ENGLAND NEEDS 244 TO WIN TEST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 29, 4 February 1937, Page 7

ENGLAND NEEDS 244 TO WIN TEST.

THREE MEiV OUT. Bradman Makes 212 in Total of 433. HAMMOND-LEYLANDS TASK. (By J. B. HOBBS.— Copyright in ali countries. Reproduction in whole «r in part forbidden.) (Received 9.30 a.m.) ADELAIDE, this day. Australia's second innings in the fourth Test cricket match closed for 433, leaving England with (the task of scoring 392 to win. When stumps were drawn yesterday Maryleboiie had 148 on the board for the loss of Verity, Barnett and Hardstaff. With 244 runs still needed to secure victory, and the Ashes, a heavy responsibility rests upon the not out batsmen, Hammond (43) and Leyland (17), who were associated for just over half an hour. The attendance was 23,500, and the gate takings £1937. The aggregate takings for the first five days total £16,764, a record for the ground. Bradman and Gregory, who added 13.3 for Australia's fifth wicket, seemed set for a long partnership when a call from Gregory for a third run brought about his end. Barnett raced from long-on for 30 yards, fielded the ball, threw it in and broke the wicket with Gregory a yard out. The young Victorian had batted for 175 minutes to reach his halfcentury. Bradman batted for 437 minutes for his 212, and he hit 12 fours. He established another record for the highest Test score at the Adelaide Oval in matches against England. The previous best was S. E. Gregory's 201 in 1594, and J. Ryder's 201 not out in 1925. Dropped Chances. The cricket was at its best, and England did better than I expected.. I anticipated more runs from Australia, and I feared England might lose more wickets. It might have been done, too, if the Australians had held their catches, for Barnett was missed once, and Hardstaff twice. I think England's only hope rests with Hammond and Leyland. I expected the bowlers would get more nip out of the wicket than they did. Bradman's was a remarkable inning* by an astounding cricketer, and it doubtless decided the issue. There never has been such a prolific run-getter as Don, and we may never again see his like. He passes from record to record, until there seems nothing more for him to beat. His innings in this match enhanced his greatness. It proved that he can play a fighting game, with his back to the wall. In the past ■ he scored hundreds of runs with his own trade-marked hook-shot, but once or twice this season he got out with it, so he eliminated it. Genius of the Champion. The fact that he made his seventh double century (two were really trebles) in Tests against England makes one realise his genius. It looked absolutely impossible to dismiss him. It must have been heartbreaking to bowl against the broad-bladetl Don, but the bowlers gave no clue of their secret feeling of helplessness and hopelessness. The feeling must have been shared by the fieldsmen; but they, too, stuck to their task manfully. Testimony to Ames. The work of Ames behind the wickets compared favourably with Oldficld's, and that is high praise.

Gregory yesterday played with more confidence, and more strokes. With this experience the 20-year-old Gregory should go straight ahead, and with C. *L. Badcock, of whom I hold a still higher opinion after his two centuries against M.C.C. f O r Combined teams, he ought to keep his place in Australian sides for many years. Chipperfield's was a bright effort, full of strokes timed so well that they seemed to be made with amazing power. Hammond, finishing with the wonderful figures of five for 57, was helped by two great catches by Ames. Verity kept dropping them on the sp*ot, without looking like gettinsr wjckets. In fact, he did not have a single victim in the whole match.

Scores:— AUSTRALIA. First innings 2SS *• Second Innings. Fingleton, lbw, b Hammond 12 Brown, c Ames, b Voce 32 Bradman, c- and b Hammond 212 McCabc, c Wyatt, b Robins 5.> Rigg, c Hammond, b Fames 7 Gregory, run out 50 Chipperfield, c Ames, b Hammond . . 31 Oldfield, c Ames, b Hammond 1 O'Reilly, c Hammond, b Fames .... I McCormick, b Hammond 1 Fleetwood-Smith, not out 4 Extras 27 Total 433 BOWLING. j O. M. K. \V. Hammond 1.">.2 1 57 -j Fames 24 2 Kit 2 Robins 'i 0 .S3 1 Voce 20 2 SO 1 Ley land 2 0 0 0 Barnm 5 1 lo C Verity 37 17 54 0 Allen 14 1 01 0 Voce bowled one no-ball and Barnett one wide. Fall of Wickets.—One for 21, two for 88, three for 197, four for 237. five for 372, six for 422, seven for 420, eight for 427, nine for 429. EXGLAXD. First innings 330 Second Innings. Verity, b Fleetwood-Smith 17 Barnett, c Chipperfield, b FleetwoodSmith 21 Hardstaff, b O'Reilly 43 Hammond, not out 39 Leyland, not out 17 Extras 11 Total for three wickets 148 BOWLING. O. M. R. W. Fleetwood-Smith .17 1 60 2 O'Reilly 15 5 3.-, 1 McCabe 3 0 !) 0 McCormick 9 0 :?:{ 0 Fall of Wiekcts.—One for 40. two for 1 50, three for 120.