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Home , Aamer Malik, Ali Bacher, Allan Donald, Carl Hooper, Clive Lloyd, Courtney Walsh

Testing Circumstances

“By this time were almost certain of victory, Hastings and Yuile having taken their side from a precarious 39 for 3 to 113”: Daily Gleaner

Brian Yuile, New Zealand v , Second Test, Wellington, March 1969

The West Indies’ Antipodean tour of 1968-69 began in December with a victory in the First Test at . Two months later the tourists left in shock having been beaten three Tests to one. Unused to setbacks, the press unleashed much criticism against the , Garry Sobers. thought Sobers had spent too much time on golf courses instead of in the nets looking after his team, but also considered the manager ought to have arranged training schedules and team meetings. Charlie Griffith felt the series was lost not because the West Indies were outclassed but because they dropped vital chances1. Sobers agreed, reckoning 34 catches were spilled in the series, by the end of which he was desperately trying to hide butter-fingers in the field.

Thus, the West Indies arrived in New Zealand for three Tests seeming to to “have neither the heart nor the energy for the tight month-long tour.” Clive Lloyd remembered “everyone was completely fed up and just going through the motions.” They were spurred out of lethargy in the First Test by a bold declaration. On the final morning the New Zealand captain, Graham Dowling, set the West Indies 345 runs to win, giving both sides a chance of victory. Finding their enthusiasm, the West Indies raced to an exciting five- victory.

The Second Test was played on a lively pitch at Wellington producing “a fairly predictable but venomous amount of lift” (Cricketer). Yet it was not the prospect of on this wicket that animated the West Indian fast bowlers. Rather, radio-waves provided the motive force. The West Indies selectors met at Trinidad during the Wellington Test to choose the squad to tour later in the year. Before tea on the third day the of their deliberations was aired by New Zealand radio stations. Charlie Griffith and Prof Edwards, then preparing to bat in the West Indies second , found out they had been omitted. Sobers was livid. The selectors had chosen the squad before his report of the Australian series had arrived home. That report made clear that Edwards had suffered particularly from dropped catches and Sobers wanted him to be included in the squad for the 1969 tour of England.

Soon after tea New Zealand began their quest to score 164 to win. In the absence of West Indian selectors, the fast bowlers vented their frustration and fury on the innocent. Dick Brittenden described the scene:

“Throughout the match, the pitch had been what is often lightly described as ‘sporting’. Griffith and Edwards, both tour rejects, made it look like a trampoline. From his short , Edwards had the ball zooming, a couple of times, the head of Hendriks, standing well back. It was a dreadful hour for New Zealand who lost three but, fortunately, no heads “

The umpires, believing the short-pitched bowling was getting too dangerous, formally warned Sobers. Bumpers were not the only problem, as Wisden and Sobers agreed. Deliveries spitting chest high from just short of a length played more havoc. and Bevan Congdon were dismissed by Edwards, each by Griffith close in on the leg-side. Griffith accounted for Dowling, caught behind. Reeling at 39 for three, New Zealand sent Brian Yuile into the barrage as . Yuile jabbed at a ball from Griffith but Gibbs at gully couldn’t quite pocket the chance. Yuile barely saw a couple of other deliveries as they flashed past his nose.

1 Griffith mentioned four: in the Second Test (who scored 165) was dropped on 10 in the gully off Prof Edwards; in the final decisive Test, (242) was missed when he was on 3 and Australia on 54 for 3, and again on 74. In the same innings (151) was badly dropped by Nurse on 44. He and Walters went on to add 336 for the fourth wicket. As Tom Emmett, Yorkshire fast bowler, once lamented; “there’s an epidemic round here, but it isn’t catching.” Tom was a popular professional who captained Yorkshire from 1878-1882. Good-humoured, he doubtless would have enjoyed the Yorkshire committee meeting notes in 1878: “T Emmett be made captain in the absence of a gentleman.”

The press agreed that New Zealand had a chance to win the next day if Hastings and Yuile could survive the first blast of Griffith and Edwards. The batsmen, understandably (sympathised the Daily Gleaner) started with great caution. Initially the bowlers were given the wrong ends, but they were soon switched so Edwards could be assisted by the northerly breeze. Without quite attaining the fury of the previous evening, they both very well. The pitch was a little quieter too, but balls still flew nastily. Edwards zoomed a ball over the keeper for four byes. Hastings and Yuile took several blows to their chests rather than risk playing at the ball and getting a snick. They defended bravely, but still managed to wrest runs from the bowlers.

Brian Yuile had reached 25, having taken the score onto 87 when he edged Griffith to first . Joey Carew snatched at it with his left hand and dropped the catch. Carew wrang his hand in pain, eliciting nary a gentle thought from Griffith who glared balefully at him for some 20 seconds. Two runs later, Yuile turned behind square. Sobers, merely six feet away, athletically fielded the ball and deftly flicked it at the stumps with Yuile out of his ground. His shy missed by an inch or two. Overcoming these alarms the batsmen reached the final over before lunch. The last ball of the session was a well-flighted from Gibbs. Yuile played and missed and was trapped in front leg before; Gibb’s 200th Test victim.

Brian Yuile “went off to a hero’s ovation”. Black clouds gathered over lunch. Hastings and Morgan then struck out boldly in the 45 minutes after lunch to beat the West Indies and the rain. The New Zealand Herald reckoned “the battle was fought and won by Hastings and Yuile in the two hours up to lunch.” The paper reckoned Brian Yuile’s innocent air and bland, bespectacled face made him look unsuited for a no-holds-barred fight, but his first Test innings had been a defiant 64 against England and Wisden accounted him part of the core of players who would lead New Zealand to better things.

West Indies 297 & 148 and New Zealand 1st Innings 282

New Zealand 2nd Innings (overnight 40-3: Hastings 0, Yuile 1)

GT Dowling c Hendriks b Griffith 23 GM Turner c Griffith b Edwards 1 BE Congdon c Griffith b Edwards 4 BF Hastings 62 BW Yuile lbw b Gibbs 37 RW Morgan not out 16 Extras 23 ----- Total (4 wickets; 48.5 overs) 166

FOW: 1-20, 2-32, 3-39, 4-113

Dowling thought Wellington had been a great cricket wicket and was delighted with the result. Sobers disagreed about the pitch telling the Jamaica Daily Gleaner it was: “not what one would expect of a Test wicket … the pitch played unevenly and this had the batsmen pretty unhappy”. Sobers added that New Zealand had batted better: “you had a bit of luck with playing and missing and we had none. But that is the thing about this game of cricket.” The Third Test was drawn after New Zealand, following-on, fought hard around Hastings’ unbeaten and drew the match convincingly.

“’s last day heroes were nightwatchman Masood Anwar, who defied the West Indian attack for more than three hours, and skipper ”: Wisden Cricket Monthly

Masood Anwar, Pakistan v West Indies, Third Test, , December 1990

A 22-year-old professional cricketer on the eve of his birthday might hope for many presents. Masood Anwar had already received the early gift of a Test debut for Pakistan. Another welcome offering would have been a friendly pitch. Instead, as the cracks widened and the top disintegrated at Lahore, Masood heard commentators and colleagues expressing fear for the players’ safety. The West Indies manager Lance Gibbs fretted: “Let’s hope nobody get seriously injured before this match is out.” Certainly, the three kings, this time from the west - , and - were bearing no gifts as they sought to win the Test and, hence, the series.

This 1990 series was dubbed the unofficial world championship of cricket. Beforehand and recalling the West Indies collapsing to , the Pakistan Cricketer urged: “we must forget the idea of being sporting by doctoring wickets. One will not see Qadir-type pitches in the West Indies, so why should we prepare Marshall-type wickets in Pakistan?” Although Pakistan won the First Test of the series largely with , a slow pitch was prepared at for the Second Test. This was odd. First, Qadir was dropped for the Faisalabad Test. Second, Imran’s reliance on his spinners looked ill-founded to Wisden after their unreliable performance in the series the month before against New Zealand. Pakistan had won all three Tests against the Kiwis, but it had been their quick bowlers who had done almost all the damage.

The Faisalabad pitch produced uneven bounce. Yet thought Pakistan were quite comfortable until Malcolm Marshall took four wickets in thirteen balls. West Indies won the match by seven wickets to square the series. The wicket at Lahore for the Third Test was supposed to have been prepared for spinners; low and slow with turn. Sadly, not least for Masood Anwar, the groundsman managed only the last requirement. considered the pitch not great. thought it the worst he had seen for a Test. Wisden’s comment proved correct; Pakistan’s spinners bowled poorly and their batsmen found the pitch made facing West Indian pace very difficult indeed.

After three days at Lahore, the Times considered a West Indian victory a certainty. They were already 300 runs ahead on 128 for four in their second innings. Pakistan had folded to 122 in reply to the West Indies’ 294. Notionally, 144 overs remained in the match, but the mandatory 72 overs per day had been trimmed by 15 to 20 overs by morning dew and bad light. On the fourth day, Pakistan received two presents. Haynes decided to bat until lunch, as scoring was slow. The President of Pakistan once again assisted his cricket team, this time inadvertently, by being late arriving to meet the players. That subtracted more overs from the daily allocation. Pakistan were set 346 runs to win or, to bat for a day-and-a-half, for a draw. Over the next three hours and put on 90 for Pakistan’s second wicket. Rameez was bowled by Courtney Walsh late in the day. Masood came in, and received the minor gift of play ending eight overs early owing to poor light.

Although probably only fifty-odd overs would be bowled in the final day, the Times considered Pakistan a long way from safety. Perhaps trying to tempt fate, the Daily Gleaner thought Pakistan might consider a draw within their capabilities despite the erratic pitch. Masood Anwar began his morning steadily, all defence, but saw dismiss Shoaib Mohammad and in three deliveries. That left his team on 110 for four. Masood was joined by his skipper and they battled through to lunch. In the afternoon, the pair defended defiantly on a pitch “on which was as dangerous as it was arduous” (Ivo Tennant).

The left-handed Masood had one narrow escape. He had scored five when a wicked delivery from Ambrose reared up and in towards his face. Masood managed to parry the ball away, but only toward Haynes at silly mid off. Haynes briefly held on as he dived forward but the ball was jolted out of hand when his arm hit the ground. Imran scored only 19 between lunch and tea, and his young team-mate pressed on into the thirties. Their cussedness gradually batted Pakistan to safety. Before tea the West Indies brought on . After more than three hours of fending off everything the pace quartet could throw at him, Masood prodded forward and was caught at backward point.

st West Indies 294 & 173 and Pakistan 1 Innings 122

Pakistan 2nd Innings (o/n 90-2: Shoaib Mohammad 36, Masood Anwar 0)

Aamer Malik c Logie b Ambrose 0 Rameez Raja b Walsh 41 Shoaib Mohammad b Bishop 49 Masood Anwar c Lara b Hooper 37 Saleem Malik b Bishop 0 Imran Khan not out 58 Zahid Fazal b Walsh 6 Wasim Akram not out 21 Extras 30 ----- Total (6 wickets; 96.4 overs) 242

FOW: 1-0, 2-90, 3-107, 4-110, 5-177, 6-187

Wisden considered the “defiant stand of 67 for the fifth wicket saved Pakistan not only the match but the series.” Masood had helped to take Pakistan to 177 for five, and Imran continued to fight on to an unbeaten 58 complied over almost five hours, hitting just three boundaries from 196 deliveries faced. After he and Wasim had added 55 in an hour and a half, the teams shook hands over a draw. “My burning desire is to defeat the greatest team in cricket history”; said Imran, but he was delighted to save a match that Pakistan looked certain to lose. Masood Anwar, having given his captain a present to cherish, enjoyed his birthday celebrations the following day.

“Australia’s march to victory was held up by a heroic innings from De Villiers”: Wisden

Fanie de Villiers, Australia v , Third Test, , February 1994

South Africa had won their previous series against Australia; Ali Bacher leading them to a 4-0 thrashing. That was at home in early 1970. In 1994, Bacher had long since laid down his bat, and was the leading administrator in South African cricket. The First Test in the three match series at was ruined by poor weather. In the Second Test at , Australia were set 117 to win. They lost early, but recovered confidently to reach 51 for one. Then came on to bowl. He had come late to , this being only his second Test match at of 29. But remembered, “Fanie always had a smile on his face and he loved every minute of it”. At Sydney, Fanie left Australia grimacing as he took three wickets in five balls to leave them on 63 for four overnight.

To the second ball of the following morning, padded up, expecting an away-swinger from Donald. Instead the ball cut back and took the off-bail. Donald then sent back with a that trapped him in front and dismissed soon afterwards. Craig McDermott smacked a sparky 29 but de Villiers caught and bowled Glenn McGrath to complete a pulsating five-run win. Bacher judged the victory “our finest achievement ever.” attributed the damage to de Villiers, who took 6 wickets for 43 in the second innings (and ten in the match), “bowling across-the- seam cutters on a wicket that was giving him something.”

Australia established their ascendancy from the start in the Third Test at Adelaide, declaring on 469 for seven and, by close of play on the third day, reducing South Africa to 235 for seven. On the fourth morning, Fanie de Villiers joined with 37 runs still needed to avoid the follow-on. They fought hard to reach the target. Fanie had his right thumb broken in the process, but soldiered on and was last out having helped add 38 runs. The pair were together again at the crease for the fag-end of the day; their side in an even more parlous position. Australia had set a target of 321 runs and promptly reduced South Africa to 18 for three. The Cape Times reckoned de Villiers did well to see out the last 14 minutes of play, but thought South Africa’s hopes rested on Kirsten and .

The final day saw what described as one of cricket’s gamest innings. Fanie de Villiers, on pain-killers, set out to save his team. He stayed on the front foot, in defence and attack, offering a straight bat. He and his partner Kirsten kept the score moving with frequent singles which got them into the tussle. In the eighth over of the day, dropped de Villiers at short leg off Warne, when the batsman was on eight. Thereafter, the Cape Times reported Fanie; “hardly gave the Australians a chance of a break-through”. The Times thought him hardly in any danger, playing Warne with “aplomb”. A stumping appeal against de Villiers was referred to the third . However, because the authorities had quibbled over the expense, cameras had not been placed at each of the four possible square leg positions. The umpire had a view only from the camera at extra cover, which was obscured and de Villiers was reprieved.

South Africa reached lunch without loss on 86 for three. Fanie continued in the afternoon in the same vein, sustained by a further dose of pain-killers. Having failed to dislodge him with spin, Australia reverted to slightly short-pitched fast bowling to jar his hand against the bat and disconcert him. The Sydney Morning Herald recorded “ball after ball de Villiers removed his hand from the bat handle but he never flinched or drew away from McDermott or Reiffel.” Eventually, Fanie ran out of time. The South African coach, , explained; “He couldn’t take any more tablets because he would have begun to feel drowsy.” He batted on for an hour after lunch, but then either tiredness or pain set in. De Villiers drove at a ball from McDermott and was caught by a leaping at mid off. The Sydney Morning Herald even postulated delirium, believing Fanie had been attempting to loft the ball straight back out of the ground. No matter, “men with hundreds to their name have left to lesser ovations” (Times). Fanie walked off after 198 minutes of courageous batting.

Australia 469-7 declared & 124-6 declared and South Africa 1st Innings 273

South Africa 2nd Innings (overnight 18-3: PN Kirsten 1, de Villiers 0)

AC Hudson c SR Waugh b McDermott 2 G Kirsten b Warne 7 WJ Cronje lbw b Warne 3 PN Kirsten lbw b McDermott 42 PS de Villiers c Reiffel b McDermott 30 JN Rhodes lbw b May 4 DJ Cullinan c Healy b McDermott 5 BM McMillan lbw b Warne 4 DJ Richardson c Taylor b May 10 RP Snell c & b Warne 1 AA Donald not out 0 Extras 21 ----- Total (105.5 overs) 129

FOW: 1-12, 2-17, 3-18, 4-100, 5-105, 6-113, 7-116, 8-128, 9-128

De Villiers and Kirsten had taken South Africa to 100 for four, and to within sight of tea. Peter Roebuck thought South Africa’s hopes were “very much alive”. However, in a decisive spell just before tea, Kirsten and Rhodes were dismissed and the match became a procession of gloomy batsmen. Australia took the last seven wickets for 29 runs. Allan Donald thought Fanie had given South Africa a grand chance to draw the match; “it was partly our fault we lost by 191 runs, as we should have batted out the final few hours comfortably enough.” Hanse Cronje praised de Villier’s valiant effort: “I was very disappointed that we lost yesterday’s game. Nevertheless, if somebody had told us two months ago we would share the series I suppose we would have been happy at the time.”

Wisden’s pen picture notes:

“Fanie de Villiers straddling the pitch in enthusiastic triumph after dismissing Glenn McGrath to complete South Africa's epic five-run win at Sydney in 1993-94 in only his second Test is one of the indelible images in South Africa's sporting history. It also sums up de Villiers the man - a tireless trier who overcame physical setbacks, language prejudice and the blinkered view that his talents were fit only for limited-overs cricket to become the premier South African swing bowler of the post-apartheid era.”

At Adelaide he overcame the physical setback of a broken thumb to give his side a real chance of saving the match and taking the series. Allan Donald remembered affectionately: “He was the life and soul of the SA dressing-room, full of fun and japes…. Fanie was a tough old boy, who surmounted many injuries to set a brilliant example.”

References

Cozier, Tony, The West Indies: Fifty Years of Test Cricket, Angus & Robertson, 1978.

Crace, John, Wasim and Waqar, Imran’s Inheritors, Boxtree, 1992.

Donald, Allan, White Lightning: Alan Donald the Autobiography, CollinsWillow, 1999.

Griffith, Charlie, Chucked Around, Pelham Books, 1970.

Khan, Imran, All Round View, Chatto & Windus, 1988.

Lloyd, Clive, Living for Cricket, Stanley Paul, 1980.

Marshall, Malcolm, Marshall Arts: The Autobiography of Malcolm Marshall, Queen Anne Press MacDonald, 1987.

Piesse, Ken, The Taylor Years: Australian Cricket 1994-99, Viking Penguin Books 1999.

Steen, Rob, Desmond Haynes Lion of , H.F. & G. Witherby, 1993.

Taylor, Mark, Time to Declare, MacMillan, 1999.

Tennant, Ivo, Imran Khan, HF and G Witherby, 1994.