selectors hit upon the magic formula by a lucky accident? Lloyd led a minor (no pun intended) recovery with 60 not out but his team were all out for 190, their lowest score of the series. Ian Botham, well supported by Allott and Ellison, had got five wickets and in the process joined Bob Willis and Fred Trueman on the 300 Test wicket mark.
Chris Broad was out just before the close and Surrey off spinner Pat Pocock, having scored 0 and 0 in the previous Test, was offered up as a sacrificial nightwatchman. He survived the evening session and lasted forty-six minutes the next morning before being out for another duck. Prior to his dismissal, he was on the receiving end of a persistent short pitched barrage that did neither the West Indies nor the umpires any credit.
The Laws of Cricket at the time, as they do still, quite clearly state that “The bowling of short-pitched balls is unfair if, in the opinion of the umpire at the bowler’s end, it constitutes an attempt to intimidate the striker”. The laws go on to say “The relative skill of the striker shall also be taken into consideration.” The sanctions of ‘no ball’, ‘final warning’ and ultimately notallowing the bowler to continue for the rest of the innings were all in place in 1984.
For forty-six minutes, Pocock was protecting himself first and his wicket second. It might seem quite entertaining if you are a West Indian supporter but it was against both the spirit and the laws of cricket. “The relative skill of the striker shall also be taken into consideration.” Pat Pocock played in twenty five Tests and averaged just over 6 with the bat. He played 554 first-class games and averaged 11. Pocock was a tailender. It would have been very easy for the umpire to say to the bowler ‘if you bowl another short pitch ball, I will no ball you.’ The umpires, David Constant and Barrie Meyer, chose not to take this simple action.
It’s always difficult to complain about something when you are getting hammered, and England did not make too much fuss but there is a picture in the 1985 edition of Wisden that sums it up. The heading is ‘The Unacceptable Face of Test Cricket’. It is a photograph of Pocock avoiding a bouncer from Marshall. One foot is off the ground pointing towards square leg. His bat is in the air pointing towards third man and his head is jerked sideways pointing down to fine leg. It is not a picture of a batsman. It is a picture of someone bravely trying to avoid being carried off the pitch to hospital.
Maybe the West Indies were upset because they had been bowled out for under 200? Perhaps their many supporters at the Oval got them going? Maybe they were just being macho? Whatever the motivation, it worked. England were bowled out for 162. Graeme Fowler negotiated the short-pitched onslaught for a time but eventually was hit on the arm and had to leave the field. He came back later and top scored with 31. No one else got over 20.
When the West Indies batted for a second time, they were once again in trouble early on. Jonathan Agnew joined the partyand claimed Greenidge and Richards as his first Test victims. Gomes had a rare failure and the Windies were 69 for 3. Almost inevitably, as had happened in all the previous Tests, someone came to their rescue. This time it was Desmond Haynes. He had scored only 100 runs in the series up to that point but he got his head down for seven hours and played with a straight bat. His century, coupled with an entertaining 49 from Dujon, helped his side to a total of 346.
England needed to score 375 to win or bat for ten hours to draw. Neither seemed achievable based on the evidence of the first innings. It was clear which option Tavare had gone for when he occupied the crease for over three hours in scoring 49. Chris Broad also hung around for nearly three hours for his 39. Michael Holding then decided to come off his full run for the first time that summer and promptly blew away England’s middle order.
Chris Broad was out just before the close and Surrey off spinner Pat Pocock, having scored 0 and 0 in the previous Test, was offered up as a sacrificial nightwatchman. He survived the evening session and lasted forty-six minutes the next morning before being out for another duck. Prior to his dismissal, he was on the receiving end of a persistent short pitched barrage that did neither the West Indies nor the umpires any credit.
The Laws of Cricket at the time, as they do still, quite clearly state that “The bowling of short-pitched balls is unfair if, in the opinion of the umpire at the bowler’s end, it constitutes an attempt to intimidate the striker”. The laws go on to say “The relative skill of the striker shall also be taken into consideration.” The sanctions of ‘no ball’, ‘final warning’ and ultimately notallowing the bowler to continue for the rest of the innings were all in place in 1984.
For forty-six minutes, Pocock was protecting himself first and his wicket second. It might seem quite entertaining if you are a West Indian supporter but it was against both the spirit and the laws of cricket. “The relative skill of the striker shall also be taken into consideration.” Pat Pocock played in twenty five Tests and averaged just over 6 with the bat. He played 554 first-class games and averaged 11. Pocock was a tailender. It would have been very easy for the umpire to say to the bowler ‘if you bowl another short pitch ball, I will no ball you.’ The umpires, David Constant and Barrie Meyer, chose not to take this simple action.
It’s always difficult to complain about something when you are getting hammered, and England did not make too much fuss but there is a picture in the 1985 edition of Wisden that sums it up. The heading is ‘The Unacceptable Face of Test Cricket’. It is a photograph of Pocock avoiding a bouncer from Marshall. One foot is off the ground pointing towards square leg. His bat is in the air pointing towards third man and his head is jerked sideways pointing down to fine leg. It is not a picture of a batsman. It is a picture of someone bravely trying to avoid being carried off the pitch to hospital.
Maybe the West Indies were upset because they had been bowled out for under 200? Perhaps their many supporters at the Oval got them going? Maybe they were just being macho? Whatever the motivation, it worked. England were bowled out for 162. Graeme Fowler negotiated the short-pitched onslaught for a time but eventually was hit on the arm and had to leave the field. He came back later and top scored with 31. No one else got over 20.
When the West Indies batted for a second time, they were once again in trouble early on. Jonathan Agnew joined the partyand claimed Greenidge and Richards as his first Test victims. Gomes had a rare failure and the Windies were 69 for 3. Almost inevitably, as had happened in all the previous Tests, someone came to their rescue. This time it was Desmond Haynes. He had scored only 100 runs in the series up to that point but he got his head down for seven hours and played with a straight bat. His century, coupled with an entertaining 49 from Dujon, helped his side to a total of 346.
England needed to score 375 to win or bat for ten hours to draw. Neither seemed achievable based on the evidence of the first innings. It was clear which option Tavare had gone for when he occupied the crease for over three hours in scoring 49. Chris Broad also hung around for nearly three hours for his 39. Michael Holding then decided to come off his full run for the first time that summer and promptly blew away England’s middle order.
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