ENGLAND v PAKISTAN 1974

At Edgbaston, Birmingham, September 2, 3. Pakistan won by eight wickets. Pakistan took the series 2-0 with a victory even more emphatic than that at Nottingham. No play was possible on Monday, September 2, the scheduled date and with the start delayed forty-five minutes on the Tuesday the game was reduced to 35 overs per side.

After Intikhab had won the toss and put England into bat, his four seam bowlers took full advantage of damp, helpful conditions to finish the match as a contest in the seventy-five minutes before lunch. At the interval England were 28 for seven from 17 overs and when Arnold fell to the third ball afterwards it seemed doubtful if they would reach 50.

That England made 81 for nine and used up their full allocation of overs was due to a plucky partnership of 40 for the ninth wicket between Underwood, who hit the only two boundaries recorded in the innings, and Taylor. The Derbyshire wicket-keeper who made top score, handled the bowling far more confidently than the specialist batsmen.

There was an end of season air about some of the England batting, but Asif Masood and Sarfraz deserved full credit for their lively, intelligent opening overs and they were well supported by Imran and Asif Iqbal. Sarfraz bowled both Edrich and Lloyd in his third over and hopes that Greig might lead a recovery were ended by a suicidal run out.

The pitch rolled out easily and although Majid fell to Arnold's third ball, all doubts were resolved by Zaheer, who in a hectic innings saw that the runs were obtained in 18 overs. He finished the match with successive boundaries off Old, two of eight 4's in an innings notable for the power and grace of his off-driving.