor two for 24. After lunch Pervez offered a stout defensive bat to the bowling and the score Increased by only a slow trickle or tuns. Sutcliffe was off the field, having again strained a leg muscle, and Congdon was fielding in his place. Six Off Reid Pervez was in considerable trouble facing Reid until he picked up a half-volley and hit it clear of the boundary for a fine six. Thus encouraged he hit Pollard high and straight for four. These runs began to discount heavily against New Zealand's progress in the morning when five wickets were taken for 82.

Half-an-hour after lunch Pakistan led by 70 runs and New Zealand desperately needed to wind up the Innings.

At 253, Pervez was well taken on the leg side by Dick off Taylor but Farooq and Salahuddin thrust home Pakistan’s advantage with more vigorous batting. Farooq, particularly, was eager and hit the tiring Taylor for fours from two consecutive balls. Then he turned his attention to Reid. When Collinge came back Farooq achieved a nine-iron golf shot over the head of the frustrated bowler.

Putting his feet in all sorts of unpredictable places, Farooq hammered away happily and Salahuddin, much more orthodox, made some pretty deflections in a partnership which saw Pakistan reach 300 in 344 minutes. In an hour and a half after lunch New Zealand had captured but one wicket for 83. Only Yuile, who bowled four maidens in a row, was able to contain the exuberant batsmen. At 312, Dowling badly misjudged a catch at midwicket from Farooq off Morgan but six runs later he held him in the same position to end the innings.

The last pair had added 65 in 56 minutes and had nearly doubled the burden of New Zealand’s batsmen in the second innings. The early dismissal of Dowling, who had his fifth successive failure, gave New Zealand yet another bad start. He was defeated by a late inswinger from Majid with only three runs scored. Sinclair began briskly and well but Asif demanded the strictest of attention and in 30 minutes the New Zealand score was 19 for one.