AUSTRALIA STRUGGLES TO AVERT DEFEAT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 138, 14 June 1938, Page 7

AUSTRALIA STRUGGLES TO AVERT DEFEAT.

McCABE SAFES SIDE.

Scores 232 in First Innings

Total of 411,

DOUR FIGHT ANNOYS CROWD. United Press Association. —Copyright. (Received 10 a.m.) LONDON, June 13. Australia is struggling hard to avert defeat in the first Test. Their first innings, thanks to a magnificent double century by S. J. McCabe, liis first in Test cricket, realised 411. In the follow-on one wicket was lost for 102 runs, and at the end of the third day's play Australia was still 145 runs to the bad with nine wickets in hand. Australia's only chance is to make a drawn game of it. The tail-enders showed unexpected resistance to tlie attack,, and they held their wickets up splendidly while McCabe fearlessly trounced the bowling. O'Reilly stayed at the crease while 50 runs were added and Fleetwood-Smith, the last man, followed his example,; allowing McCabe to add 72 more runs before the hero of the side was dismissed in attempting, a big hrt off Verity. MeCabe's previous best Test match | score was 187 not out, at Sydney, in tlie ] first of the 1932-33 Test series. Five hundred and twenty r<ii;s behind England's first-innings score, and with, three wickets down, including Bradman's, the Australians resumed their first inn- j ing. The chances of averting a follow-on j seemed more remote as batsman after batsman was dismissed. The weather was fine. At the luncheon adjournment . Australia had lost six wickets for 261. . There was an attendance of 20,000 when play began. . McCabe beautifully drove Fames to cover for a four in the latter's first over, but in his second over he clean-bowled Ward with a fast ball of good length, which, making pace from the pitch, took the middle stump.

The crowd gasped when a ball from Fames rapped Hassett's pads and lie almost played it oil the leg stump.

After the innings had - lasted three hours 150 went up. Wright meanwhile was bowling a teasing length and spinning the ball sharply. He dismissed Hassett in his third over, the batsman being beaten by a leg-break which he snicked straight to Hammond. Two wickets had thus fallen to-day for the addition of 13 runs.

Badcock, whose place had been changed to below Hassett, shaped confidently. This partnership was the last from which Australia could expect the slightest chance of saving a follow-on. McCabe continued to bat soundly and stylishly. He applied power to most of his boundary strokes and looked quite set. The pitch was more responsive than 011 Saturday, and Sinfield was quietening the batsmen. McCabe Does the Scoring. McCabe readied an admirable 50 after one and a half hours. Badcock took 40 niiniites to make seven. He was content to allow McCabe to do the scoring. Batting with only the minimum of restraint McCabe, whose strokes were timed to perfection, drove two successive deliveries from Hammond to the boundary. Badcock, facing Wright, turned to. cut, but then played on a fastish ball. He wits on the defensive and never quite got the measure of the bowling. Fames returned with the score at 19C. McCabe beautifully hooked his first ball to square leg for six, raising the 200 in 235 minutes. Pie cut the next for four and then cover-drove a four, the over yielding 14 runs.

Hammond . made quick bowling changes, but McCabe was unperturbed and reached a magnificent century in 140 minutes without giving ■ a chance. Barnett appeared to "have set tled down at lunch, but he was out immediately upon resuming.

Joined by O'Reilly, MeCabe forced the pace, pulling Fames and Hammond, who shared the new ball, to the fence. At 124 lie gave an extremely hot chance to Edricli, at short leg, off Hammond, wliich was missed. Then he went on brilliantly, hitting Fames for three successive boundaries. O'Reilly, who batted stubbornly while 50 runs were added, was eventually easily caught at forward short leg. When McCormick, the next man. was bowled by Wright after contributing only two, McCabe manoeuvred .lor the strike with Fleetwood-Smith, his last partner.

In one over from Wright McCabe scored 17, reaching 189, his best Test score. Excitement was intense as McCabe approached 200. By on-driving Wright for two consecutive fours, lie leached that goal after 220 minutes' batting. McCabe punished Wright unmercifully, scoring 44 from him in three overs. Fleetwood-Smitli hung on nobly while McCabe continued his offensive

The 400 mark was passed in 360 minutes and ' McCabe was eventually caught in the-covers by Compton in attempting a big hit off Verity.

His superb innings of 232 took him 235 minutes. He hit one six and 34 fours and there was no palpable blotch. It is unquestionably the greatest innings of his career. He scored no less than 213 of the 273 runs added by Australia to-day and made 72 of the 77 scored for the last wicket. In SO minutes after lunch lie contributed 127 runs. The Australian innings occupied 0 hours o minutes. Crowd Ironical. Australia opened their second innings at 3.50 p.m., being 247 runs behind. Nearly eight and three-quarter playin"- hours remained, but McCabe's terrific battering had taken much of the life from the bowlers. Fingleton and Brown, the opening pair, settled down calmly; a few deliveries from Wright alone perturbed them. Five tired bowlers were used in the first hour, during which the batsmen, though

barracking subsided. He was booed, but persisted in his refusal, whereupon the |noise stopped. Brown's appeal the light at 5.20 was peremp-" torily dismissed. When two hours' play had produced only 6S runs, another demonstration held up. the game for a minute. Fingleton and Brown were overdoing the caution and failed to takr advantage of the weary bowling. Thus far only four bowlers had been used, but row Edrich came on to rest the regular bowlers. He succeeded in breaking the partnership, Hammond taking a great left-handed catch high at first slip.

Bradman came to the crease at 6.10 p.m. and lie refused to be tempted by Edrich's bowling. He also played tlie other bowlers carefully until stumps were drawn. He had then contributed three runs and Brown 51. The 102 runs occupied 150 minutes. The attendance was 30,820, and the takings £2948. Scores:— ENGLAND.—First Innings. Total for eight wickets, declared ~ 658 AUSTRALIA.—First Innings. Brown, c Ames, b Fames 48 Fingleton, b Wright 9 Bradman, c Ames, b Sinfield 51 McCabe, c Conipton, b Verity .... 232 Ward, b Fames 2 Hassctt, c Hammond, b Wright .. 1 Badcock, b Wright 9 Barnett, c Wright, b Fames 22 O'Reilly, c Pavnter, b Fames .... .9 McCormick, b Wright 2 Fleetwood-Smith, not out 5 Extras 21 Total ; 411 Bowling.—Fames took four wickets for 100 runs, Wright four for 154, Verity one for 36, Sinfield one for 51, Hammond none for 43. Second Innings. Fingleton, c Hammond, b Edrieli .. 40 Brown, not out 51 Bradman; not out 3 Extras 8 Total for one wicket 102