Sport Border gives Australia five-run lead

Press, 27 September 1988, Page 37

Sport Border gives Australia five-run lead

NZPA-Reuter Faisalabad, Pakistan Allan Border played a true captain’s innings of 113 not out on Sunday to inch Australia into a five-run firstinnings lead over Pakistan in the second cricket test. Border wrested the initiative from Pakistan, who reduced the touring team to 170 for six, and when he. eventually ran out of partners, his magnificent century had carried Australia to 321 all out at the close of the third day. Pakistan, who won the acrimonious first test in Karachi by an innings and 188 runs, were all out for 316 in their first innings. Border had still to get off the mark when Australia started the day in some difficulty on 128 for four, but he grafted steadily under a lowering sky with support from lan Healy (27), Tony Dodemaide (19) and Tim May (14). The Australian captain’s painstaking effort anchored the middle and lower-order batting, and his twenty-third test hundred took him into fifth place behind the leading test century-makers, Sunil Gavaskar (34), Don Bradman (29), Garfield Sobers (26) and Greg Chappell (24). Border’s chanceless innings occupied 328 minutes and included 11 fours. He was so relaxed that he refused an offer of bad light in the

morning and seemed loath to come off even for a light drizzle in the afternoon. It was the perfect recovery from the frustrations of Karachi, where Australia’s heavy defeat came amid their protests over the state of the pitch and Pakistani umpiring decisions. Despite the achievements of the left-hander from Queensland, a draw seems the likeliest result when play resumes after Monday’s rest day. Australia were aided by a lapse from Pakistan wicketkeeper Saleem Yousuf. With the score 257 for eight, he put down a fairly easy catch to his right off May, who had yet to score. May’s personal total was modest, but his ninth-wicket partnership with Border was worth 62. Border and nightwatchman Dodemaide kept Pakistan at bay for 90 minutes and 45 runs in the morning before the latter was caught at forward short-leg off mediumpacer Mudassar Nazar. Steve Waugh, who made nought and 13 in the first test, had another bad day, falling three runs later for one. He was well beaten going forward to a ball from offspinner Tauseef Ahmed and convincingly stumped. Peter Sleep saw Australia past the lunch break but was bowled by Tauseef soon afterwards.