Bowlers gain psychological advantage

Press, 15 February 1989, Page 76

Bowlers gain psychological advantage

From .

JOHN COFFEY

in Wellington

Pakistan scored a few useful psychological points before the second Rothmans cricket test mercifully faded into the next edition of Wisden at the Basin Reserve yesterday.

After declaring its first innings at 438 for seven wickets — nine runs behind New Zealand — Pakistan’s seam bowlers, Imran Khan and Saleem Jaffer, caused the home side to stagger to 186 for eight in its second innings.

The technical deficiencies displayed by the New Zealand batsmen in trying to counter Imran and Jaffer on a deteriorating pitch can hardly boost their confidence for the series showdown at Eden Park from February 24. But in spite of that disappointing display, New Zealand was never in danger of defeat in a match destined to be drawn from early last week-end.

The everlasting memory will be of the stubborn Shoaib Mohammad defying the New Zealanders until his innings had become the fourth longest in the entire history of test cricket.

Only Shoaib’s own father, Hanif Mohammad (910 minutes), Sir Leonard Hutton (England, 800 minutes) and Brendon Kuruppa (Sri Lanka, 776 minutes) have exceeded the 720 minutes spent at the crease by Shoaib between Sunday and yesterday.

Shoaib’s demise was caused by a quite uncharacteristic rush of blood, bowled by Richard Hadlee when trying to smite the ball through mid-wicket. But Shoaib’s marathon earned praise from his captain, Imran. “In the context of this game he did a good job for us. He is not a strokemaker, but if we had fallen 100 or more runs behind we could have been in trouble on the last day,” said Imran.

The Pakistan plan yesterday morning was to force the pace, establish a handy lead and try and exert pressure on the New Zealanders.

“But I spoiled it by getting out. We should have got 40 more yesterday (Monday),” Imran played outside a ball from Ewen Chatfield which seamed into him, and Hadlee had Saleem Yousuf athletically caught by Andrew Jones. But just when Hadlee was poised to complete what would have been his 100th five-wicket haul in

first-class cricket, Imran closed the innings. New Zealand followed the theme of the match until its total reached 107 for one. To that stage 992 runs had been accumulated, 18 wickets taken. It was not only surprising, then, that seven more batsmen should be out for the addition of 73 runs, but also that Jaffer should be the principal destroyer. His previously innocuous left-arm mediumpaced deliveries were suddenly lethal, his outswing pronounced, his ability to straighten up his line of attack devilish. Martin Crowe and John Bracewell were leg before wicket when Jaffer squared them up in front of their stumps, Jones and Dipak Patel nicked catches, Jeff Crowe was bowled. No-one handled Jaffer confidently as the tall Pakistani vastly improved on his best test figures of three for 79. “We were losing faith in him,” admitted Imran in reference to Jaffer. “He hasn’t bowled this well for a long time, then he produced this remarkable spell. But he was troubled by a groin injury recently.” The touring captain took his total test wickets to 340 when John Wright and Hadlee provided catching practice for the slips fielders and Robert Vance was caught in front without offering a stroke. Poor young Aaqib Javed was given every chance to become test cricket’s youngest wickettaker. But he had no reward for the 160 runs he conceded in the match. Abdul Qadir, given scant encouragement by the conditions, made minimal impact.

“We didn’t bat well today," was Wright’s aftermatch epitaph to the New

Zealand second innings,

Wright singled out the youthful fast-medium man, Danny Morrison, in praising his bowlers for their perseverance Perhaps the biggest surprise of the whole affair was the naming of Imran as “man of the match,” the selector being a former test batsman, John Morrison.

By his own admission, Imran was too wayward with the new ball when he sent New Zealand in to bat last Friday, and his dismissal for 71 early yesterday extinguished Pakistan’s faint hopes of forcing a result. He might not be attractive in his work, but one of cricket’s tradesmen, Shoaib, made this test his own. Those bored to tears by him might gain compensation by boxing in a Lotto ticket the number of runs Shoaib scored in each of his 12 hours in the middle — 14, 23, 5, 23, 23, 7, 22, 11, 1,9, 13, 12 — for a total 163 at 13.6 per hour. NEW ZEALAND First innings 447 Second innings J. Wright c Miandad b Imran 19 R, Vance lbw b Imran. . . 44 A. Jones c sub (Ramiz Raja) b Jaffer 39 M. Crowe lbw b Jaffer . . 0 D. Patel c Yousuf b Jaffer . 2 J. Crowe b Jaffer 23 J. Bracewell lbw b Jaffer. 0 R. Hadlee c sub (Ijaz Ahmed) b Imran. ... 7 I. Smith not out 29 D. Morrison not out ... . 1 Extras (blO, lb 6, nb6)22 Total (for 8 wkts). ..... 186 Fall: 36, 107, 108, 117, 128, 132, 140, 180. Did not bat: E. Chatfield. Bowling: Imran Khan 17, 8, 34, 3; Aaqib Javed 13, 1, 57, 0; Abdul Qadir 14, 3, 39, 0; Saleem Jaffer 17, 4, 40, 5 (nb6). PAKISTAN First innings (overnight 401- 4) Mudassar Nazar c and b Morrison 6 Rizwan-Uz-Zaman lbw b Hadlee 18 Shoaib Mohammed b Hadlee 163 Javed Miandad lbw b Hadlee 118 Salim Malik c Smith b Bracewell 38 Imran Khan b Chatfield. . 71 Aamer Malik not out. . . . 8 Saleem Yousuf c Jones b Hadlee 4 Abdul Qadir not out ... . 0 Extras (bl, nb3, 1b8).... 12 Total (for 7 wkts dec.) . . 438 Fall: 14, 54, 274, 325, 422, 430, 437. Did not bat: Saleem Jaffer, Aaqib Javed. Bowling: R. Hadlee 54, 14, 101, 4 (nb2); D. Morrison 36, 10, 96, 1 (nbl); E. Chatfield 53, 21, 82, 1; J. Bracewell 40, 8, 123, 1; D. Patel 12, 3, 27, 0. ,