AUSTRALIA WINS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 67, Issue 47, 5 December 1946, Page 2

AUSTRALIA WINS

CRICKET

FIRST TEST AT BRISBANE M.C.C. FACE BAD WICKET BRISBANE, Dec. 4. By 5 p.m. to-day Australia had won the first test match by an innings. and 332 runs. England again batted pluckily on a rain damaged wicket in a vain effort to offset Australia’s colossal lead but following on at 1 p.m., was all out for 172 in the second innings. Australia scored 645 in its first innings, and the English first innings score was 141. L. Hutton went first ball to K. Miller, neatly caught by S. G. Barnes at short forward leg as the cocked up ball found the edge of the bat. From then onward England was always struggling against impossible odds. W. J. Edrich. hero of the first innings was lbw tQ E. Tosliack. the second wicket falling for 13 runs and a stand by W. R. Hammond and D. C. S. Compton did not more than lend passing encouragement to the dress-ing-room watchers. The brightest batting of the second innings was! when J. T. Ikin and P. A. Gibb put on 47 in 32 minutes, and caused the hundred to be raised in 113 minutes, but when these two left the end was not long delayed. The wicket recovered amazingly overnight, a start being possible at noon on time. The outfield, which was inches under water last night, was a firm carpet of green. Soon after 10 o’clock this morning, it was being mown while the wicket rolled out surprisingly, although still full of spite as far as the batsmen were concerned. All the luck of the game was against the M.C.C. team, which batted on two bad wickets successively. The game suggested that the Australian attack still has some weaknesses, and that the remaining tests may largely depend on the luck of the toss and the weatlier. R. Lindwall was sent to hospital with malaria overnight and was not at the ground to-day.

BODYLINE STORY RIDICULED FORMER PLAYERS’ COMMENT BRISBANE, December 4. Ridicule was to-day heaped upon the combined dispatch by Reuter’s and the Exchange Telegraph Agency that Australia used bodyline bowling in the test yesterday. Arthur Gilligan, the former Englinsh test captain, who is broadcasting a comentary on the matches, described the dispatch as “utter tripe.” Don Bradman said: “Any suggestion of that nature is just simply absurd.” George Duckworth, a former test wicketkeeper, said: “Lots of Miller’s bowling was head high, hut it must be stated in fairness to Miller that it was of perfectly good length and that the state of the pitch was responsible.”

AUSTRALIA , First innings 645 M.C.C. First Inning3 * L. Hutton, b Miller , 7 C. Washbrook, c Barnes, b Miller' 6 W. J. Edrich, c McCool, b Miller . ■ 16 D. C. S. Compton, lbw, b Miller .. 17 W. Hammond, lbw, b Toshack 32 J. T. Ikin, c Tallon, b Miller 0 N. W. D. Yardley, c Tallon,. b Toshack 29 P. A. Gibb, b Miller 13 W. Voce, not out 1 A. V. Bedser, lbw. b Miller 0 D. V. P. Wright, c Tallon. b ToV shack .. 4 Extras 16 Total 141 Bowling 0. M. R. W. R. Lindwall ..12 4 23 0 K. Miller ..22 4 60 7 E. Toshack \ . ' 16.5 11 17 3 V G. Tribe .. 9 2 19 0 C. V. McCool ..10 5 0 S. Barnes .. 1 0 1 0 Second Innings L. Hutton, c Barnes, b Miller .. 0 C. Washbrook, c Barnes, b Miller 13 W. J. Edrich, lbw, b Toshack n t D. C. S. Compton, c Barnes, b Toshack 15 W. R. Hammond, b Toshack 23 J. T. Ikin, b Tribe 32 N. W. D. Yardley, o Hassett, b 1 Toshack 0 P. A. Gibb, lbw, b Toshack 11 W. Voce, c Hassett, b Tribe 18 A. V. Bedser, c and b' Toshack .. IS D. V. P. Wright, not out 10 Extras 25 Total 172 Bowling 0. M. R. W. K. Miller ..11 3 17 2 E. Toshack .. 20.7 2 82 6 G. Tribe ..12 2 48 2 Fall of tickets: One for 0; two for 13; three for 33;. four for 62; five for 65; six for 65; seven for 112; eight for 114; nine for 151; ■ 10 for 172;