N.Z. test chances dim as Bari holds record seven catches

Press, 24 February 1979, Page 60

N.Z. test chances dim as Bari holds record seven catches

From R. T. BRITTENDEN in Auckland

In two troubled and telling hours, New Zealand’s slim chance of squaring its test cricket rubber with Pakistan all but disappeared at Eden Park yesterday. Sent in on a damp, vividly green pitch, New Zealand struggled so feebly that five of the top batsmen were dismissed for 68.

As batting conditions became easier, there was a spirited recovery, but New Zealand could do no better than 229 for eight before bad light halted play 50 minutes early. And on a pitch likely to turn bowlers to drink, Pakistan will be confident of establishing a commanding lead.

So it was a good day for Pakistan. It was a memorable one for its captain, Mushtaq Mohammad, who. in making his fifty-fifth test appearance, equalled the Pakistan record set by his. brother Hanif.

But the day really belonged to the Pakistan wi-

cket-keeper, the 30-year-old Wasim Bari, who ' set a world record by holding seven catches: four others nad previously made six dismissals in an innings.

At Napier, Bari had seemed a spent force, a distant relative of the brilliant ,’oung man New Zealanders

I had known earlier. But I yesterday he snapped up everything, and made one magnificent lea-side catch to dismiss John Wright. Bari’s dream day brought his test total of victims to 131, putting him sixth among all test wicket-keep-ers.

New Zealand’s sorry situation was not brought about simply through the misfortune of losing the toss. Indeed, Mushtaq to a long time before deciding to go into the field. There was movement through the air and off the pitch, but batting of good quality could have countered it, at least to some extent. Unhappily, it was not produced. There were some weak and diffident strokes among those which had Bari in such a jubilant mood.

As the sheen left the ball, and the sun and breeze had their way, batting was a

much more straightforward business, and New Zealand made a belated recovery. It was led by Jeremy Coney, who had a test best of 82, and batted magnificently for his runs. Wright had stood firm through the earlier disasters, and then Warren Lees, Lance Cairns, and Richard Hadlee made significant contributions. There was not an over of spin all day, and the attacking field settings for the seamers helped New Zealand maintain a brave scoring rate — four and a half runs ar. over, but Pakistan again produced its miserable 10 overs of bowling an hour.

It would have been a little better had there not again been a steady stream of noballs, There were 20 calls the first time Imran Khan was no-balled, and a vigorous conference among the umpire Mr Fred Goodall, the bowler, and Mushtaq. Accusing Pakistan fingers were pointed at bowling marks. Mr Goodall made some comments, then turned his back on Mushtaq, who was still in his prosecuting position. It seemed a very good thing to simply wait for the bowler to get on with the game. The Pakistanis are proficient players, but they top the bill as time-wasters.

Perhaps they felt they had no need to hurry, with such an air of doom about the New Zealand batting before lunch. Imran and Sarfraz Nawaz were' certainly a handful, for both of them moved the ball about and Imran also had sharp pace and a nasty bounce on occasion.

New Zealand’s swift decline began with Bruce Edgar falling to one of the best balls of the day. It had length, lift, and away movement, and that was Bari’s number one victim. Geoff Howarth drove at one wide of him, without getting across and young John Reid — coming in cruelly early, it seemed — tried to get his bat up and away from a lifting ball, but was not quick enough. Wright, if beaten several times, fought it out for an hour and a half, and struck few fine blows. However, his habit of flicking the ball fine, without proper control, gave Bari the opportunity to bring off a dazzling legside catch.

Mark Burgess’s innings hung on a slender thread for 50 minutes. He seemed quite at a loss, as the ball darted past a tentative bat. In the comfortable conditons of Napier he had looked in splendid form, but there was no hint of that mastery yesterday. Groping forward, he was taken in the gully and at 60 for five the innings was in tatters.

But from grovelling submission before lunch, there was a fine bravado about the batting in the early afternoon. Lees, missed at short leg when on 3, helped Coney add 49. There were

some hard and hearty strokes from Lees anil Coney as 19 runs were taken from the first two overs after lunch. These two were together only 51 minutes.

Coney, guilty of only an occasional indiscretion, had a sort of yeoman solidity about him most of the time. He certainly looked the most assured of the New Zealand players.

He is a strong driver and hit. some splendid shots straight down the ground, and once was only centimetres short of driving Sikander Bakht for a six over extra cover. He did hit one six off Sikander, a powerful, easy, assured hook. Coney’s defence was sound, and he gave a great display, much appreciated by the spectators in the open

terraces, who, even if short of their full number, made Lancaster Park’s No. 5 stand men sound like choirboys. Coney, a tall man, added a distinctive jump to his defensive equipment when playing the short-pitched balls which snapped at the chest and throat. He obviously became quite enchanted with the device, even to the extent of practising his standing jump when at the other end and not on active duty. But the longer he lasted, the more assertive he became, the more obvious it was that the New Zealand bowlers are very probably in for a hard time.

It took Coney only 100 deliveries to reach his 50, which is not bad going in a test match, and between lunch and tea, 108 were added, for two, from 21 overs.

Hadlee produced a mixture of exquisite and inelegant strokes. He is very worried by the flier about his leg stump, and nearly always tries to hit it somehow, introducing the serve and smash of the tennis court. He helped Coney score 43 for the eighth wicket, and he went on to the close quite cheerfully, having made his 36 runs from only 49 deliveries.

So there were some fine flourishes in the New Zealand batting, but Pakistan is firmly in control. Although his last nine overs cost 52, Imran was a particular danger. He is a fine athlete and a splendid all-rounder. NEW ZEALAND First innings B. A. Edgar c Bari b Imran 1 J. G. Wright c Bari b Sikander 32 G. P. Howarth e Bari b Sarfraz 5 J. F. Reid c Bari b Imran 0 M. G. Burgess c Sarfraz b Sikander 3 J. V. Coney c Bari b Sarfraz 82 W. K. Lees c Bari b Sarfraz 25 B. L. Cairns c Bari b Asif 17 R. J. Hadlee not out .. 36 G. B. Troup not out 3 Extras (b 4 Ib2, nbl9) 25 Total for eight wickets 227 Fall: 11, 31, 32, 50, 60, 107, 166, 207.

Bowling. — o M R W Imran Khan 15 3 67 2 Sarfraz Nawaz 15 3 56 3 Asif Iqbal 7 1 24 1 Sikander Bakht 13.2 3 57 2