PLAYING SAFE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 136, 10 June 1926, Page 7

PLAYING SAFE.

ALL ENGLAND ELEVEN. WHAT THE CRITICS SAY. GOOD TEAM FOR THREE DAYS (By Gable.—Press Association. —Copyright.) Toy i LOXDON', June 3. The "Time?.'' commenting on the England team for the first Test match against Australia, startins on Saturday, .-ays tli' , selectors have courageou-ly disregarded the form shown at the trial match. It *ays everybody will agree that the team has. been admirably chosen in view ot the three days' match. The "Daily Mail' , says the team contain? no surprises, thouarh many consider the selectors have -hown a lack of enter-

The "Evening News'' says the chief feature of the team is the paucity of bowlers. The batting is about the best available, but there are too many "old stagers'' who lack speed. The "Standard' , says the team represents the triumph of the "old brigade." It is strong in batting but .-hurt of bowlers. Mr. 0. A. Faulkner, the ex-South African cricketer, writing in the •'Westminster Uazette." says safety tirst has been the selectors' primary instinct. Form at present i* deepprive. hence the selector* have begun Ily relying °n older, p.vpprienoed player-. IT.' -ays. riie bowl;ng oops not appear to bf enough to "skittle"' the rcdouhtablo Australian. but it may -urln'c if the wea'.i'T should be wet. KEEP COOL! REPLIES CARH. In regard to the trial match ar Lord's the unanimously attack the battings methods. The fact has left (nrr unperturbed. He says the i riti.-.-s iln not always appreciate thar trial matches are actually Test matches in nlii>-ii the players are lighting for a place in r'.e coveted eleven. (.onseipient ly they are not prepared to throw a.v.iv chances. Carr admits that the batting at Lord's was painfully slow, but he -ays that when it i? remembered what depended on the batting it could easily by underliolih*. nitii came in for a certain amount "f criticism, rebuked the ernw.l at Lords fur Uirmcking Hallows and Sandhnm. who lioth played with jusriliable pnut , ion. It was all very well for the onlookers to criticise, but things appeared in a totally different light to the players. For instance the onlookers could not realise the difficulties of the bowling. There was a strange fetish nowadays for seeing the ball in the air. "Regarding the criticism of myself." said Hobbs, "people sometimes forget that T am comparatively old in cricket. I cannot he expected to see the lml! as well as T could ten years ago. and I am not disposed to take risks. There is no need for alarm. English i= =till healthy and fine in spire of the impatience of the crowd."—( Renter.l THE DURHAM MATCH I HOME SIDE OUT FOR 125 ! VISITORS 252 FOR TWO. P.oePiVf-,1 12.r,i> p. ;u.l LONDON. Juno !i. Oldiiuid is playing at Durham instead of Ponsford. who is understood to be suffering from slight tonsilitis. The attendance reached 22.00 U. anil the crowd encroached on the ground, necessitating reinforcements of police. The Durham hat.-1111*11 generally were very careful, but were unable to time the breaks. Kerens and Niehol [dayed enterprisingly, and a promising third wicket partnership was cut -h"n through Nichol tapping a ball from Mailey into the hands of r..l!:n- ar line slip, after carrying the 1..T.11 fruiii -ix to .'is. i;ifiiiinl-iiii \\,is liuwliiig with good lt'iigth but lacked -tiiiLT. Nevertheless he compelled the batsmen to exercise caution. MrflJFy on the other hand induced the batsmen to hit our. Many liberties were taken with lirimni.'tt. and Mailey was sent fiv.iuenrly t.i the boundary. The fielding whs -lack. Brooks batted c, ntidenrly and forcefully, and hit rive fours. After a quiet opening for Austral;. ,, . Collins and Macartney hit out freely., placing the bowlinsr where th-y liked. Collins obtained i. 4. 4. t in ■■nc over oIT Cook. The --ore mounted rapidly till it reached M. when Macartney | played a risinu' ball from < arr. and -va-j ea-ily taken .1: the wiefcef. Hi- olf-eiric 1 play' was brillianr. ' ollins and An- [ drews continued hrialitly. and sained | runs all round the wicket. Andrew- \vai j ar the top of his form, and scored without effort. It was a delight to watcli him. He wa.« ncirr at a loss how to troat the ixiwline and rmehrd iii= rrnf,y ir luhich included fil'-""n four* nml

one six> in ninety minutes. When the second wicket had put on 70 Collins was laken easily at mid-on. Bardsley 11laved ?oundly and took no risks. Details of the scores are: — DURHAM. —First Innings. Weight, Ibw. b Macartney 4 l'erens, c Ellis, b Mailey ..* .... 27 Kinch. b Maeartuey rw»a (1 N'ichol, c Collins, b Mailey ........ "22 Romaines, b Mailey .*••«£* ° Brooks, not out .r*. • -32 Dobson, c Taylor, b Mailey ... fi Carr, c Collins, b Mailey " ( ook. c Marartney, b Mailey S Howell. b Meilev " * l^ Webster, c Andrews, b Maiiey .... nj Extra? 8 Total 12.j j Rciwlintj- Analysis. —Macartney two l wickets tor nine run?. Grimmett none c tor -IS. Richardson none for IS. Mailey J I'ijjht for 32. ' AUSTRALrA.—First Tnning*. I ollins. c Howpll. b Cook HO i Macartney, c Webster, b Carr .... 31 Andrew?, not out 11 ,1 c Bardsley. not out 3.1 t Extras .V 9 c £ Two wicket? for 252 — (A. and X.Z. i (■