South Australia v Pakistanis at Adelaide: CricInfo Report

Cricinfo Home

Audio | Video |

Fantasy

South Australia v Pakistanis at Adelaide
12-15 Nov 1999 (John Polack)

Day1 | Day3 | Day4

Day1: Pakistani batsmen torment South Australia

As a result of some outstanding batting, Pakistan's cricketers have enjoyed possibly their most satisfying six hours of play of their current tour of Australia on day two of the tour match against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval today. After an entertaining onslaught during which all of the players who ventured to the crease surpassed the fifty mark, the tourists find themselves at a scoreline of 6/425 at stumps - one which hands them a first innings lead of 175 runs with two days left to play.

Responding to the relatively modest total of 250 compiled by their opponents yesterday, the Pakistanis gave hint of what was to follow from virtually the outset of the day's play as Wajahatullah Wasti (74) set about attacking some generally mediocre bowling on an increasingly placid pitch in swashbuckling fashion. Ably assisted by a more conservative Mohammad Wasim (50), Wasti was indeed the star of the morning as he utilised his penchant for playing powerful strokes square of the wicket to great effect. It said much about his mastery of the bowling that his eventual dismissal only came courtesy of an extraordinary piece of fielding by first-gamer Daniel Harris at cover, the youngster throwing himself to his right in soccer goalkeeper fashion to spectacularly intercept another ferocious drive at left arm spinner Brad Young.

Arguably the finest batting of the day then came in the middle session as Yousuf Youhana (90), fresh from two excellent innings in last week's First Test against Australia, stroked the attack to all parts of the ground in what proved almost a run a ball display. The mix of pace and spin offered by the South Australians was superbly blunted by Youhana, the gifted right hander's preparedness to use his feet and his sublime cover driving a delight to watch. He joined with a more subdued Ijaz Ahmed (103*) to add 151 runs for the fifth wicket in a display which ensured that the home team was thoroughly unable to capitalise on its success shortly into the post-lunch session in inducing Wasim (50) to drive a sharp return catch to leg spinner Peter McIntyre.

In the final session, Youhana again lost concentration as a century loomed and he was out when he needlessly went down on one knee and chased a ball wide outside off stump from paceman Paul Wilson , only to loft the shot to the waiting hands of Harris at point. But, for as quickly as the brilliant young right hander had scored and for as masterfully as he had played the bowling, the game lost little in the way of appeal as his replacement at the crease, Moin Khan (66), set off on a run scoring spree of his own. Moin was generously dropped by Harris at deep cover from Young's bowling when on 41, but his was another fine innings and it was a surprise to see him lose his wicket in the last over of the day as he padded up at a top spinner from McIntyre.

Although Ijaz at the other end suffered several moments of discomfort with his score at 98 as he received attention to an injured ankle, he was, all the while, not particularly inconvenienced at any stage of the day. He did survive one difficult chance to Jeff Vaughan at mid off with his score of 50, but overall, his hand was typically lion-hearted and featured some characteristically punishing strokes through the off side. His century, which came fifteen minutes before stumps as he blasted Young to the long off boundary, was also a tribute to his admirable powers of concentration and his determination to preserve his somewhat shaky place in a Pakistani Test lineup which should gain significant encouragement and confidence from the effort of all of its batsmen today.

Day3: Rampant Pakistanis continue to cruel Croweaters

After a third successive day during which Pakistan's cricketers overwhelmed the home team with the consistently high standard of their play, the match between the tourists and South Australia at the Adelaide Oval appears destined for a very early finish tomorrow. At stumps, the South Australians are placed at 7/181 in their second innings - even some defiant middle order batting late in the day doing little to console them from the reality that they still remain 95 runs short of making their opponents bat again and are accordingly on the path to what will almost certainly prove a heavy defeat.

The tale of this day's play was again one of Pakistan dominance. It opened with centurion Ijaz Ahmed (141) and Saeed Anwar (37) dictating terms with an aggressive partnership as they advanced their team's score by 75 runs in an entertaining association. Ijaz's impressive vigil finally came to its end when he feathered a leg cutter from paceman Paul Wilson through to wicketkeeper Graham Manou with the total at an already mammoth 500. Once more, it was his clubbing of the ball through the off side that was the highlight of his play today but he also found time to work the ball sweetly square of the wicket on the leg side. Typically elegant and relying on a mixture of back and front foot strokes, Saeed was punishing on anything erring in length throughout his stay. He was particularly comfortable against the spin of Peter McIntyre and Brad Young through the early stages of the morning and he similarly played some magnificent shots.

After the Pakistani innings finally came to its close at 526 around half an hour before lunch, the almost forgotten figure of Waqar Younis (4/48) then initiated an early wicket taking burst which all but brought the home team to its knees. Although they and their fellow bowlers were resisted for some time by some stout batting, leg spinner Mushtaq Ahmed (3/45) then joined with a Waqar increasingly keen to produce inswinging yorkers to begin working over the South Australian lower order. The diminutive spinner kept his name in the mix for possible selection in the team to take the field in the Second Test against Australia in Hobart later in the week with a teasing mix of well flighted deliveries, many nicely directed googlies among them. The balls with which he dismissed Chris Davies (38) and Ben Johnson (32) would indeed have brought most first class players undone. They did enjoy particularly good fortune when the home team's star batsman, Darren Lehmann (11), was the victim of what appeared a highly dubious caught behind decision to Waqar in mid-afternoon but, even by then, the pattern of the match never looked likely to be reversed.

Moments of joy for the home team were again few and far between today, but one clearly came when redoubtable paceman Paul Wilson (6/106) secured his best ever first class bowling figures late in the Pakistan innings. The batting of opener David Fitzgerald (67*), who grafted well for his runs; Davies, who struck the ball sweetly in an aggressive display; and Johnson, whose square driving was the highlight of his innings, also permitted the smattering of locals at the ground something to cheer about at long last. But to expect the spectators to be doing much more in the way of cheering tomorrow would clearly be to concede to an overactive imagination.

Day4: Pakistanis seal win as SA is delivered some home truths

Having conceived easily their most consistent performance of their visit to date, Pakistan's cricketers have today secured their first win on their current tour of Australia with an innings and 26 run success over South Australia at the Adelaide Oval. Although they were courageously resisted through the morning by David Fitzgerald, bowlers Waqar Younis, Mushtaq Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq put the finishing touches on their team's triumph satisfactorily enough and they wrapped the match up around forty-five minutes before lunch on the fourth and final day.

For most of this contest, the Pakistanis captured exactly the kind of form that they found so elusive in last week's First Test in Brisbane and the win will undoubtedly prove an excellent morale-booster in the lead up to the Second Test which starts in three days' time in Hobart. It opened with an even team bowling performance on the first day as they dismissed the home team for a total of 250 on an excellent batting surface in an exhibition which provided them with a firm platform for success. Although they were unable at any stage to contain the typically forceful strokeplay of rival captain Darren Lehmann (136*), Mohammad Akram (3/64), Waqar (also 3/64) and Mushtaq (3/46) all stood out as they initiated a regular flow of wickets around the burly left hander.

Again consistency was the key word when it came the tourists' turn to bat. Statistically, Ijaz Ahmed (141) proved the most successful but each of five players surpassed fifty in a wonderful exercise in batting practice. Happiest when clubbing the ball through the off side, Ijaz struck twenty-two boundaries in a 323 minute long innings which grew significantly in quality the further it progressed and which almost certainly saved his place in the Test lineup. The rapidly maturing Yousuf Youhana (90) also crafted a glorious innings, although his annoyance at again finding a way to get himself out when a century was his for the taking was palpable as he left the crease. Opener Wajahatullah Wasti (74) ignited hopes of a Test recall; Moin Khan (66) was characteristically punishing; and the elegant Mohammad Wasim (50) constructed another correct half century.

While Fitzgerald (111*) battled extremely bravely, and in company with Chris Davies (38) and Ben Johnson (32), weathered the storm for a while, the home team was again little match for the Pakistani bowling in the second innings and it was no surprise, especially once Lehmann (11) made an unlucky early departure, to see them dismissed for a mere 250 for the second time in the game. Fitzgerald's capacity to become the first South Australian to carry his bat in a first class match since Andrew Hilditch achieved the feat seven seasons ago should not be diminished in any way for his was a great fighting hand, but the story of the innings was again largely one of batsmen foundering against the Pakistani bowlers' talents. Waqar (4/61) was hostile throughout and almost certainly booked his berth in the Test eleven, while spinners Mushtaq (4/74) and Saqlain (2/59) also confounded their opponents. Only paceman Akram (0/50) struggled to find rhythm.

For the South Australians, this was another tame effort in what has been a generally lacklustre opening to the new Australian season. They were without three of their better players (Greg Blewett, Jamie Siddons and Jason Gillespie), it is true, but again they failed badly to provide sufficient support to batsmen Lehmann and Fitzgerald and bowler Paul Wilson (whose effort in capturing 6/106 was typical of his never say die attitude for his State). Also of increasing concern is the form of new wicketkeeper Graham Manou, whose pair with the bat in this game has left him pondering the fact that he has failed to score in four of his five first class innings to date. And probably most worrying of all is the notion that the team has now played three matches at home this season and been comprehensively defeated in each.

Site Map | RSS feeds

Cricinfo is part of ESPN

ESPN - Soccernet - Scrum - F1-live - Scorecenter

Date-stamped : 15 Nov1999 - 03:41