CRICKET TEST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 194, 18 August 1930, Page 7

CRICKET TEST.

"ASHES" AT- STARE

ENGLAND AT CREASE.

Changing Fortunes of First

Day's Play.

FIVE WICKETS DOWN TOR 316

(United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright)

LONDON, August 17.

The fifth and final Test cricket match, Australia v. England, -was begun yesterday at the Oval. The ■weather was fine and the wicket in good order. England won the toss and when stumps were drawn had made 316 runs for five wickets. The teams are:— England. Australia. R. E. S. Wyatt W. M. Woodfull t (captain) (captain) K. S. Duleepsinkji D. G. Bradman J. B. Hobbs A. Fairfax H. Sutcliffe A. Jackson W. W. Whvsall A. F. Kippax W. R. Hammond W. A. Oldfield M. Leyland W. H. Ponsford M. W. Tate C. V. Grimmett H. Larwood T. Wall G. Duckworth P. M. Hornibrook I. A. K. Peebles S. McCabe E. Hendren is 12th man for England and V. Y. Richardson for Australia. Wyatt Wins the Toss. There was a buzz of excitement hours before the commencement of the match, which is to be played to a finish. The morning was crisp and pleasant ( and 20,000 spectators were present an hour before the start. In addition hundreds of people were seated in temporary stands outside the grounds erected by the owners of properties commanding a view of the playing area, for which high prices are being charged. Occupants. of humble flats alongside the Oval also reaped a harvest from balcony seats.

The crowd inside wandered freely over the ground except the roped-off wicket and thronged round Woodfull as he stopped to consult the groundsman as he returned to the pavilion witn» Ponsford and McCabe from practice. It was not surprising that Parker was left out of England's team, because the conditions are not likely to favour his type of bowling. The Australian captain made a last minute decision, preferring Jackson to Richardson. The selectors aimed at solidity in batting ,at all costs. / A placard bearing the inscription "We want Chapman" appeared among a few of the spectators, but Wyatt had a good icception when he came out to toss. Woodfull as usual called "heads," and it was his turn to lose, so England had the advantage of the first use of a wicket "full of runs." The decision to omit Richardson from the Australian team must have caused the selectors heartburnings, for the South Australian's services are bound to be missed in the field. It is believed that the vice-captain, recognising the acuteness of the position, offered to stand down. The Australians were given a rousing reception when they took the field. Pioneer Batsmen Dig In. Jack Hobbs, dour and determined; was warmly cheered when he opened England's ' first innings with the debonair Sutcliffe. . This is almost certainly the veteran's last appearance on the ground on which he must know nearly every blade of grass.

Wall bowled an accurate first over, but Hobbs stole a neat single off the third ball and.slogged Fairfax's first, a full toss, but Kippax made a good save. The next two overs were maidens.

Sutcliffe opened Iris score with a single nicely turned off Fairfax. The pitch seemed to be slightly soft and afforded the bowlers no assistance. Wall was bowling at his top pace and swung considerably. He once hit Sutcliffe's left leg.

McCabe came on at 24, Hobbs driving his first ball for four and reaching his 20. Sutcliffe was then only eight. Play was unexciting but satisfactory from the English point of view, the bowlers seeming to make little impression on the rock-like defence. The ball rarely reached the outfield, where sparrows hopped .peacefully about.

McCabe puzzled Hobbs with two sue-1 cessive balls, but Grimmett did not seem to worry the batsmen. Hobbs square cut Grimmett to the boundary and raised 50 after 100 minutes' play. Wall's Early Successes. Jackson fell among the spectators in Irving to save a four. Hobbs beautifully hooked a long hop from Wall to the boundary, but off the next ball, in attempting to repeat the stroke, he put the easiest possible catch into the hands of Kippax. The veteran had played a good innings of 115 minutes for 47 and had hit four fours. Whysall started uncomfortably against Grimmett and had not scored at tie luncheon interval, when the total was 71, of which Sutcliffe had made 21. Thirty-two thousand spectators were. present'when play was resumed in cool, cloudless weather. Sutcliffe and Whysall hatted brightly against Wall and Grimmett, procuring singles through carefully-chosen gaps. Sutcliffe, after batting 135 minutes, hit bis first four by lifting one from Grimmett to the on boundary.

j Whysall was looking like making runs I when lie became Wall's second victim through getting in front of a full toss.

Duleepsinhji Bats Brightly. Duleepsinhji miss-hit Wall's first delivery for a single, then .quickly got into his stride with a two to cover point off Grimmett, which brought the first 100 on the board.

Wall closed his men in, but the Indian batsman cleverly preferred to score outside the ring. He enlivened the game by pulling deliveries from Grimmett to the boundary twice in one over. He also played Wall with delightful freedom, glancing and square-cutting with delicate precision.

Remembering Duleepsinhji's previous discomfiture at the hands of Hornibrook Woodfull brought on the Queenslander at 120 in place of Grimmett, but the Indian knocked five off his first two deliveries.

As showing how the scoring livened up the first hour produced 20 runs, the second 51 and the third 64. Duleepsinhji was chiefly responsible. He equalled Suteliffe's 41 when he hit Hornibrook for two fours in one over. Sutcliffe had 150 minutes' start of the Indian, who reached his 50 in as many minutes. Then Duleepsinhji tried to hit a six off Grimmett and skied the ball to Fairfax, who took an easy catch. The batsman had hit five jours and given a dashing display, full of confidence. Australia in Great Position. With Hammond's advent, the scoring slowed down. The newcomer awaited the right ball to hit, after having sent the first from Wall to the boundary—a characteristic cover drive. McCabe, who was doing good work in Richardson's place in the field, then took the ball and was rewarded by getting Hammond's wicket at the end of half an hour's batting, just when he looked like settling down permanently.

Hammond's dismissal spoiled what had looked like a formidable partnership, to which the crowd had been looking forward. Leyland was beaten hopelessly by Grimmett just before tea time and the critical position of five for 197 faced England's new captain, who was received with warm and sympathetic applause when he joined Sutcliffe, the' spectators recognising the heavy responsibility laid upon his shoulders in rather embarrassing circumstances.

Wyatt had two narrow escapes straight away. Grimmett and McCabe each beat him and Oldfield each time whipped the bails off like lightning just as Wyatt had managed to regain his crease. He must have welcomed the tea adjournment, which came when the score was five for 199. A Saving Partnership. Sutcliffe, by infinite patience, had 66 to his credit for 250 minutes' play. The attendance had .now reached 35,000. On resuming Wyatt batted uncertainly and seemed lucky to' get a four through the slips off McCabe. England's new captain then hit a ball perilously close to McCabe at silly midoff. Next he survived an appeal for legbefore. Wall took a new ball at 221 and Sutcliffe began to hit out more freely. Wyatt was cheered on passing the fatal 13. Then he and the Yorkshireman began to punish loose ones and the figures rose steadily. Sutcliffe reached his century after five hours by.turning one from G'rimmett to leg. He received a great ovation for his first century in a Test match this season and the seventh in his career. The attack languished towai-d the close of the day. In spite of frequent changes in the bowling Sutcliffe brought the third 100 up in 335 minutes.

Wyatt, after his early difficulties, stuck stubbornly to his task. In the last half-hour loose fielding and bad throwing in gave away a number of runs. Oldfield, however, did not allow a single bye. Sutcliffe's great effort (138 not out) occupied 350 minutes of actual play. It was a notable fact that he gave only one hot chance. He hit nine fours, three threes and 14 twos. His unfinished partnership with Wyatt yielded 119. The spectators rushed the ground to obtain a glimpse of the new captain, whose success on his first appearance was heartily applauded. Scores:— ENGLAND—First Innings. Hobbs, c Kippax, b Wall 47 Sutcliffe, not out 138 Why sail, lbw, b Wall - 13 Duleepsinhji, c Fairfax, b Grimmett 50 Hammond, b McCabe 13 Leyland, b Grimmett 3 Wyatt, not out - 39 Extras 13 Total for five wickets 316 Fall of Wickets.-—One for 68, two for 97, three for 162, four for 190, five for 197. "CRACKED UP." Australian Attack Fails At the End of Ihe Day. SUTCLIFFE'S GOLDEN RUNS. (Received 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, August 17. The Australian Press says that on the first day's play in the Test Wyatt's solid stand, when things were going wrong, stamped him as no mere fairweather cricketer. The Australians worked hard, but cracked up disappointingly at the end of a heartbreaking day in the field. The bowlers were dog-tired at stumps. As anticipated, Richardson's absence led to a loss of security near the wicket. English papers pay glowing tributes to Sutcliffe's effort. The "Sunday Express" says his runs were golden runs, Worth double actual the figures in a desperate situation.

WEATHER INDICATIONS.

POSSIBILITY OF BAIN.

(Received 1 p.m.) LONDON, August 17.

Rain as a possibility rather than' a certainty is the summing up of the Air Ministry's Test match forecast. There may be some rain earlv with brighter intervals in the later stages of the game.

" NOT SAFE yET."

NEWSPAPER COMMENTARY.

(Received 1.30 p.m.)

LONDON, August IT.

i The headlines, "Sutcliffe and Wyatt Save the Day for England," sum up the English commentators' unanimous view of the first day of the Test match. The "Daily Express" critic says England's position is nothing like as good as it ought to be. It needs at least another I i 150 runs to be in any way safe.