THE FIRST TEST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 297, 16 December 1935, Page 16

THE FIRST TEST.

AUSTRALIA ,V. AFRICA. SPRINGBOKS ALL OUT FOR 348 SPIN BOWLERS DO THE DAMAGE. DURBAN, December 15. The first match of the Test series between Australia and South Africa was commenced on Saturday in terrific heat. Tho sky clouded over subsequently. The light was poor at times, interrupting tho South African innings and preventing the Australians from batting in the few minutes left for play. There was an attendance of 13,000. Tho wicket was perfect and when Wade won tho toss he decidcd to bat. The Australians received a hearty ovation as they took the field. Mitchell played confidently, although a well-placed field robbed his strokes of many runs. Siedle's dismissal did not come as a surprise, as O'Reilly was always getting the better of him. i Siedlo stepped into his wicket in order to turn a delivery to leg, but tho pace of the ball off the wicket beat him. Rowan was also in difficulties when facing O'Reilly, but helped Mitchell to put up a staunch defence until the lastnamed, going forward to a delivery from Fleetwood-Smith, was beaten by a sharp oil break. Viljocn opened his account with a four off Fleetwood-Smith, but next ball he played over one that was almost a full toss. Starting in an aggressive manner, Nourse hit Fleetwood-Smith for two successive fours. However, after surviving a stumping chance behind the wickets when his score was 30, he dragged, a low delivery into hia wicket. Wade got three successive fours off McCormick, while Rowan also helped himself to a boundary in the same over, which cost 17 runs. Wade was very unlucky to to be dismissed when he played a ball from O'Reilly on to hie wicket. Dalton, after struggling against Fleetwood-Smith, attempted to hit out and was brilliantly stumped by Oldfield when the batsman raised his foot for a fraction of a second. Langton was an easy victim for Grimmett, who next caught Rowan off his own bowling. With the collapse of three wickets for two runs, Crisp joined Nicholson and delighted the crowd by adding 31 runs in 20 minutes. The batsmen successfully appealed against the light at 5.4 p.m. Play was resumed at 5.20 p.m. and Crisp's vigorous innings concluded when lie made little attempt to play a delivery from Fleetwood-Smith. His innings included six fours. Robertson failed to stay with Nicholson, and the innings, which had taken 293 minutes, closed for 248 runs. There were eight minutes left for play when Fingleton and Brown went to the wicket to open Australia's first innings. However, before a single ball was bowled an appeal against the light was upheld. Scores: — SOUTH AFRICA—First Innings. Mitchell, b Fleetwood-Smith 19 Siedle, lbw, b O'Reilly 31 Rowan, c and b Grimmett 66 Viljocn, b Fleetwood-Smith 4 Nourse, b McCormick 30 Wade, b O'Reilly 31 Dalton, st Oldfield, 1) Fleetwood-Smith 4 Langton, b Grimmett 0 Nicholson, not out Crisp, b Fleetwood-Smith 3o Robertson, b O'Reilly 9 Extras " Total 248 Bowling. O. M. R. W. Fleetwood-Smith 28 6 64 4 O'Reilly 33.2 1 7 55 3 Grimmett 28 10 48 2 McCormick f j™ 1 McCabe W 1 28 Fall of Wickets.—One for 45, two for 59, three for 71, four for 108, five for 168, six for 185. seven for 186, eight for 187, nine for 234.