India Set To Score 330 To Win On Final Day

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31597, 7 February 1968, Page 15

India Set To Score 330 To Win On Final Day

(New Zealand Press Association)

HAMILTON.

The hold which the President’s XI gained on the Indians at the end of the first day, was tightened yesterday when some steady bowling and some hearty batting opened the way for the President’s XI to clinch victory on the final day today.

At stumps, the President’s XI dec) wickets, leaving India 360 minutes to score

It is not a task beyond the capabilities of an international side, but the way the game has gone so far, it could prove a rugged one.

India resumed yesterday at 41 for six, and at that stage it seemed likely that they would be dismissed for less than 100.

But the overnight batsmen, E. A. S. Prasanna and R. Saxena appeared untroubled by the pace attack of R. S. Sutton and N. A. Huxford, and the first 20 minutes brought 15 runs. Over-Confident The partnership soon became worth 30, but J. M. Mclntyre ended the stand. Saxena became too eager, stepped out of his crease and was promptly stumped. In the next over, Huxford dismissed Prasanna, who played rather lazily at a ball outside the off stump and edged it high into the slips where B. A. G. Murray took a good catch. India was now eight for 67 and the innings looked all over. However, the two new batsmen, R. B. Desai and R. G Nadkarni, had other ideas, and although they edged the ball into the slips with monotonous regularity, luck was with them. They added 34 runs before Desai was bowled by a good ball from G. E. Vivian for 17. 97-Run Lead M. J. Horton ended the innings by bowling Nadkarni with the third ball of his first over after Nadkarni had been dropped by M. G. Burgess off the previous ball. With a lead of 97 runs on the first innings, Horton and Murray opened the President’s XI second innings in a spirited manner, and put on 17 runs in the first 15 minutes.

Then Desai, who was bowling exceedingly well, moved a ball across Murray who failed to get to the pitch of

it and R. Surti, at short forward square, took a good catch.

Horton, joined by J. W. Burtt, continued to chase the runs but he was living dangerously, particularly to Desai, who was moving the ball both ways. Prasanna replaced Surti and Horton brought up the 50 in 55 minutes by pulling Prasanna to the mld-wicket fence. At that stage Horton was in complete command of the situation, but lost the initiative when B. S. Bedi came on to bowl. He tried to drive him past mid-on and Prasanna was there to take a good catch. Horton made an attractive 41 runs, and the President’s XI was 72 for two. Burgess was sadly out of touch compared with his brisk knock on Monday. He and Burtt added 25 runs in 30 minutes, of which Burgess could contribute only a paltry two. Ten minutes before tea Burgess was lbw to Prasanna, with the score at 97.

After tea, Burtt and K. Thomson looked for runs from every ball. Pataudi began to ring the changes with his bowlers but they made no impression on the two bats-

lared at 232 for six 330 runs for victory. men. The 100 came up in 127 minutes and Burtt reached his 50 in 117 minutes.

At 65, Burtt was dropped by the usually reliable F. M. Engineer off Nadkarni when he prodded inside a ball — his third “life" in an eventful innings. Suddenly Thomson leapt into life and in one over he took 12 runs off Nadkarni, including one mammoth six over long-on. Vivian Promoted Burtt was out for 71 in the next over when he edged Surti into the slips where M. L. Jaisimha was waiting. His was an innings of caution and aggression.

Vivian was then promoted in the batting order and it was his partnership with

Thomson which produced the best cricket of the day. They hooked and drove and cut at will and runs came rapidly. Desai, Nadkarni, Surti and Bedi were all used to halt the flow but to no avail. Thomson went to his 50 in 80 minutes after a slow start, with seven fours and a six. Thomson lashed at one ball from Bedi and the bowler, who toyed with the idea of catching it, quickly withdrew his hand as the ball sped to the boundary.

With 10 minutes remaining Vivian stepped into a flighted ball from Bedi and Prasanna, at long off, took a welljudged catch. Vivian made 22 in 35 minutes and during that time 63 runs were scored.

Thomson was now hitting at any ball near him. Prasanna came on and Thomson hooked him to the squareleg fence, Sardesai failing to hold the catch. The very next ball was again dispatched high, wide and handsome in the same region. Surti got his hands to the ball, realised he was stepping over the line, and simultaneously threw the ball to the ground. The umpire, Mr W. T. Martin, decided Thomson was out for 78 most entertaining and valuable runs, scored in 115 minutes.

Mr Martin said later that Surti had taken the bail inside the field of play but had subsequently dropped it, under the mistaken impression that if he had carried the ball over the boundary it would have counted as six, not as a catch.

Mr Martin said he had ruled Thomson out after satisfying himself that Surti had taken the ball inside the field of play, and had held it long enough for it to be a legal catch.