England v Pakistan 1971

Most of the excitement came on the last day when first England and then Pakistan appeared to have the match in their grasp. In the end a closely fought struggle was won by England. Illingworth's captaincy was a key factor when the pressure was keenest.

Needing 231 in the fourth innings to win, Pakistan slumped to 65 for four only to reach 160 before the fifth wicket fell. Sadiq and Asif Iqbal in a resolute partnership appeared to have wrested control from England's grasp. Even when Asif Iqbal was stumped off Gifford the odds were on Pakistan for Sadiq, playing a masterly innings for his side, was in complete command. Then d'Oliveria dismissed Intikhab and Sadiq in the course of five balls, following an inspired bowling change by Illingworth, who called for the new ball and saw Lever finish Pakistan with three wickets in four balls, the game ending twenty-six minutes before tea.

If any player deserved to win a Test Match for his side it was Sadiq, whose 91 in four hours included sixteen cleanly struck 4's. The left hander had to deal with the ball pitching in the rough but smothered the spin with immaculate defence and treated the bad ball with no mercy. With better support from the top batsmen he must have been the matchwinner. Pakistan had made a disastrous start to the last day when they wanted 206 with all their wickets in hand. Aftab hit Illingworth's thrid ball of the morning tamely to midwicket and Zaheer was caught at short leg off the next. Mushtaq and Saeed found the pressure too much and not until Asif Iqbal came in did Sadiq find a partner worthy of him.

England made only one change from Lord's, the leg-spinner Hobbs replacing Price because it was thought that a pitch cracked like a jigsaw would break up but it never really became difficult and Hobbs bowled poorly. As Majid was captaining Cambridge in the University match Pakistan brought in Saeed.

England had the advantage of batting first in ideal conditions and Boycott reeled off his seventh century of the summer in majestic fashion. His 112 brought his total Test runs in the last ten innnings to 837, average 139.50. He hit one 6 and fourteen 4's in a stay of four hours twenty-five minutes and his brisk stand of 135 with d'Oliveira enabled England to recover from losing Luckhurst and Edrich in the first three overs.

Just before close of the second day Pakistan, 198 for two with Zaheer and Mushtaq threatening another stand of Edgbaston proportions were in a formidable position. Both fell to the new ball and it took Pakistan most of Saturday, the slowest full day's play in Test Match history in England, to stonewall their way into a lead of 34. It was poor fare for the Saturday crowd as Pakistan, helped by poor England catching, slowly plodded their way ahead, Wasim staying over four hours for his best Test score of 63. Before the close of play in which only 159 runs were scored, Luckhurst, for the second time in less than twelve months was dismissed for a pair while appearing for England.

Before the arrears were cleared on Monday, Boycott also fell to the lively Masood, but a steady display by Edrich, a spirited exhibition by Amiss and another grand effort by d'Oliveira, who put on 106 for the sixth wicket with Illingworth, kept England on a sound basis. Perhaps they were fortunate that Illingworth, when only one, survived a chance in the gully to Asif Iqbal. Pakistan came into their own when Intikhab claimed the new ball and Salim in nine overs swept through the tail. While the last five wickets crashed in fifty minutes England acquired only 16 runs, and Salim's haul was four for only 9 runs.

Finally, a special paragraph to Wasim Bari, Pakistan's talented wicket-keeper. He equalled a Test record by holding eight catches, the majority being quite brilliant.