Hughes helps Australia force draw

Press, 14 December 1983, Page 72

Hughes helps Australia force draw

NZPA-AAP Adelaide Pakistan’s desperate bid for victory in the third test at Adelaide foundered on the rock of an innings-sav-ing century by the Australian captain, Kim Hughes yesterday. Hughes’s 106 bought the time Australia needed to force a draw, conceded by both captains with half an hour left for play. Australia scored 465 in the first innings and Pakistan 624.

At stumps last evening Australia was 310 for seven, an over-all lead of 159 with three rackets in hand. Rod Marsh was a casu-

alty in the dying minutes of the Australian second innings when he missed an Azeem Hafeez bouncer and was hit on the left cheekbone. He was on 33 and was another factor in the time and run-gathering effort by the Australians.

Marsh was taken to hospital for a precautionary Xray examination after he was helped to the Australian dressing room. Hughes was named Man of the Match after he became the sixth batsman to notch a hundred in the test.

Hughes and Allan Border combined in a . morale lifting 95-run

during the day when the Australians were under constant pressure, particularly from the spinner, Abdul Qadir, who bowled unchanged in the first session. Qadir, however, insisted throughout the innings on bowling over the wicket, nullifying many chances of leg before wicket decisions, although he made many appeals to a patient umpire, Dick French.

Australia resumed yesterday morning at 94 for two and lost Phillips at 121 for 54 when he failed to pick Qadir’s spin and gave Mudassar Nazar a slips catch. Border and Hughes

carried the score to 216 when the advent of a delayed new ball saw Hughes snick Azeem to Mudassar when 106.

Border appeared unlucky to be given out lbw to Azeem when 66, coming well down the track when struck on the left pad. Greg Chappell was run out cheaply for ■ four by Qadir but the Marsh bat flailed 33 to fill the gap and take pressure off Australia. The tail wagged but Australia was out of danger and the match ended with Javed Miandad’s imitations of the of leading fast bowlees including Bob

Willis, Dennis Lillee and Rod Hogg in an over given him to end the game. Australia, meanwhile, is likely to go in to the final two tests with a 13-man squad. The squad for the Melbourne and Sydney tests will be named next Tuesday in Melbourne. AUSTRALIA First innings 465 Second innings W. Phillips c Mudassar b Qadir 54 K. Wessels c Bari b Sarfraz 2 G. Yallop c Miandad b Qadir ft 14

K. Hughes c Mudassar b Azeem 106 A. Border lbw b Azeem . 66 G. Chappell run out... . 4 R. Marsh retired hurt. . . 33 T. Hogan c Omar b Salim . 8 G. Lawson not out 7 D. Lillee not out 4 Extras (b 3 lb 4, wl, nb4). 12 Total (for 7 wkts) 310 Fall: 3, 44, 121, 206, 228, 293, 305. Bowling—Sarfraz Nawaz 30, 8, 69,1; Azeem Hafeez 19, 4, 50, 2; Abdul Qadir 47, 9, 132, 2; Mohammad Nazir Jun. 27, 14, 39, 0; Javed Miandad 3,0, 10, 0; Mohsin Khan 1,1, 0,0; Salim Malik 1,0, 3,1; Qasim Omar 1, 1,0, 0. PAKISTAN First innings 624