Cricket: Harper briefly back in tandem

ON THE first day of their last Test before they return home to confront England, the West Indies restricted Curtly Ambrose to one spell of six wicketless overs, preferred Roger Harper to a fourth fast bowler and used him and his fellow off-spinner Carl Hooper for 26 of the 48 overs possible off which Sri Lanka managed to eke out 66 for 3.

It should be pointed out the change was strictly pragmatic and certain to be short-lived. Recent heavy rains that left the outfield so sodden that play was not possible until an hour and a quarter after lunch on the second scheduled day of the inaugural Test between the teams, also drained the pitch of all life and the West Indies followed the lead and their hosts who plumped for three spinners.

This was the 30-year-old Harper's first Test in more than four and a half years. Whatever happens here, he can anticipate another long wait before he gets another.

As it was, he delivered 18 steady overs and Hooper eight, both turning the ball appreciably and each collecting a wicket to close catches off tentative bats once Winston Benjamin had made the initial break. But their effectiveness was diminished by the slowness of the surface. Sri Lankan hopes of a reasonable total rested with their two most experienced batsmen, Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga, who survived nervously to the close.

Zimbabwe's seamers reduced Pakistan to 131 for 5 in a good start to the first day of the second Test at Rawalpindi. Pakistan recovered to be 185 for 5 at the close.

Scoreboards, Sporting Digest, page 39