Certain draw in Lahore

Press, 21 December 1977, Page 36

Certain draw in Lahore

NZPA-Reuter Lahore The spiritless nature of the first test between Pakistan and England was underlined on the final day when the Derbyshire all-rounder, Geoff Miller, was denied by just two runs a maiden firstclass hundred. Runs were scored at an average of 160 per day and the draw that emerged yesterday morning (N.Z. time) was inevitable almost from the first day. It was not until after lunch on the final day that the first innings were complete and the last three hours saw Pakistan batting out time, ending up at 106 for three in its second innings. So it was probably too much to expect that Miller, with a previous highest score of 86 not out, should embellish the occasion with his first hundred in first-class cricket. He batted for six hours on the dull, grassless pitch to reach 98 and then saw his last wicket partner, Bob Willis, who had held out for 90 minutes, caught at backward short leg off the leg-spinner Abdul Qadir. “The glorious uncertainties of cricket” is a favourite phrase of Pakistani sports

: journalists. But this match was a victim of the inglorious ' certainties of cricket in Pakistan, where the lifeless pitches give little chance of an exciting contest. Final-day scoreboard. — PAKISTAN First innings (407/9 dec.) Second innings Mudassar Nazar c Taylor b WiUis .. 26 Sadiq Mohammad b Lever 1 slialique Ahmed lbw b Willis 7 Haroon Rashid not out .. 45 Javed Miandad not out .. 19 Extras (nbB) .. .. 8 Total (for 3 wickets) 106 Fall: 15, 40, 45. Bowling.—Willis, 7,0, 34, 2; , Lever. 3,0, 13, 1; Miller, 10, 4, 24, 0: Old, 4,0, 18, 0; Cope, 3,0, 7. 0; Randall, 1,0, 2. 0. ENGLAND First innings G. Boycott b Iqbal Qasim .. 63 M. Brearley run out .. 23 1 B. Rose lbw b Sarfraz 1 D. Randall c Wasim Raja b Liaquat .19 G. Roope b Iqbal Qasim 19 G. Miller not out 98 C. Old c Mudassar b Iqbal Qasim ■ .. 2 I R. Taylor b Sarfraz .. 32 G. Cope lbw b Sarfraz . 0 J. Lever c Wasin Bari b 1 Sarfraz . ■ 0 R. Willis c Iqbal Qasim b Abdul Qadir .. 14 Extras (b2, lbB. nb7) .. 17 Total . ..288 Fail: 53, 55, 96, 127, 148, 172, 251. 251, 253. Bowling.—Sarfraz, 34, 11, 68, 4: Liaquat. 27. 11, 43, 1; Abdul Qadir, 32, 7, 82, 1; Iqbal Qasim, 32, 12, 57. 3; Wasin Raja, 10, 2, 21, 0.