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Tour of
India & Pakistan 1972-73 Captain : Tony Lewis
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England’s 54th Test tour
(November 1972 - March 1973)
Sixth Test-playing tour
of India by England
(previous tour 1963-64)
Third Test-playing tour
of Pakistan
(previous tour 1968-69)
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In late July 1971 the tour
had been postponed for a year until 1972-73 because of the political
situation in Pakistan. The Cricket
Council, after seeking Government advice had cancelled the 1971-72 tour of
India and Pakistan because of the Bangladesh war and fears of a cholera
outbreak among refugees in Bengal.
Ray Illingworth and
M.J.K.Smith made themselves unavailable for the captaincy and Tony Lewis
stepped in. According to his own book Mike Denness was a last minute choice
as player and vice-captain.
India's spinners, supported
by outstanding close catchers, helped the home country to her third series
victory in succession (1970-71, 1971 and 1972-73). After three Tests, the
Indians stood two matches to one ahead and then adopted defensive tactics
to maintain their lead.
During the Pakistan tour the
Black December faction made threats against the players, singling out for
some reason Dennis Amiss. The Indian trip, too, had to be conducted under
tight security.
This was the last long tour
of the Indian sub-continent by an English team. Future tours trimmed at
least a month off the time away. On return, manager Donald Carr said that
the team found making a tour of Pakistan arduous after the exciting series
in India because of lifeless pitches, frequent crowd interruptions and very
hot weather.
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Other England
tours
Previous Test
tour
Australia & New Zealand
1970-71
Next Test tour
West Indies 1973-74
Next tour of
India
1976-77
Next tour of
Pakistan
1977-78
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Members of the
Test tour party (16)
Opening batsmen: Dennis Amiss, Mike Denness, Barry Wood
Middle-order batsmen Tony Lewis,
Keith Fletcher, Graham Roope
Wicket-keeper: Alan Knott, Roger Tolchard
All-rounders: Tony Greig
Slow bowlers: Derek
Underwood, Pat Pocock, Norman Gifford, Jack Birkenshaw
Fast bowlers: Chris Old,
Geoff Arnold, Bob Cottam
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D L Amiss
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Wk
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29
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RHB opener
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G G Arnold
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Sy
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28
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RFM
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J Birkenshaw
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Le
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32
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OB
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R M H Cottam
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Nth
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28
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RFM
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M H Denness
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Kt
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32
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RHB opener vice-captain
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K W R Fletcher
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Ex
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28
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RHB
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N Gifford
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Wo
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32
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SLA asst
manager
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A W Greig
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Sx
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26
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RHB RFM
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A P E Knott
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Kt
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26
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WK
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A R Lewis
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Gm
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34
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RHB captain
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C Old
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Yo
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23
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RFM
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P I Pocock
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Sy
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26
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OB
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G R J Roope
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Sy
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26
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RHB opener
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R W Taylor w/d
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Dy
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WK
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R W Tolchard added
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Le
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26
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second WK
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D L Underwood
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Kt
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27
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LM
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B Wood
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La
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29
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LHB opener.
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County representation:
Ex - Essex (1)
Gm - Glamorgan (1)
Kt - Kent (3)
La - Lancashire (1)
Le -
Leicestershire (2)
Nth - Northamptonshire (1)
Sy - Surrey (3)
Sx - Sussex (1)
Wk - Warwickshire (1)
Wo - Worcestershire (1)
Yo - Yorkshire (1)
Average age of
team at time of first Test match
(20 December 1972) :
28 yrs 8 months
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Test Appearances
made before the tour
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Knott 36,
Underwood 27, Fletcher
15, Amiss 9, Gifford 9, Arnold 6, Greig 5,
Pocock 4, Cottam 2, Wood 1, Denness 1, Birkenshaw 0, Lewis 0,
Old 0, Roope 0, Tolchard 0.
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Team Officials
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Donald Carr
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Tour manager
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Norman Gifford
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Player-assistant
manager
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Bernard Thomas
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Physiotherapist
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Govind Bawji
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Baggageman
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Selectors
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Alec Bedser (chairman),
Doug Insole, Don Kenyon, Alan Smith, Cyril Washbrook and Tony Lewis.
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Selection
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M.C.C.
gave out the names of the captain on 4 August and the manager on 10 August.
42 players
were asked whether they were available for the sixteen tour places.
Unavailable: Geoffrey Boycott (owing to health fears
after a spleen operation), John
Edrich, Richard Hutton, Ray Illingworth, Peter Parfitt, Mike Smith, John Snow.
Tour party announced : 18 August 1972.
Not selected: Brian Luckhurst, John Hampshire.
Withdrawn: Bob Taylor withdrew and
was replaced by Roger Tolchard.
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Time between selection and departure from England
103 days
(18 August - 29 November)
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Travel
London Q Bombay
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The team flew from London on 29 November 1972, and landed in
Bombay at dawn on 30 November after a 14-hour flight ; then went to
Hyderabad for the first match.
The team left Bombay after the Indian section of the tour
arriving in Colombo on 12 February for a brief visit to Sri Lanka until 22
February, when they flew out of Colombo to Karachi.
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Time spent in India 74
days
(30
November - 12 February)
Time spent in Pakistan 36 days
(22 February
- 30 March)
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On-tour
selection panel
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Tony Lewis (captain), Mike Denness (vice-captain), Tony Greig, Donald Carr (manager).
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Reinforcements
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None although Pat Pocock returned briefly to England briefly
(from Jamshedpur on 21 January) on the death of his father. Rumours that
Boycott and Snow would be joining the tour were quashed on 25 January.
Alan Knott led England when Tony Lewis and Mike Denness were
off the field unwell during the Test series.
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Fixtures/Results
The
Test match at New Delhi included play on Christmas Day
Colombo Oval
is now the P Saravannamuttu Stadium (PSS)
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a
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Hyderabad
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President's XI
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Drawn
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b
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Indore
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Central Zone
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Drawn
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c
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Amritsar
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North Zone
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Drawn
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d
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NEW DELHI
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INDIA First Test
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WON 6 w
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e
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CALCUTTA
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INDIA Second Test
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LOST 28 r
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f
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Bangalore
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South Zone
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Drawn
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g
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MADRAS
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INDIA Third Test
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LOST 4 w
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h
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Jamshedpur
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East Zone
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Drawn
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i
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KANPUR
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INDIA Fourth Test
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DRAWN
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j
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Ahmedabad
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West Zone
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Drawn
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k
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BOMBAY
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INDIA Fifth Test
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DRAWN
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l
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ϯ Kandy
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Central Province (50 overs)
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Won 166 r
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m
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Colombo Oval
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Sri Lanka
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Won 7 w
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n
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ϯ Colombo Oval
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Sri Lanka Board
President’s XI (45 overs)
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Lost 4 w
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Peshawar
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Governor's XI
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Abandoned
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p
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LAHORE
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PAKISTAN First Test
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DRAWN
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q
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Rawalpindi
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President's XI
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Won 4 w
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r
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HYDERABAD
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PAKISTAN Second Test
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DRAWN
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s
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KARACHI
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PAKISTAN Third
Test
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DRAWN
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†not first-class
Time
spent in India before First Test:
21 days
(30 November - 20 December)
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Test appearances
on tour
(v India & Pakistan 1972-73)
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8 - Denness, Fletcher, Greig, Knott, Lewis.
7 - Arnold, Pocock.
6 - Amiss, Underwood.
5 - Old.
4 - Gifford, Roope, Wood.
3 - Birkenshaw.
2 - Cottam.
1 -
0 - Tolchard.
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Match
appearances
T Test match
x other match
∙
played for opposition
W won L lost D drawn
N no result A
abandoned
u unknown result
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a
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b
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c
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d
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e
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f
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g
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h
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i
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j
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k
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l
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m
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n
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o
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p
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q
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r
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s
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D L Amiss
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x
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T
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T
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x
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T
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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x
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T
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T
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G G Arnold
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x
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x
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T
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x
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T
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T
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x
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T
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x
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x
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T
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T
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T
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J Birkenshaw
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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x
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T
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x
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x
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x
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T
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R M H Cottam
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x
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x
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T
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T
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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M H Denness
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x
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x
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x
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T
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T
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T
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x
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T
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T
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x
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x
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T
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x
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T
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T
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K W R Fletcher
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x
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x
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x
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T
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T
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x
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T
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x
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T
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T
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x
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T
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x
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T
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T
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N Gifford
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x
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x
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T
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T
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x
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x
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T
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T
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A W Greig
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x
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x
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T
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T
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T
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x
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T
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x
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T
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x
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x
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T
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T
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T
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A P E Knott
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x
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x
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T
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T
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x
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T
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x
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T
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T
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x
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T
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x
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T
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T
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A R Lewis
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x
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x
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T
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T
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x
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T
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T
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x
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T
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x
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T
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T
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T
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C M Old
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x
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x
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T
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T
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T
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x
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T
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x
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x
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T
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P I Pocock
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x
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x
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T
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T
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T
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x
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T
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x
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x
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x
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T
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x
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T
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T
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G R J Roope
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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x
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T
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x
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x
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T
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x
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T
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R W Tolchard
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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D L Underwood
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x
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x
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T
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T
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x
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T
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T
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x
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T
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T
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B Wood
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x
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x
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T
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T
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x
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T
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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x
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T
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D B Carr
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x
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R E S U L T
S
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D
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D
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D
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W
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L
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D
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L
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D
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D
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D
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D
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W
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W
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L
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A
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D
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W
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D
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D
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Highlights
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• Mike Denness (95)
and Dennis Amiss (81) began the tour with an opening partnership of 180 at
Hyderabad
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•
•
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Tour Summary
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F
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W
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L
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D
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Aban
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Test Matches
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8
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1
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2
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5
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-
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Other
first-class matches
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9
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2
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0
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6
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1
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†Minor matches
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2
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1
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1
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0
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-
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All Matches
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18
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4
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3
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11
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1
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F Fixtures W
Won L Lost
D Drawn T Tied
Canc Cancelled Aban abandoned
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Return to
England
Karachi Q London
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On 30 March the M.C.C. players flew out of Karachi for home,
landing at London Airport later that night.
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Time away from England
121 days
(29 November
- 30 March)
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Finances
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Accounts of the
tour
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"The Hat
Trick" by Sundur Rajan (Jaico, 1974)
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Postscript
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Other tours in
1972-73
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Pakistanis in
Australia and New Zealand 1972-73 - captain Intikhab
Alam
Australians to West Indies 1972-73 -
captain Ian Chappell.
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