THE FIFTH TEST

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 116, 26 February 1937, Page 5

THE FIFTH TEST

GOOD WEATHER PROSPECTS.

THE WICKET IS HARD.

THE ENGLISH TEAM CHOSEN

(United Press Association—CopyrigJit.il (Received This Dav, 12.5 p.m.) MELBOURNE, This Day.

The weather prospects are excellent, and the wicket hard. The English team is as follows: Allen, Wyatt, Hammond, Barnett, Hardstaff, Leyland, Ames, Verity, Worthington, Voce and Fames.

The Australian team will he chosen from the following 13 players: Bradman (South Australia), Brown "(QueensBadcock (South Australia), Fingleton (N.S.W.), Fleetwood-Smith (Victoria), Gregory (Victoria), McCabe (N.S.W.), McCormick (Victoria), Nash (Victoria), Oldfield (N.S.W.), O'Reilly (N.S.W.), Rigg (Victoria), Sievers 'Victoria).

Later it was announced that Brown is twelfth man and Sievers thirteenth.

AUSTRALIA 54 FOR ONE. Tire score at the luncheon adjournment was 54 runs for the loss of one wicket (Rigg, 28; Fingleton, not out, 14; Bradman, not out, 7; extras 5). “DOUR AFFAIR” EXPECTED. THE PROSPECTS FOR ENGLAND. HOBBS NOT ISO CONFIDENT.

(By J. B. Hobbs. Copyright in all countries. Reproduction in whole or in part forbidden.) MELBOURNE, February 25.

The coming Test between England and Australia will be the most interesting in cricket history. There is not a room available at any hotel within miles of the city, and people are talking about nothing else since Australia won the last Test at Adelaide. The weather is becoming settled since the rain last week-end, and a genuine Melbourne wicket is promised. This means that it will he lively before luncheon on the first day, after which it will tone down, though it is never as easy as the Adelaide wicket. The toss means so much that conditions cannot he absolutely equal. It is quite possible that either side will lose three or four wickets before luncheon. However, I cannot help thinking that it is better to win the toss, because if you lose a few wickets early you get them hack relatively easily when your opponents bat in the fourth innings.

The tiling that has impressed me since the Adelaide match is the wonderful optimism of the Australian public. How seriously they take Test matches! I warn them not to take the current form as gospel, because the English team lias not been fully represented since Adelaide, and they have been concentrating on this Test.

Candidly, I am not as confident of England winning the fifth as I was the fourth Test. I feel that wo have less change of winning if we lose the toss than the Australians have if they lose it, because they are more dangerous howlers for the fourth innings. Maybe some of our fellows will feel the benefit of their relaxation since Adelaide. They certainly need to be at their best, because Australia will probably have its strongest eleven against them. I expect that England will field the same team as in the former Tests. There is a chance that Worthington or Sims will displace Robins. Badcoek is by far the most matured of the youngsters we have seen. He should never have been left out of the Australian side. Nash may he included in the Australian team. He has pace at the start, but he is inclined to bowl short, making the ball rear round the batsmen’s shoulders.

I hope there is not going to be any rough stuff in this match. If it does come from one side, I see no cause for complaint if the other team retaliates. I sincerely hope that there will be no unpleasant incidents—recent press reports hinted at the possibility of bodyline bowling creeping into the final test. I do not expect fireworks in the final match. On the contrary, I am afraid that it will be a very dour affair. I hope that the match will he played out without rain intervening.

MACARTNEY FAVOURS AUSTRALIA. FLEETWOOD-SMITH’S VALUE. SYDNEY. February 25. The cricket commentator of the “Sydney Morning Herald” (C. G. Macartney), in a forecast of the Test prospects, states: “The toss will again play an important part. The Melbourne wicket is the worst in the world, in wet weather, and there is trouble in store for the side that meets such conclitions. The Englishmen uro uncomfortable against fast bowling, just as some Australian batsmen are. EVen so, I feel that the Australians will iare better than the Englishmen. “In Eleetwood-Smitlx Australia has a. howler wdio can turn the scales, always provided his length is good. If he bowls reasonably close to the quality of his Adelaide effort, there is every prospect of an Australian success. “In fine weather the Melbourne wicket is perhaps the best in Australia. Once the period before lunch on on the first day has passed, the pitch becomes easy, with good lasting qaali-

ties. The last innings will thus not he xv dangerous affair. England must rely on her fast bowlers and Verity to dismiss Australia, if tlie latter have the final innings; whereas Australia is better equipped with spin-bowlers-. -Ileet-wood-Smith, O’Reilly and Gregory—if England lias to bat last. ‘ “If tlie match is played in fine v • xvther I think Australia will win. There is Bradman who can turn the scales with tlie bat, and Fleetwood-Smith, who can do so with the ball. If the wicket is bad throughout, England will win, as on a rain-damaged wicket England’s batsmen are more skilful, and its bowlers have a greater knowledge of such conditions and are more effective.”

THE RESULTS TO DATE.

Scores in the four Tests were

First Test—England won by 322 runs England 358 and 256, Australia 234 and 58.

Second Test—England won cy n innings and 22 runs. England 420 for six declarer!, Australia 80 and 324.

Third Test—Australia won by 365 runs. England 76 for nine wickets declared and 323, Australia. 200 for nine declared and 564.

Fourth Test—Australia won by 148 runs. England 330 and 243, Australia 28S and 433.