Pakistan sweeps to nine-wicket victory

Press, 27 January 1979, Page 56

Pakistan sweeps to nine-wicket victory

PA Rotorua Pakistan swept to a nine wicket win over the Young New Zealand XI at the end of a three-day cricket match at Smallbone Park, Rotorua yesterday.

Set to score 81 runs in 16 overs after a middle-order collapse had seen the New Zealanders out for 146 in their second innings, the Pakistan batsmen clinched the match with two and a half overs remaining.

Talaat Ali needed only 69 balls to race to an unbeaten half-century with some daring hitting. A determined bid by the Young New Zealanders to bat out till stumps had faltered in the face of strong pressure from the left-hand spinner, Iqbal Qasim, and later from Imran Khan, who worked up some hostile pace.

Qasim took five of the first wickets to fall with a display of tightly controlled bowling. He was helped by the

wicket which offered turn| and uneven bounce. The two best New Zealand batsmen, Bruce Edgar, and John Reid, who both put up a long fight, were victims of Qasim’s inner ring of fielders, falling to bat-pad catches. Mudassar Nazar neatly caught Edgar at short square leg when he tried to sweep, and Mohsin Khan made a fine diving catch at short mid-on to dismiss Reid. Once Qasim had done his damage Imran went back to his long run and came in to bowl some thundering deliveries. He was full of length and too fast for both Evan Gray I and Martin Sneddon. ; Peter Hills played on from the first ball after tea, then Brendon Bracewell quickly lost his off stump. Before the collapse — ifrom 108 for two to 146 all out —• there was much to admire in the batting of Edgar and Reid. Edgar was all polish, hit-!

I ting some lovely drives be]fore Qasim tied him down. 1 YOUNG NEW ZEALAND I First innings 2.34/9 dee, , Second innings i. I. Rutherford run out 11 1 B. Edgar e Mudassar b Qasim 62 , • P. Webb c Anwar b Qasim 1 . J. Reid c Mohsin b Qasim 40 3. Blair c and b Qasim .. 4 ' J. Smith lbw b Qasim (> I ■ E. Gray b Imran .. I i ,M. Sneddon b Imran . .. 0!' J. Bracewell not out .. 4 ■P. Hills b Imran .. 21 B. Bracewell b Imran .. 0 Extras (bl, lb 7, nb7) .. Total 146, l Fall: 51. 52, 108, 116, 126, 140. > 140, 140, 142. Bowling.—lmran Khan, 14.3, 7, 1 26. 4; Anwar Khan, 4, 1. 1.3. 0; I ■ Iqbal Qasim, 20, 8, 26. 5; Sukinder Bakht, 4. 0. 16. 0: Javid Miandad,!- , 14, 6. 26, 0; Talaat Ali. 7, 1. I 24. 0; Asif Iqbal. 1. 1, 0. 0. PAKISTAN ] First innings 301/9 dec. ' , Second innings Talaat Ali not out .521 Mohsin Khan c Edgar b B. - I Bracewell .. 6| Javed Miandad not out .. 15 Extras (ba, nb3) .. 8 I I Total (for 1 wicket) 81 I > Fall: 22. Bowling.—B. Bracewell, 3, 0,1 ; 14. 1; M. Sneddon, 4. 0. 22, 0; I E. Grav. 4. 0, 28, 0; J. Bracewell.; ■I 2.3. 0. 9> 0.