From: hasan@vxcrna.cern.ch 
Subject: Showdown at Headingley
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 11:10:00 GMT

        Here is Mike Selvey's racy and rather dramatic
        curtain-raiser to the Headingley test. It appeared
        in today's The Guardian. I thoroughly enjoyed it
        and like to share it with fellow RSCers. All typos,
        serious and comic, are mine. The screaming capitals
        are the result of my random bursts into a histrionic
	mode. I disclaim all knowledge of any copy rights that
        apply to this reproduction :-).

        Enjoy,

        -Hasan



"Like the Tour de France, Test series in England come in clearly
defined stages. The opening ones of this series, at Edgebaston,
Lord's and Old Trafford, were through flat open countryside where
teams can thunder along with furious pace. The finishing stretch
at The Oval is a fast freewheel with the feet on the handlebars.
But when teams study their tour itineraries they look to places
where the showdowns occur, and NO TEST MATCH GROUND IN THE WORLD
PROVIDES SUCH A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF RESULTS AS DOES HEADINGLEY.

This is the ground that can make or break a series. This is the
Alps.

Pakistan reach this stage wearing the yellow jersey they picked up
by virtue of their two-wicket victory at Lord's, but so close was
that win (England, remember, had them eight down and 40 runs short
but were unable to finish the job) and with the other two matches
drawn, that the lead could be measured in seconds.

By Monday evening, Pakistan could be contemplating the ride to the
Arc de Triomphe. but equally England know that here is their best
chance of becoming King of the Mountains and squaring the series.
Certainly, unless weather interferes, the status quo will not apply:
10 RESULTS IN AS MANY TESTS are a testament to that.

Despite the fact that the opposition have won 6 of these 10 games,
the essential Englishness of these conditions are in England's 
favour. When the sun is out the pitch behaves itself. But when the
sky clouds over, the surface broods, pouts and stamps its foot 
like a child forced to spend its holidays indoors.

The squad England have selected -- a full hand of batters, and 
seam bowlers whose forte is movement and accuracy rather than 
sheer speed -- is designed specifically for the job in hand.

Unless a spinner is considered essential on a ground where seam 
has always dominated (THE LAST SPINNER TO TAKE A WICKET IN A HEAD-
INGLEY TEST WAS PHIL EDMONDS IN 1987) the indications are that all
seven of the chosen batsmen will play, with Stewart opening with
Gooch should England bat first and Atherton filling the role 
should Pakistan have the first knock.

The second situation would mean a shuffling of the order: Stewart 
to five perhaps and Smith to three. It would mean that Mark Ram-
prakash, returning to the side, would contend for the No. 6 spot
with Graeme Hick, whose former place at three recedes further into
the distance. PEOPLE ARE REFERRING TO HIM AS AN ALLROUNDER FOR
GOODNESS SAKE.

This may be a make-or-break match for Hick, except that the selec-
tors appear to have an unswerving faith in his talent -- never 
mind that with 306 runs in 16 test innings he has shown consistent
fallibility at the highest level. AND THIS IS THE GROUND THAT HE
IS LEAST LIKELY TO SCORE RUNS AGAINST PAKISTAN.

Batsmen here are required to demonstrate adhesiveness, massive 
determination, AN ABILITY TO FORGET THE PAST, all allied to a 
pinch of good fortune. Last year, in the memorable win over West
Indies, Gooch played one of the great innings -- "the most impor-
tant that I've ever played", he said yesterday. He did it by hang-
ing in. Others will be expected to do so this time.

Straightness and accuracy allied to movement can unsettle free-
flowing hard wicket batsmen, and the English attack, mindful of
injuries to DeFreitas and Fraser, has been chosen with that in 
mind.

Chris Lewis is deemed fit and Tim Munton and Derek Pringle will
certainly join him. The remaining seamre's place (Gooch has ruled
out the possibility of him being the fourth seamer) will be cont-
ested by Phil Newport and Neil Mallender.

At the time of his selection, no bowlwer has more wickets this
season than Newport and he bowled particularly well in Worcester-
shire's defeat of the tourists in their opening first-class game.
But his previous test on this ground, when Austrailia rattled up
600, was an ordeal as he strove too hard to find swing and suffer-
ed the consequences.

It is the type of pitch on which the batsmen must be placed under
constant pressure rather than allowed the knowledge that a hitt-
able ball will be along shortly. So Mallender -- a seam rather than
swing bowler, but one capable of sustaining pressure -- could be
the one chosen.

PAKISTAN HAVE A FITNESS PROBLEM WITH AQIB JAVED, who has a trapped
nerve in his left knee, an injury that would preclude his selec-
tion. Ata-ur-Rehman would be his replacement".