CRICKET SCORES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 148, 25 June 1934, Page 7

CRICKET SCORES.

CENTURIES AT LORD'S.

New South Welsh Youngster Joins Select Band.

AUSPICIOUS IST APPEARANCE

W. A. Brown, who was born on July 31, 1912, has aggregated 198 runs in his three Test innings, at an average so far of 99. His total runs for all games on the present tour is 804 (including four centuries) scored at an average per innings of 57.42. Only McCabe, Ponsford and Chipperfield have a better percentage. Brown is the only Australian besides H. Graham (107 in 1893), Victor Trumper (135 not out in 1899), Vernon Ransford (143 not out in 1909) and Bradman (254 in 1930) to score a century in an initial Test appearance at Lord's. Altogether 20 centuries have been registered at the headquarters of cricket in internationals between England and Australia. Here they are in order:—.

England (10).— G. Steel 148 in 1884; A. Shrewsbury, IG4 (rated as the best Test innings ever played) in 1886, and 106 in 1893; J. B. Hobbs, 107 in 1912, and 119 in 1926; E. Hendren, 127 not out in 192 C; K. S. Duleepsinhji, 173 in 1930; A. P. F. Chapman, 121 in 1930; M. Leyland, 109 in 1934; L. E. G. Ames, 120 in 1934.

Australia (10). —H. Graham, 107 in 1893; G. H. S. Trott, 143 and S. E. Gregory, 103, in the same innings, 189 C, yet England won by six wickets; C. Hill, 135, and V. T. Trumper, 135 not out, in same innings, 1899; W. Bardsley, 193 not out first innings, and C. G. Macartney, 133 not out, in second innings, in 1920; W. M. Woodfull, 155, and D. G. Bradman, 254 in same innings, 1930; W. A. Brown, 103 not out, in 1934.

The only double centuries in Tests stand to the credit of:—

D. G. Bradman.—334 (Leeds), 254 (Lord's) and 232 (The Oval), 1930.

R. E. Foster.—2B7 for England, at Sydney, 1903-4.

W. R. Hammond—2sl (Sydney) and 200 (Melbourne), 1928-29.

W. L. Murdoch. —211 for Australia, at The Oval, 1884.

S. E. Gregory. —201 for Australia, at Sydney, 1894-95.

J. S. Ryder.—2ol not out, for Aus tralia, at Adelaide, 1924-25.

Leslie Ames was born in Kent .on December 3, 1905. He first made a great step forward for his county in 1928, when he aggregated 1919 runs for that summer at an average of 35. He hit four centuries, including 200 against Surrey. In 1928-29 he visited Australia as understudy to wicket-keeper Geo. Duckworth, and averaged 59 in the eight innings he played in first-class games on the tour in which Chapman's team annihilated the Australians. He scored three centuries, two of them in secondclass engagements. In the 1929 season in England his tally was 1795 at an average of 35.90 for his 53 appearances. His subsequent years in England have produced these results:—l93o, runs, 1434, average 29.20; 1931, 1711 (39.79), 17th in England; 1932, 2482 (57.72), second only to H. Sutcliffe (74.13) and E. Tyldesley (59.02); 1933, 3186, including nine centuries of which three were doubles,-and two separate hundreds against Northants in same game (58.80), sixth in England, following W. R. Hammond, C. P. Mead, J. B. Hobbs, R. E. S. Wyatt, and A. Mitchell.

Curiously enough the only century scored by Ames in 1030 was against the Australians, for an English eleven at Folkestone, Ted a'Beckctt getting him in both innings. New Zealanders have cause to know him well, for he made S4 for Kent when the county beat us in 1927, and notched centuries for England in the first Tests he played in both countries (137 at Lord's, 1931) and 103 at Christchurch, 1933).

Ames, by the way, on Saturday beat a record that has stood for 49 years, for the best previous Test score by a regular wicket-keeper was by A. H. Jarvis at Melbourne at New Year, 1885. The South Australian, who took part in 11 Tests, died at Adelaide on November 15, last year. Mention should also bo made of the record wicket-keeping feat by Ames in the English season of 1928, for he caught 69 and stumped 52 players, thereby dismissing 121 batsmen in the season.

Oldfield has been keeping wickets splendidly, despite misr,ing a difficult chance or two, and has hardly allowed a bye past him in the present series, reminiscent of his great performance at Brisbane in 1928, when not a single bye was recorded in England's aggregate of 863 runs. Chapman's eleven beat Australia by the record margin of 675 runs.