England v South Africa - Series Preview

England have always held the upper hand in ATG series against South Africa, but the pressure is on the hosts after their disappointing showing against Pakistan, a team beaten comfortably by the South Africans toward the end of last season. That series was Hansie Cronje's first in charge, and he will be looking to maintain his unbeaten record as captain as he leads the team overseas for the first time.

Dudley Nourse's omission is the only real surprise in an otherwise predictable touring party, although his lack of form against Pakistan was always going to put his selection in in doubt. The role of erstwhile skipper Trevor Goddard was the only other real dilemma for the selectors. He remains South Africa's leading wicket taker and topped the bowling averages against Pakistan, but his batting form has been in a tailspin, and with the likes of Eddie Barlow and Gary Kirsten champing at the bit to gain a place in the side as Barry Richards' opening partner, one feels he has to deliver with the bat on this trip if he is to hold onto his place in the side.

Current form (most recent result first)
England DLWWW
South Africa DWWWD

Previous series result
South Africa 1 England 2 (Season III; 5 Tests)

South Africa squad
WJ Cronje (c), MJ Procter (v/c), NAT Adcock, DJ Cullinan, AA Donald, TL Goddard, PS Heine, DT Lindsay, NBF Mann, BM McMillan, B Mitchell, RG Pollock, JN Rhodes, BA Richards, HJ Tayfield, JHB Waite.

England v Pakistan - Series Summary

SERIES DRAWN 1-1
An enthralling series ended with Pakistan on top, and had the elements not intervened at Headingley the tourists may well have been celebrating a glorious and unexpected come-from-behind victory. As it was, 1-1 was probably a fair result, one that the sixth-ranked Pakistanis will take far more from than will England. A crushing win for the hosts in the first Test seemed to herald the one-sided series that many had predicted, but Imran rallied his troops well and was so nearly able to hand England what would have been only their second ever series defeat.

Fred Trueman's restoration to the English attack was an unqualified success, but Brian Statham apart, the remainder of England's bowling was lacklustre, as was the performance of the middle order batting. Wally Hammond endured the worst run of form in his ATG career, with five single figure scores in six innings, and although his previous record will protect his place in the side for now, there may well be other changes ahead of the series with South Africa; England badly missed Jack Hobbs in the second and third Tests, and will welcome his return against the Proteas. Pakistan's resurgence was very much down to a team effort, with Imran's leadership binding the whole to great effect at Edgbaston and Headingley. Doubts still remain over the best opening partnership though, and Waqar's continued lack of form must now put his place in the side in doubt.

Series averages
(click to enlarge)

The draw in the final Test means that England just about hold on to the number one spot in the rankings, but anything other than a series victory over South Africa will see them concede that position, and with an Ashes tour on the horizon the next few months promise to be testing times for English cricket.

Players of the Series: FS Trueman & Javed Miandad

England v Pakistan - Third Test

Headingley, Leeds

England: *L Hutton, G Boycott, WR Hammond, KF Barrington, MC Cowdrey, IT Botham, +LEG Ames, H Larwood, FS Trueman, DL Underwood, JB Statham.
Pakistan: Mohsin Khan, Majid Khan, Saleem Malik, Javed Miandad, Mushtaq Mohammad, Asif Iqbal, *Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, +Wasim Bari, Fazal Mahmood, Waqar Younis.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: CJ Egar (AUS) & CJ Mitchley (SAF)
Toss: England

England have never lost an ATG Test at Headingley, and armed perhaps with more than a little local knowledge, Len Hutton inserted the Pakistanis having won the toss on a dank first morning. The tourists started well, taking the score to 88-1 at one stage, but from then on wickets fell at regular intervals as Brian Statham in particular found movement both in the air and off the pitch. All bar last man Waqar Younis made it into double figures for Pakistan, but no-one was able to better Javed's 51, and a total of 284, eked out over four and a half rain-hit sessions, just about justified Hutton's decision at the toss. Statham followed up his maiden five-for at Edgbaston with figures of 6-73, but before long he would be called upon to perform with the bat as England faltered in their reply.

With Fazal Mahmood in the Statham role, England's middle order failed once again, and at 75-4 on the second evening the hosts were in distinct trouble. Len Hutton was still there though, and on a dramatic third day he went on to record a wonderful, potentially match-winning century as England clawed their way back into contention. Hutton dropped anchor as Botham (58) and Ames (39) took the attack to the Pakistanis, but the strokes were unfurled once both partners had departed, and he was finally out hooking at Akram for 135, his sixteenth ATG century. England still trailed at this stage, but a spirited last wicket stand of 52 between Trueman and Statham gave the hosts renewed momentum, and when England took the lead the roar would have been audible on both sides of the Pennines.

England's total of 310 had given them a lead of 26, and before the close of play Pakistan had stumbled to 42-3, including the key wicket of Javed, caught fending away a Botham bouncer. It had been a remarkable Headingley Saturday, and Sunday's play was full of tension as Saleem and Mushtaq set about rebuilding Pakistan's innings. The chances simply wouldn't go to hand for England, and both men passed fifty as they meticulously constructed a fourth wicket partnership of 108 to sway the advantage back the way of the tourists. Asif then upped the tempo with a cavalier fifty of his own, and when rain and bad light brought play to a premature end, Pakistan's total of 262-6 gave them a lead of 237 going into the final day of the series.

The timing of Imran's declaration would now be crucial in deciding the outcome of the match, and after completing just his second fifty in 27 innings he called time, setting England a tantalizing 271 to win off a minimum of 77 overs, weather permitting. The series was now on the line, and after just five overs of England's final innings it looked as though it would be Pakistan who would be emerging victorious. Hutton (4), Boycott (0) and Hammond (0) all gave catching practice to Majid in the slips, and England sat at a parlous 4-3, just as Pakistan had done in their final innings of the first Test. Barrington's edge behind for 24 made it 45-4 early in the afternoon session, but Cowdrey and Botham fought back with a stand of 123 in 31 overs to take England to within 120 of victory with 25 overs still to be bowled. Botham especially was batting wonderfully well, but Fazal Mahmood then struck to remove both partners in the space of five balls, and the pendulum had swung back in Pakistan's favour.

England were still 98 runs short of the winning post with both time and wickets running out, but the elements then intervened to stymie any chances either side may have had. A thirty minute rain break meant there was time enough for Pakistan to take two further wickets and for Majid to complete a record breaking four catches in the innings and seven in the match, but England's tail clung on and one of the most enthralling Test matches, and series, of recent times was drawn after five damp, but dramatic days at Headingley.

1st innings scorecards (click to enlarge)

2nd innings scorecards (click to enlarge)

Scores
PAK 1st Inns 284 (Javed Miandad 51; Statham 6-73)
ENG 1st Inns 310 (Hutton 135, Botham 58)
PAK 2nd Inns 296-8 dec. (Saleem Malik 72, Imran Khan 63, Asif Iqbal 59, Mushtaq Mohammad 57)
ENG 2nd Inns 194-8 (Botham 74, Cowdrey 65)

MATCH DRAWN


Man of the Match: L Hutton

England v Pakistan - Second Test

Edgbaston, Birmingham

England: *L Hutton, G Boycott, WR Hammond, KF Barrington, MC Cowdrey, IT Botham, +LEG Ames, JC Laker, AV Bedser, FS Trueman, JB Statham.
Pakistan: Mohsin Khan, Majid Khan, Saleem Malik, Javed Miandad, Mushtaq Mohammad, Asif Iqbal, *Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, +Wasim Bari, Fazal Mahmood, Waqar Younis.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: BC Cooray (SRI) & LH Barker (WI)
Toss: Pakistan

England's victory in the first Test had been their fifth in succession, and whilst the news that Jack Hobbs would miss the rest of the series with a shoulder injury was most certainly a blow, Len Hutton's team were still firm favourites ahead of the Edgbaston Test. Pakistan received an early break though when Imran won the toss and, still smarting from his miscalculation at Lord's, he had no hesitation in batting on a pitch that was promised to provide plenty of pace and bounce.

Mohsin and Majid quickly justified Imran's decision with an opening stand of 173, the second highest in Pakistan's history, and with Majid going on to record a dominating, career best 133, the scoreboard read 360-3 shortly before stumps on the first evening. Javed fell to the new ball shortly before the close though, and the second morning saw an all too familiar collapse from the Pakistanis as Trueman completed his second five wicket haul in succession. In all, the tourists lost their last seven wickets for just 27 runs, and whilst a total of 387 was a definite improvement on the first Test, it could - and should - have been so much more.

England struggled in reply though, and after Boycott departed for a typically stoic 52 to leave the score on 145-6, it was left to Les Ames once again to bat his country out of trouble. He and Jim Laker added a crucial 105 for the seventh wicket to avoid the follow-on, the second time in three matches that the pair has shared in a century stand, but Ames eventually fell 13 short of his hundred and England's total of 282 gave the visitors a handy 105 run lead at the halfway stage.

Trueman and Statham responded by plucking out Pakistan's top three with only 31 on the board, but a stabilising partnership of 118 on the third evening between Javed and Mushtaq Mohammad - who had been co-opted into the Pakistan squad from league cricket to help alleviate the tourists' injury crisis - helped re-establish the tourists' grip on the match. Mushtaq became part of Brian Staham's first ever five-for when he was brilliantly caught by Hutton for 46, but Javed's tenth ATG century - his fifth against England - coupled with an irritating last wicket stand of 40 between Wasim Bari and Waqar Younis propelled Pakistan to a total of 245, and England now had five sessions to score 351 for the victory that would seal the series.

England has never chased down anything over 200 to win an ATG Test though, and with the wicket now showing distinct signs of wear and tear, it was the tourists who seemed in pole position for the win. Imran delivered a fierce opening burst that accounted for both Hutton (2) and Hammond (1) to leave England 18-2, and although a 100 run stand between Boycott and Barrington gave the hosts new hope, their departure on the fourth evening just about pulled the rug out from under England's feet. Another devastating spell from Imran on the final morning took out both Botham and Ames, and shortly after lunch it was all over, Imran's 6-53 equalling his best ever Test return and handing Pakistan victory by 140 runs. Imran had inspired his team wonderfully well after their rout in the first Test, and Pakistan's first win in ten matches means it is now a case of winner takes all when play gets under way in the final Test at Headingley.

1st innings scorecards (click to enlarge)

2nd innings scorecards (click to enlarge)

Scores
PAK 1st Inns 387 (Majid Khan 133, Mohsin Khan 68, Saleem Malik 67, Javed Miandad 53; Trueman 5-77)
ENG 1st Inns 282 (Ames 87, Boycott 52, Laker 42)
PAK 2nd Inns 245 (Javed Miandad 110, Mushtaq Mohammad 46; Statham 5-74)
ENG 2nd Inns 210 (Boycott 62, Barrington 57; Imran Khan 6-53)

PAKISTAN WON BY 140 RUNS


Man of the Match: Imran Khan

England v Pakistan - First Test

Lord's, London

England: JB Hobbs, *L Hutton, WR Hammond, KF Barrington, MC Cowdrey, IT Botham, +LEG Ames, JC Laker, H Larwood, FS Trueman, DL Underwood.
Pakistan: Mohsin Khan, Mudassar Nazar, Majid Khan, Javed Miandad, Saleem Malik, Asif Iqbal, *Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, +Wasim Bari, Fazal Mahmood, Waqar Younis.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: BC Cooray (SRI) & LH Barker (WI)
Toss: Pakistan

Season 6 of ATG cricket got under way at a sunshine-drenched Lord's, and after Imran's somewhat surprising decision to insert his opponents it was England that made hay, rattling up an imposing 515-6 before Hutton declared on the second evening. A magnificent, undefeated 243 from Hobbs was the cornerstone of the innings, although it must be said that he did enjoy more than his fair share of good fortune during his twelve hour stay at the wicket. Barrington and Cowdrey both contributed to consecutive century partnerships, and then Hobbs hooked up with Les Ames to put together a new Test record for the sixth wicket, with Ames' 137 coming out of a stand of 236. With Qadir and Tauseef both pulling out before the Test, Pakistan's attack was one-dimensional on a flat wicket, and the tourists would now be on the back foot for the rest of the match.

After both openers fell cheaply, everyone bar Wasim Bari at number nine got a start in Pakistan's reply, but only Majid's 75 provided any real substance, and all of the English attack took wickets as poor shot selection saw the tourists subside to 228 all out on the third evening. Botham put in his best performance with the ball for some time to record figures of 4-44, and with a lead of 287 Hutton decided not to enforce the follow-on, armed as he was with the knowledge that the pitch was likely to offer up some uneven bounce the further the match went.

For now though the pitch was still playing well, and Hobbs and Hutton's eleventh century opening stand put the game far beyond Pakistan's reach. Both fell in the seventies as England made a final push for quick runs on the fourth day, and Hutton eventually made his second declaration of the match midway through the afternoon session, England's total of 206-3 setting Pakistan an impossible target of 494 for victory. More realistically the tourists now had four and a half sessions of batting to save the match, but a devastating spell of 3-0 in six balls from Trueman reduced the innings to 4-3 before tea, and with Mudassar unable to bat due to a broken finger he sustained in the field, the writing looked on the wall for the tourists.

Majid (31) and Imran (17) both dug in to offer Asif some support, but from 91-4 overnight England were able to wrap up proceedings before lunch on the final day, Asif last man out after riding his luck for a heroic, but ultimately fruitless 85. Trueman completed a triumphant return to the England team with figures of 6-40, his best ever analysis in ATG Tests, and England's 338 run margin of victory accurately reflected the gulf that was apparent between the two sides over the course of the five days. Pakistan will need to regroup quickly before the second Test, and they will be sweating over the fitness of a number of the squad before the teams reconvene at Edgbaston.

1st innings scorecards (click to enlarge)

2nd innings scorecards (click to enlarge)

Scores
ENG 1st Inns 515-6 dec. (Hobbs 243*, Ames 137, Cowdrey 47, Barrington 43)
PAK 1st Inns 228 (Majid Khan 75; Botham 4-44)
ENG 2nd Inns 206-3 dec. (Hutton 75, Hobbs 73)
PAK 2nd Inns 155 (Asif Iqbal 85; Trueman 6-40)

ENGLAND WON BY 338 RUNS


Man of the Match: JB Hobbs

England v Pakistan - Tour Match

MCC v Pakistanis
The Oval, London
4 Day Game
Umpires: JS Buller & CS Elliot
Toss: MCC

MCC: DS Sheppard, JH Edrich, *ER Dexter, TW Graveney, BL D'Oliveira, TE Bailey, +JM Parks, DA Allen, JH Wardle, DJ Brown, FH Tyson.
PAK: Mohsin Khan, Mudassar Nazar, Majid Khan, Javed Miandad, Saleem Malik, Asif Iqbal, *Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, +Wasim Bari, Tauseef Ahmed, Waqar Younis.

Pakistan enjoyed a very profitable warm up ahead of the Test series with a convincing 10 wicket win over an MCC XI at The Oval. A five wicket haul from Waqar Younis helped dismiss the home side in their first innings for just 267 on what was a good batting strip, and had it not been for Trevor Bailey's five hour 72 the damage could have been that much greater. The Pakistanis were only able to take a 34 run lead at the halfway stage though, as consistent bowling from the MCC's seamers enabled Ted Dexter's team to make breakthroughs at vital times. Javed batted very well for his 69, but it was Saleem Malik's century that stood out, and the Pakistani selectors' decision to omit Zaheer Abbas in favour of Malik on this tour looks to be justified.

With the wicket now starting to break up, batting was not going to be as easy in the second innings, and the MCC side was blown away on a fourth morning that saw them collapse from 20-1 overnight to 57-7 at lunch as Wasim Akram ran riot. Tauseef's off spin cleaned up the tail in the afternoon, and a paltry total of just 85 allowed Mohsin and Mudassar to pilot the tourists to a comfortable victory shortly after tea on the final day. The Pakistanis had put in a thoroughly professional performance, and they will now head into the Tests confident that they can make a mark on a series where they are most certainly second favourites.

1st innings scorecards (click to enlarge)

2nd innings scorecards (click to enlarge)

Scores

MCC 1st Inns 267 (Bailey 72, Sheppard 51, Dexter 47; Waqar Younis 5-53)
PAK 1st Inns 301 (Saleem Malik 102, Javed Miandad 69, Majid Khan 45; Tyson 4-59)
MCC 2nd Inns 85 (Tauseef Ahmed 4-20, Wasim Akram 4-26)
PAK 2nd Inns 52-0

PAKISTANIS WON BY 10 WICKETS

England v Pakistan - Series Preview

ATG Season VI kicks-off with what, on the face of it, should be a one-sided series: England sit first in the rankings compared to Pakistan's sixth, they have suffered just one defeat in their last seventeen Tests whereas Pakistan has just one win in eleven, and the previous series between the two sides in England resulted in a 4-1 victory for the hosts and the temporary dethronement of Imran Khan from both the captaincy and the team. However, Pakistan are nothing if not mercurial, and with Imran back at the helm it would be foolish to write-off their chances before a ball is even bowled.

Turning to the touring party, Hanif Mohammad remains out of favour with the selectors, and Zaheer Abbas is also a casualty of the 3-0 defeat in South Africa. Wasim Raja and Tauseef Ahmed are the only new faces in a squad of sixteen, but neither is expected to be in the starting line-up for the first Test at Lord's, where both sides will be looking to hit the ground running in what is just a three Test series.

Current form (most recent result first)
England WWWWD
Pakistan DLLLD

Previous series result
Pakistan 0 England 0 (Season IV, 3 Tests)

Pakistan squad
Imran Khan (c), Javed Miandad (v/c), Abdul Qadir, Asif Iqbal, Fazal Mahmood, Majid Khan, Mohsin Khan, Moin Khan, Mudassar Nazar, Saleem Malik, Sarfraz Nawaz, Tauseef Ahmed, Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, Wasim Bari, Wasim Raja.

Facts & Figures - Part Three

Overall results summary
(click to enlarge)

Miscellaneous team records
(click to enlarge)

Miscellaneous batting records
(click to enlarge)

Miscellaneous bowling & fielding records
(click to enlarge)

So, with our Season V round-up completed we now head into Season VI, which will begin with England hosting a split season against Pakistan and South Africa, before heading to Australia in an attempt to win the ATG Ashes for the very first time.

Facts & Figures - Part Two

Part Two - Bowling & Fielding Records
(correct up to Test #193, WI v NZL 5th Test)

Leading Test wicket takers
(click to enlarge)

Best innings and match bowling
(click to enlarge)

Leading wicket keepers & fielders
(click to enlarge)

A last set of general statistics will follow in the next post.

Facts & Figures - Part One

I thought it might be interesting to present a statistical summary of my ATG Tests up to this point. I've played 193 Tests spread over five seasons, and the following posts will pick out some of the highlights; simply click on any image below to view it at full size.

Part One - Batting Records
(correct up to Test #193, WI v NZL 5th Test)

Highest & lowest team totals
(click to enlarge)

Highest individual scores
(click to enlarge)

Leading Test run scorers
(click to enlarge)

Highest partnerships
(click to enlarge)

Please feel free to leave any comments or questions either here or on the HOBSRG forum.

Bowling, fielding and team records will feature in the next couple of posts.

Season V Statistical Summary

The West Indies v New Zealand series brought ATG Season V to an end, and the following tables present a brief summary:

Season V Results

	M	W	D	L	W/L	%W	%D	%L
Australia	11	6	4	1	6.00	54.55	36.36	9.09
England	11	5	5	1	5.00	45.45	45.45	9.09
India	11	3	3	5	0.60	27.27	27.27	45.45
New Zealand	11	1	1	9	0.11	9.09	9.09	81.82
Pakistan	9	1	3	5	0.20	11.11	33.33	55.56
Sri Lanka	1	0	0	1	0.00	0.00	0.00	100.00
South Africa	8	3	3	2	1.50	37.50	37.50	25.00
West Indies	12	8	1	3	2.67	66.67	8.33	25.00

Leading Batsmen (qualification: 700 runs)

	M	I	No	Runs	HS	Avge	100	50
DG Bradman	11	18	1	1090	383	64.12	3	2
WR Hammond	11	18	1	1071	171	63.00	5	3
DL Haynes	12	22	-	948	108	43.09	3	7
SM Gavaskar	10	19	3	906	415*	56.63	3	-
GM Turner	11	22	-	866	135	39.36	2	3
AR Border	11	18	3	858	133	57.20	2	5
L Hutton	11	18	-	822	152	45.67	4	2
MD Crowe	11	22	1	814	147*	38.76	1	5
MP Donnelly	11	22	1	798	105	38.00	1	7
RG Pollock	8	15	1	789	159	56.36	3	3
IVA Richards	12	22	-	777	103	35.32	1	7
Javed Miandad	9	17	1	771	284	48.19	1	4
JB Hobbs	10	16	-	769	174	48.06	3	3
KF Barrington	10	17	1	759	133	47.44	3	3
CH Lloyd	10	18	2	731	104*	45.69	2	5
RB Kanhai	8	14	1	720	225	55.38	2	3
WM Lawry	11	20	2	709	182	39.39	2	2
PJL Dujon	12	20	2	700	102	38.89	1	6

Leading Bowlers (qualification: 30 wkts)

	M	Overs	Runs	Wkts	Avge	Best	5	10
MD Marshall	12	436.0	1351	53	25.49	5-63	2	-
Imran Khan	9	355.1	1112	43	25.86	6-53	2	-
Kapil Dev	11	401.5	1173	43	27.28	5-65	2	-
KR Miller	11	348.1	961	42	22.89	4-70	-	-
AK Davidson	11	420.3	1006	41	24.54	5-56	1	-
J Cowie	7	303.4	863	40	21.56	6-73	2	-
CA Walsh	12	390.0	1108	39	28.41	4-37	-	-
MA Holding	10	322.5	1030	38	27.11	4-42	-	-
AA Donald	8	295.1	993	37	26.84	7-35	2	-
RJ Hadlee	9	385.2	1183	35	33.80	4-72	-	-
TL Goddard	8	307.2	706	34	20.76	5-35	2	-
JC Laker	7	297.2	806	34	23.71	7-41	4	2
Wasim Akram	7	284.3	815	34	23.97	5-38	1	-
DL Underwood	8	362.1	923	31	29.77	8-74	2	-
R Benaud	11	407.0	1177	31	37.97	5-73	1	-
LR Gibbs	8	350.4	867	30	28.90	5-29	2	-

Whilst England still head the overall rankings, both Australia and West Indies returned a better set of results in season V, with West Indies winning all three of their series to make a case for being 'team of the year.'

Don Bradman headed the batting aggregates, thanks in no small part to his 383 against New Zealand, and Sunil Gavaskar's record breaking 415* against England similarly elevated him into the top five. However, England's Wally Hammond is probably best regarded as 'batsman of the year', with a season-leading five centuries, and Desmond Haynes deserves a mention for his consistency at the top of the West Indies' order. Last season's leading batsman, Viv Richards, had a season he would rather forget.

Despite Richards' lack of form, West Indies enjoyed an excellent season, thanks in the main to the performance of their bowlers. Malcolm Marshall, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding all feature prominently in the bowling charts, with Marshall retaining his crown as 'bowler of the year' and the only man to top the fifty wicket mark for the season. All-rounders Imran Khan, Kapil Dev and Keith Miller all enjoyed their best ever seasons, and New Zealand's Jack Cowie also bowled exceptionally well for ATG cricket's perennial strugglers.

Players of the Season: WR Hammond & MD Marshall