Date-stamped : 13 Oct97 - 10:10
day 1 Report- Dawn

South African batsmen enthral holiday crowd

By Samiul Hasan

PESHAWAR, Oct 12: Stroke-makers from both the South African and
Allied Bank teams enjoyed one of their finest days when a total
of 427 runs were scored in 88 overs during the first day's play
of the three-day match between the two teams at the Arbab Niaz
Stadium here on Sunday. South Africa, who won the toss and
elected to bat, scored 367 for four at a blistering pace four
before declaring their first innings. In the nine overs which
Allied Bank got, they raced to 60 for the loss of two wickets.

Aamir Sohail, determined to prove that he was not a spent force,
got his first runs off the season with a boundary and added
eight more by the time the stumps were drawn.

Sohail, whose inclusion in the second Test side largely depends
on how he plays in this game, was unbeaten on 40 from 30 balls
he faced. Sohail, who got a first ball duck at Karachi two weeks
ago, drove and cut with authority to leave a good impression on
Shafiq Ahmad, the national selector, who watched first day's
proceedings.

While the batsmen had a field day, the bowlers struggled to get
anything out of the wicket which was perfectly tailor-made for
the batsmen. The Allied Bank pacemen, Aqib Javed, Ataur Rahman
and Aamir Nazir, bowled their hearts out but were rewarded with
scorching drives either from Jacques Kallis (133 not out) Daryll
Cullinan (87).

The three former Test pacemen bowled 36 overs between them and
conceded 190 runs with only Ataur Rahman managing to pick up a
wicket of Jonty Rhodes off his own bowling.

The honours of the day, however, went to 22-year-old Jacques
Kallis who maintained his brilliant form on the tour with an
eye-catching 133 not out. Kallis's other innings on the tour
produced 52, 4 and 61.

For Kallis, it was his ninth first-class century after he got
four this summer for English county Middlesex. Kallis struck 16
boundaries and a six off one-day international bowler Arshad
Khan during his 242 minutes of batting. It was a chanceless and
flawless innings with each shot a treat to watch.

Kallis was in a thundering form in the second session of play in
which he added 74 runs to his 6 at lunch. The handsome lad from
Cape Town, reached his half century from 96 balls with eight
boundaries and a six. His next 50 runs came off 63 balls with
five boundaries.

Besides Kallis, Daryll Cullinan was also in a dazzling form when
he stroked a fine 87 only to miss his 20th first-class century.
In an attempt to hit Aamir Sohail over the long-on boundary, he
was caught 20 yards inside the boundary by Ataur Rahman.

Cullinan, nevertheless, entertained a good holiday crowd with a
variety of strokes that yielded 14 boundaries, including four
straight boundaries off Aamir Nazir.

Cullinan, who faced 101 balls with his first 60 balls helping
him reach half century, dominated the third wicket partnership
with Kallis that produced 168 runs from 122 minutes.

Opener Adam Bacher strengthened his place in the second Test
team with an exquisite 62 from 106 balls with the aid of seven
boundaries and a six. He was spectacularly caught at silly
mid-on by Alay Haider off Arshad Khan.

Andrew Hudson, playing in place of Gary Kirsten, contributed a
good 42 before Rashid Latif had him for his first scalp of the
season off Arshad Khan. Hudson, who came here in 1994-95 and in
1996 as an automatic selection, hit five boundaries in his
64-ball knock.

Arshad Khan finished as the most successful bowler with two for
75 while Ataur Rahman and Aamir Sohail got one piece each.

Source::  Dawn (http://dawn.com/)

Day 1 report- Electronic Telegraph

Kallis hits flawless 134 not out

By Peter Deeley in Peshawar

AFTER a stuttering start to his Test career, Jacques Kallis is
finally justifying the South African selectors' belief in his
ability to fill the No 3 batting position.

Kallis attributes much of his success on this Pakistan tour to
his summer with Middlesex.

In Peshawar, he scored an unbeaten century against a strong
Allied Bank side to go with his fifty in the first Test: "My
experience of county cricket taught me how to tighten my game,"
he said.

Kallis hit four hundreds for Middlesex, but none were played on
as flat a pitch as the one prepared for this three-day warm-up
to the second Test, which begins in Sheikhapura on Friday.

After winning the toss, South Africa raced along at nearly five
runs an over before declaring.

Allied Bank, led by former Pakistan captain Amir Sohail, were
given a pounding, particularly by Kallis and Daryll Cullinan,
who put on 168 for the third wicket.

Cullinan was dropped once before being caught at mid- on off
local off-spinner Arshad Khan for 87. Kallis played a flawless
innings of 134 not out, hitting 16 fours and a six.

In reply, Sohail has already reached 40 off 30 balls - with nine
boundaries - to show how easy this pitch is.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk)

Day 2 Report

Sohail strengthens Test claim with a brilliant century

By Samiul Hasan


PESHAWAR, Oct 13: How delightful it is to see Aamir Sohail in
full cry. And he gave the spectators worth every penny of their
tickets with a magnificent century that helped him strengthen
his claim for a Test recall against South Africa starting at
Sheikhupura from Friday.

Sohail, who blasted his 19th first-class century, stroked a
masterly 128 against the tourists on the second day of the
three-day match here which helped the Allied Bank XI declare
their first innings at 275 for three.

The visitors, who enjoyed a first innings lead of 92, were 83
for two at stumps with Rashid Latif and Mohammad Nawaz snapping
up brilliant catches behind the wickets to dismiss Hansie Cronje
and Jonty Rhodes respectively off Ataur Rahman.

At stumps, Brian McMillan was batting on 31, his highest score
of the tour, and with him was Dave Richardson on 23 with South
Africa enjoying an overall lead of 175.

Aamir Sohail's spectacular and timely performance overshadowed
an exquisite undefeated 117 by Manzoor Akhtar who once again
proved that he deserved a chance at international level.

Sohail was in a dazzling form when he drove ferociously, cut
ruthlessly and pulled smartly on a placid track which continued
to help the stroke-makers. His top class 128 sparkled 22
boundaries from 199 balls from 10 minutes under four hours of
batting.

The most enterprising aspect of Sohail's innings was that he was
not afraid of playing his shots. His feet were moving as if he
had been playing top level cricket for a long time which sadly
isn't the case.

While Paul Adams got respect from Sohail, he was punished when
anything lose he bowled at him while Lance Klusener, his
conqueror in the end, always found himself on the receiving end
with the left-hander playing some blistering shots.

Sohail resumed this morning at 40 with Allied Bank on 60 for
two. Sohail took another 18 balls to reach his half century from
48 balls that included 12 boundaries. Unlike Sunday, Sohail
appeared more relaxed and composed as he didn't throw away his
bat at everything.

Sohail reached his 19th first class century and first of the
season a stroke before lunch that included 18 boundaries from
132 balls.

Sohail outstanding innings ended amidst drama when Jonty Rhodes
threw himself about five yards to bring off a blinder at covers
off Klusener. Including Sohail, no one expected the scorching
shot to be snapped up but when everyone saw Rhodes getting up
with the ball, they knew the only man in the world who could
have caught the ball, got in the end.

Poor Manzoor Akhtar went completely unnoticed and by the time
anyone realised, he was batting in 90s. A fluent square cut off
Paul Adams brought him a gallant century from 198 balls that
included 20 boundaries from 252 minutes of batting.

Adams conceded 93 runs in the end from 24 overs, no less than 50
were scored by Akhtar. He was cut delicately and drove sweetly.
Surprisingly, Akhtar hardly played any sweep shots that are his
trademark and maximum scoring shots.

In Manzoor Akhtar, Pakistan has a player who can hold the
innings in the middle and then can bowl useful leg-spinners. But
sadly, these type of utility cricketers are not very much wanted
by the selectors and the main reason cited by them is age. To be
accurate, Akhtar is 26.

Akhtar reached his half century from 94 balls with nine
boundaries and hit as many boundaries again in his next 50 that
came off 79 balls.

Akhtar and Sohail were chiefly responsible for pulling Allied
Bank out of hot waters when they were reduced to 38 for two only
in the fifth over of the innings. The two shared in a 185-run
third wicket partnership from 206 minutes.

The match is not heading for a dull draw. Instead, it is being
widely anticipated that in the end, this game would turn into a
one-day match because the South Africans are expected to respond
to a sporting declaration by Sohail by setting Allied Bank with
a target. In this background, an interesting final day's play is
on the cards.

Source::  Dawn (http://dawn.com/)

Day 4 report

S. Africans score crushing victory

By Samiul Hasan PESHAWAR, Oct 14: The Allied Bank batsmen
collapsed like a pack of cards to start the 1997-98 season with
a crushing 180-run defeat at the hands of South Africa on the
final day of the three-day match at the Arbab Niaz Stadium on
Tuesday.

Chasing 306 to win in 61 overs, Allied Bank were skittled out
for 125 in 49.3 overs after they started disastrously by losing
four wickets, with the scoreboard reading 38.

Aamir Sohail (7) and Rashid Latif (19) halted the rot by adding
23 runs for the fifth wicket before the former departed. And
when Latif's defiant 110-minute innings came to an end in an
identical style - caught by substitute wicketkeeper Adam Bacher
off Paul Adams - it was all over. Ataur Rahman batted
aggressively to hit six boundaries in his 27 but it just delayed
the inevitable.

Lance Klusener, who is on course to become one of the finest
modern day allrounders, demolished the top order with three
wickets for 49 runs while unorthodox Paul Adams geared up for
the second day with a four-wicket haul for 19 runs in 13.3
overs.

It was an amazing day's play in which 13 wickets fell after only
six went down on the first and three on the second day.

However, the most surprising thing to notice was Klusener was
swinging the ball both ways. In fact, he had started to swing
the ball which was not even 10 overs old. Later, it was also
observed that the South Africans were throwing the ball hard on
the wicket in an effort to scuff up the ball which may help in
getting some movement. It was also observed that a couple of
times, nails of the spikes were used on the ball. One of the
players seemed to be applying the sand paper on the cherry in
the first innings of Allied Bank on Monday. But the indifference
of the umpires to the unsporting act was astonishing. But,
whatever one may say, the fact of the matter is that South
Africa conjured up a brilliant victory and that too on the eve
of the remaining two Tests and the quadrangular tournament
starting at Lahore from Nov 1. It was a disciplined performance
and despite the fact that Daryll Cullinan dropped two catches in
the slips, the overall standard of the fielding was maintained
at top by Jonty Rhodes who has become the most popular cricketer
in Pakistan.

While South Africa will be celebrating their victory, Allied
Bank skipper Aamir Sohail would be wondering if his decision to
declare the first innings at 213 for three was a wise one. But
one feels that it was a sporting one aimed at bringing some life
into the match. South Africa, in the previous two games, have
been involved in dull draws.

Earlier, South Africa resumed their second innings this morning
at 83 for two and being 175 runs in front, the tourists added
another 130 runs in the first session - courtesy a cracking
innings by Lance Klusener. Klusener, unlikely to get a place in
the second Test side, blasted 10 boundaries and a six in his
run-a-ball 56 before holding out to Ataur Rahman off Arshad Khan
who finished with two wickets for 57. However, the miseries of
Brian McMillan continued when he could add only three runs to
his overnight score of 31 to drag a short ball from Ataur Rahman
onto his stumps. Interestingly, he was one of the two batsmen to
be bowled in the entire game. Rahman bowled flat out on a docile
track to finish with three wickets for 49.

But while there was satisfaction in the South African camp,
there was some reason to worry too and that was the suspected
fitness of wicketkeeper Dave Richardson.

Richardson, who resumed this morning at 23, had to limp off the
field because of left hamstring injury which has left him a
doubtful starter for the second Test starting at Sheikhupura
from Friday. Richardson is the only South African who has played
in all the 38 Tests that the country has played since its
readmission to the ICC six years ago.

According to information, the South African team management has
contacted chairman of selectors, Peter Pollock, and have
requested for Mark Boucher who plays for Border state and has
previously represented South Africa A.

Source::  Dawn (http://dawn.com/)
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