New Zealand cricket team in Pakistan in 1955–56

International cricket tour

The New Zealand national cricket team toured Pakistan in October and November 1955 and played a three-match Test series against the Pakistan national cricket team. It was the first Test series between the two teams.^[1] Pakistan won the Test series 2–0. New Zealand were captained by Harry Cave and Pakistan by Abdul Hafeez Kardar.^[2]

After the Test series, the team went on to India, where they played a five-Test series.

New Zealand team

Harry Cave (captain)
John Reid (vice-captain)
Jack Alabaster
John Guy
Noel Harford
Zin Harris
Johnny Hayes
Graham Leggat
Tony MacGibbon
Noel McGregor
Trevor McMahon
Alex Moir
Eric Petrie
Matt Poore
Bert Sutcliffe

Every player played at least one Test in the series. Cave, Reid, MacGibbon, McGregor, Moir, Poore and Sutcliffe played all three Tests.

The team was managed by Henry Cooper, who was at the time headmaster of Auckland Grammar School, and had previously played three first-class matches for Auckland.^[3]

Test series summary

First Test

13–17 October 1955
(5-day match)
Scorecard

New Zealand	v	Pakistan
164 (133.2 overs) MB Poore 43 Zulfiqar Ahmed 5/37 (37.2 overs)		289 (130.1 overs) Imtiaz Ahmed 64 AR McGibbon 4/98 (37.1 overs)
124 (108.3 overs) JG Leggat 39 Zulfiqar Ahmed 6/42 (46.3 overs)

Pakistan won by an innings and 1 run
National Stadium, Karachi
Umpires: Idrees Baig and Shujauddin

New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat.
15 October was taken as a rest day.
The match was scheduled for five days but completed in four.
JC Alabaster, PGZ Harris and TG McMahon (all NZ) made their Test debuts.

Second Test

26–31 October 1955
(5-day match)
Scorecard

New Zealand	v	Pakistan
348 (160.5 overs) SN McGregor 111 Khan Mohammad 4/78 (34 overs)		561 (185.3 overs) Imtiaz Ahmed 209 AM Moir 4/114 (39 overs)
328 (158.2 overs) JR Reid 86 Zulfiqar Ahmed 4/114 (43.2 overs)		117/6 (26.5 overs) Alimuddin 37 JR Reid 4/38 (8 overs)

Pakistan won by 4 wickets
Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore
Umpires: Daud Khan and Idrees Baig

New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat.
28 October were taken as rest days.
NS Harford and EC Petrie (both NZ) made their Test debuts.

Third Test

7–12 November 1955
(5-day match)
Scorecard

New Zealand	v	Pakistan
70 (39.2 overs) AR MacGibbon 29* Khan Mohammad 6/21 (16.2 overs)		195/6d (76 overs) Hanif Mohammad 103 HB Cave 3/45 (20 overs)
69/6 (90 overs) MB Poore 18 Khan Mohammad 2/20 (30 overs)

Match drawn
Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Umpires: Daud Khan and Idrees Baig

New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat.
10 November was taken as a rest day.
There was no play on the first three days.
Agha Saadat Ali and Wallis Mathias (both PAK), and JW Guy (NZ) made their Test debuts.

References

^ "A legspinning giant". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
^ "New Zealand in India and Pakistan 1955–56". CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
^ Richard Boock, The Last Everyday Hero: The Bert Sutcliffe Story, Longacre, Auckland, 2010, p. 131.