Pakistanis spin perfect web to trap batsmen

Press, 27 February 1989, Page 40

Pakistanis spin perfect web to trap batsmen

From

JOHN COFFEY

in Auckland

Imran Khan’s brief mid-match summary of the situation at Eden Park last evening would have shaken the confidence of those who believe New Zealand will complete the 1980 s without the loss of a test cricket series at home.

The Pakistan captain was satisfied that the deciding Rothmans test was “going according to plan” and even more sure that his spinners, Abdul Qadir and Tauseef Ahmed, will see their side through to victory over the last two days.

It was not surprising that Imran was so content. Pakistan’s first innings of 616 for five wickets declared was the biggest ever reaped from a New Zealand bowling attack, and dwarfed New Zealand’s reply of 135 for four.

“We had only one choice considering the conditions — to get a big total and make sure they had to get over 400 to avoid the follow-on,” said Imran.

“The wicket hasn’t done much yet, but our spinners have got more out of it than the New Zealand spinners. “Every now and then the ball does something, .and that is enough. And I’ve no doubt on the last day it will turn, and turn a lot.

“If we get New Zealand out tomorrow or even on the morning of the last day, I reckon we’il go through them in the second innings,” said Imran.

In company with Salim Malik, Imran continued to grind New Zealand into submission yesterday morning. They added 119 runs in the two hours to lunch, extending their unbroken sixth-wicket partnership to 136 before the declaration was made. Pakistan had left well behind its previous biggest totals against New Zealand in this country (507 for six at Dunedin in 1972-73) and at home (565 for nine at Karachi in 1976-77). It also topped the biggest innings against New Zealand in test cricket, 593 for six by

England at Eden Park 14 years ago. By coincidence, that mammoth England score was accumulated in Ewen Chatfield’s debut for New Zealand. It would be a cruel irony to such a faithful and successful servant to the sport if the present match is indeed his last test.

Chatfield and Stephen Boock did all of the bowling for New Zealand yesterday. Richard Hadlee broke down again when he gingerly tried a practice run-up, and John Bracewell was ignored. Poor Boock joined Javed Miandad as a double centurion, the 229 runs taken from his leftarm deliveries being the most conceded by a New Zealander at first-class level. The old test standard ws Fen Cressweirs six for 168 at the Oval in 1949, while Bill Merritt had 218 runs hit from his bowling while playing for New Zealand against New South Wales at Sydney in 1927-28.

A leg-spinner, Merritt was caned in only 23.2 overs. Boock was far more parsimonious, his 70 overs having been exceeded by a New Zealand test player only when Hedley Howarth bowled 74 to the West Indian batsmen at Bridgetown in 1971-72.

At least Boock at that stage of the day retained his sense of humour. When the crowd applauded the concession of his 200th run, he dropped to hands and knees and kissed the pitch which had so frustrated his attempts to wrest bounce and spin. Boock was not smiling when given out to an appeal for a catch from pad and bat when sent in as nightwatchman just before stumps. So belligerently did Boock storm from the field that even Mike Tyson might have considered stepping aside. Already the Pakistan players, sensing victory, have applied as much pressure to the umpires, Steve Woodward and Brian Aldridge, as they have imposed upon their opponents.

There is more than a hint of intimidation as they advance towards an umpire in support of a bowler’s plea for a lbw decision or backing a “catcher” who is holding the ball triumphantly aloft.

Pakistan began to literally put the New Zealand batsmen in a spin from the eleventh over. It enjoyed immediate success when Tauseef, an offspinner, had John Wright picked up by Rizwan-uz-Zaman at short leg from his third ball.

Tauseef has a flat, quite fast delivery, a contrast to the looping style of that whirling dervish of a legspinner, Qadir. The pitch has not deteriorated sufficiently to reveal the mine field which lurks beneath but, as Imran said, with increasing frequency the ball is doing a little more out of the ordinary. However, Imran let Andrew Jones off the hook for a time by resting his tormentor, Qadir. Jones settled to play a very fine innings, though overshadowed by a confi-

dent, stroke-producing Robert Vance in a secondwicket stand of 109 runs.

But just after Vance had taken his aggregate in a golden summer past 1000 runs he tried one liberty too many with Qadir and steepled a catch to Shoaib Mohammad at cover point. Only one run later Jones was sacrificed when Martin Crowe changed his. mind about the possibility of a run and Saleem Jaffer hit the stumps from mid-off. So there was an element of self-destruction to New Zealand’s batting.. But the danger today is not from within; it is from the spinning fingers of Tauseef and Qadir. PAKISTAN First innings Mudassar Nazar lbw b Hadlee 5 Rizwan-Uz-Zaman c J Crowe b Boock 15 Shoaib Mohammed run out 112 Javed Miandad c Smith b Chatfield 271 Aamer Malik c J Crowe b Bracewell 56 Salim Malik not out ... . 80 Imran Khan not out ... . 69 Extras (lb 7 nbl) 8 Total (for 5 wkts dec.) . . 616 Fall: 10, 44, 292, 439, 480. Did not bat: Saleem Yousuf, Abdul Qadir, Tauseef Ahmed, Saleem Jaffer. Bowling: R. Hadlee 28, 7, 68, 1 (nbl); E. Chatfield 65, 14, 158, 1; S. Boock 70, 10, 229, 1; J. Bracewell 37, 4, 138, 1; A. Jones 3,0, 16, 0. NEW ZEALAND First innings R. Vance c Shoaib b Qadir. 68 J. Wright c Rizwan b Tauseef 2 A. Jones run out 47 M. Crowe not out 3 S. Boock c Mudassar b Qadir 8 M. Greatbatch not out. . . 0 Extras (b2, Ibl, nb2).... 5 Total (for 4 wkt) off 66 overs 133 Fall: 13, 122, 123, 132. To bat: J. Crowe, J. Bracewell, R. Hadlee, I. Smith, E. Chatfield. Bowling: Saleem Jaffer 7,4, 18, 0 (nbl); Imran Khan 9,3, 12, 0; Tauseef Ahmed 29, 12, 49, 1; Abdul Qadir 21, 8, 51, 2 (nbl). (“Miandad magic, page 21)