New Zealand seals one-day series

Press, 7 February 1985, Page 40

New Zealand seals one-day series

By

JOHN COFFEY

When one-day cricket is sufficiently ancient to have traditions all of its own, the first maxim to be etched in stone will be a command to make every over count. Proof of the requirement was very evident when New Zealand beat Pakistan at Lancaster Park yesterday.

New Zealand, represented by John Bracewell, reaped 19 runs from the fiftieth over of its innings. Pakistan needed 15 runs from its last over, but that lasted only four balls as Richard Hadlee used them to the fullest in dismissing Tahir Naqqash, Anil Dalpat and Iqbal Qasim. The contrasting fortunes experienced in those comparatively few deliveries more than made the 13-run difference between the teams in a match which aggregated 515 runs, a new record for a limited-over international in Christchurch. New Zealand now has a 3-0 lead in the Rothmanssponsored series, but its margins of victory have been steadily whittled down in size by a Pakistan side which will have an opportunity to partly redress the balance at Eden Park on February 16. Although New Zealand held an ascendancy for about 80 per cent of a very warm day, the Pakistanis — and particularly the new international, Rameez Raja — displayed exceptional spirit to cause genuine concern in the home camp. Raja found his feet while partnered by his older brother, Wasim Raja, and all but sprouted wings as he dominated a 108-run seventh-wicket partnership with Anil Dalpat. They were associated for only 53 minutes, and all but wrenched the result of the game from New Zealand’s grasp. Earlier, New Zealand’s batsmen had set their opponents a stiff task by reaching a total of 264, just one run short of the previous best at the park by Australia 11 years ago.

At one stage it seemed that New Zealand would considerably exceed that figure. However, the Pakistanis were strong in their resistance of the pressure imposed by John Wright and John Reid and gave themselves much relief by quickly removing the promoted Lance Cairns and Richard Hadlee.

Wright and Reid batted superbly, though that would not have raised any eyebrows among their opponents. Wright has now scored 228 in three innings against Pakistan in Christchurch, and some relatively modern computers are still adding the number of runs Reid has plundered from Pakistani bowling this summer. Together, Wright and Reid accelerated the New Zealand innings with 92 runs in 67 minutes for the second wicket. Wright on-drove with his customary authorityand swept a ball from

Iqbal Qasim on to the embankment. Reid continues to hit everything in the middle of what the Pakistanis must consider to be an over-wide bat and his front-foot shots were perfectly timed.

It seemed certain that Reid would extend to Christchurch what was becoming something of a cen-tury-making, barnstorming tour of this country’s main cricket venues. In the later stages of his innings Reid was but a distant cousin of the uncompromising compiler of test runs who held centre stage for so long at Wellington and Auckland.

In fact, after Cairns and Hadlee had gone Reid borrowed some of their inventive strokes. When he was out, caught at extra cover, Reid had accumulated 88 runs from 101 balls in 130 minutes. No-one could say that he will not have his eye in for the third test which begins at Dunedin on Saturday.

Martin Crowe was quickly into his stride, so much so in fact that he backed up too far and was run out by Mudassar Nazar. It was also Mudassar who dismissed Cairns, and Dalpat displayed his athleticism by catching an inside edge from Hadlee. New Zealand’s progress slowed. The big hitters were gone and Jeff Crowe, especially, and Jeremy Coney had problems and made errors seeking to regather the momentum. Bracewell had one when Azeem Hafeez began the last over, but he was on 20 when it finished. The first three balls were boundaries, to long-on, straight and to mid-wicket, the fourth evaded a flailing bat, the next was straight driven for four, and the third produced three scurried runs from a pull shot.

That last vital over ruined promising figures for Hafeez. Pakistan put seven bowlers into service and, though he did not take a wicket, Wasim Raja earned particular praise for conceding only 34 runs at the start.

The 16,000 spectators who paid $130,000 at the gate must have been consulting the bus timetables for earlier departures when the third Pakistan wicket fell at 22. Qasim Omar was unfortunate to be run out by a deflection from Hadlee’s hand, Salim Malik played an awful wipe at a ball from Cairns, and Mudassar unwisely tested Jeff Crowe’s handling at square leg. Pakistan’s sole hopes of salvation seemed to rest with Zaheer Abbas and Javed Miandad, and they kept them alive for an hour as 83 runs flowed. Zaheer’s class could not be doubted as he plundered runs

through the covers and for once Miandad was overshadowed.

Just when it appeared they had the saving of the game for their side they were gone within three balls. Cairns returned for one over and had Miandad caught at cover point; lan Smith, at the other end, ignored a neck injury to stump Zaheer and Pakistan was floundering at 105 for five.

But Rameez was in no mood for capitulation. He had the audacity to take his first international boundary from Hadlee, treated the other bowlers with equal disdain and had no respect at all for Ewen Chatfield when he thrashed two cover-driven fours and a straight six among 18 runs off the poor fellow’s final over.

With Rameez in every crazy sprint for improbable singles and near-impossible twos was Dalpat as they whittled a required rUn-rate of almost nine per over down to a little over seven. With 20 deliveries remaining Rameez could not quite beat Cairns’s throw and was run out. Rameez faced 76 deliveries, and he wasted very few. Hadlee and Cairns had brought Pakistan’s surge under some sort of control and the tourists looked in vain for a Bracewell when 15 runs were wanted from the last over.

Naqqash lashed at the first ball and was caught by Geoff Howarth at short extra cover; Dalpat walloped the second high to the leg side, only to be brilliantly caught by Martin Crowe, racing and rolling to his right; Hafeez squirted a single and avoided the hattrick; but Iqbal, faced with

the task of having to hit Hadlee for two fours and a six, was bowled comprehensively. Scoreboard: NEW ZEALAND G. P. Howarth c Dalpat b Hafez 12 J. G. Wright c Malik b Naqqash 65 J. F. Reid c Malik b Hafeez 88 M. D. Crowe run out .. . 20 B. L. Cairns c and b Mudassar 8 R. J. Hadlee c Dalpat b Naqqash 9 J. J. Crowe c Raja b Naqqash 13 J. V. Coney c Iqbal b Hafeez 12 I. D. S. Smith not out. . . 5 J. G. Bracewell not out. . 20 Extras (b 3 lbs, w4). . . 12 Total (for 8 wkts) 264 Fall: 29, 121, 166, 177, 192, 216, 237, 241. Bowling.— Wasim Raja 10, 0, 34, 0 (w2); Azeem Hafeez 10, 0, 56, 3 (wl); Iqbal Qasim 5,0, 33; 0; Mudassar Nazar 10, 0, 56, 1 (wl); Tahir Naqqash 8,0, 40, 3; Salim Malik 3,0, 16, 0; Zaheer Abbas 4,0, 21, 0. PAKISTAN Mudassar Nazar c J. Crowe b Cairns .... 8 Qasim Omar run out ... 1 Salim Malik b Cairns... 0 Zaheer Abbas std Smith b Bracewell 58 Javed Miandad c M. Crowe b Cairns 30 Rameez Raja run out. . . 75 Wasim Raja c Howarth b Chatfield 12 Anil Dalpat c M. Crowe b Hadlee 37 Tahir Naqqash c Howarth b Hadlee 11 Azeem Hafeez not out. . . 1 Iqbal Qasim b Hadlee. . . 0 Extras (IblO, w4, nb4). . 18 Total 251 Fall: 1,1, 22, 105, 105, 129, 237, 250, 250, 251. Bowling.— B. L. Cairns 10, 3, 39 , 3 (nb2); R. J. Hadlee 9.4, 0, 32, 3 (nbl); E. J. Chatfield 10, 0, 75, 1; J. V. Coney 10, 0, 44, 0, (nbl); J. G. Bracewell 10, 1, 51, 1 (w4). Umpires: F. R. Goodall and G. Morris.