THE FIRST TEST.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18264, 24 December 1924, Page 11

THE FIRST TEST.

IN STRONG f/ POSITION. fy $ GALE CAUSES ADJOURNMENT. i' ~ Iff CABLE—PMSS # ASSOCIATION—COPYBIGBT) 1 -f (iOBTBiUAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION) f (Beeeived December 23rd,' 7.40 p.m.) * . SYDNEY, December 23. L Pby on the fourth day of the first Ftett match, England v. Australia, was f«BUncncod in bright and very hot leather. The wicket was on the hard h&&e and the outneld good. Bichardaon and Eelleway carried won fr° m the previous day to the bowling [fpf'Tate and Gilligan. Tate was in Ktood form, but Bichardson cut his off gjftflff nicely and piled up the score in igood style, reaching 50 in 62 minutes. ■ Wffhen tho board showed 84, Bichardson |fas nearly run out. He called on hjjallcway, but the latter did not move. I'Biehardson was then three-quarters of !£fte way down the pitch and had to back. He just succeeded in beat-1 f&g the ball. &' Gilligan nursed his bowlers and made I jlfireguent changes, but Bichardson §jhjed them all confidently. A favour||pgtroke of Bichardson's is a hard iffljiye down the pitch. Hearne, evi||bntly remembering Saturday's painful sSperience, left them alone. EoUllian, bowling a nice length, and Wmih 'the assistance of a breeze, main|ipß«d a good pace. Kclleway scored I&wly, his 23 taking 76 minutes. The lueOßd wicket yielded 75. PlColllns, on going in to bat, received Wjjh. enthusiastic welcome. Ho opened l&utioiisly, and in half an hour before ifimch made two runs, gglfteeman's deliveries were pitched JhJmII np and dropped quickly, and alIpongh Bichardson was stepping well fflmt he was usually unable to get prol&rly under them. Tate sent down a i|w loose balls. The runs against him I ]ftte mostly stolen singles, with an I (xjasional biff, cut, or glance. | ('fhe English fielding was excellent. 1 (hjipman, Gilligan, and Freeman were I for somo sharp returns. IpThe century was signalled after 78 minutes' play. Gilligan's bowling mowed considerable improvement over Rut week's performance. After lunch Si had the batsmen tied up. Ho sent Howo three successive maidens. Tate, Who « suffering from an injury to a mot, was unable to reproduce his first fipgr» form. Nevertheless, he was reHrojuible for some good work, glj&ichardson, when two off the century, Hipped the ball back into Freeman's igindfi. Bichardson has an unfortume habit when within striking disffiujee of the century, of trying to pass npwith a big hit. Just before he was firamissed he had a narrow escape. He meupied, the crease for 169 minutes, Up hit nine fours. . gfpollins now took upon himself the Harden of scoring, and play livened up. gjse slow bowlers, Hearne and Freerain, were not proving very deadly, ffijtb smart fielding was keeping the |||nß down. Collins showed splendid Igugment in.placing his strokes, and fitted much applause from the onjpibkers. ip'The seemtd century took 198 minutes. When the total was 210, Collins put Hyball into "Woolley's hands in the Hips, but the fieldsman dropped it. KJollins's own tally was then 37. j fe'xWoolley redeemed himself somewhat I |by^'.brilliantly catching Ponaford. | 'Heavy clouds mado their appearance during the afternoon, and the conditions Became sultry. At the tea adjournment the wind dropped, and at 4.50 a heavy gale, with a dust storm, arrived and compelled an adjournment fwith the score at 257 for five wickets, |as it was almost, impossible to see |icross the ground. ' |f.'A strange scene followed, the crowd marrying for shelter, while myriads of Mewspapers, which bad been used to sit gfoon, were blowing up in the air and MGrosa the ground. A little rain fell About 8 o'clock, and play was resumed Kjsio in a heavy wind, but had to be SJ»ttdohed for the day six balls later. RpThe attendance was 16,000. B;.:.':/'. Australia. K First Innings. Hfijias, c Hendren, b Tate .. 114 Rwdsley, c Woolley, b Freeman .. SI Wpwd, b OUligan ..HO ■§Bicbards6n, b Hearae ; ... 22 gPfelor, bTate ■■ ..43 b Freeman ~. 42 e Woolley, b Tate .. M 17 flgfdry, ft Strudwick, b Tate .., 3 e Strudwick, b Tate 0 HffleW, not out .. ..39 HfiwUjtff: Tale, six for 130} Gilligan, Hu&e, one for 28; Woolley, none for BSJltobbs, none for 13; Chapman, none HBfall of- wickets: One for 46, two for Hp-)&ree for 275, font for 286, five Hpfttt, tax for 374, seven for 387, Hitt for 387, nine for 388, ten for 450. Kfc Second Innings. c and b Freeman 98 b Gilligan .. .. 23 BMpd.c Woolley, b Freeman ~ 27 HnPJjji*fcoa> c Hendren, b Tate 18 WbE\ Total feir fire wickets .. 258 HralL' First Innings. Hill e Eelleway, b Gregory .. 115 Hp cY. Bichardson, b Mailey 50 ■gte Andrews, b Mailey .. 7 h9&"g Andrews, b Mailey • • 7 lbw, b Gregory .. . 6 j^Hpling.—Gregory five for 111, KelleMrafbne for 44, Mailey four for 129, HHw none for 5, A. Bichardson ■«Pl£<ft! the wickets.—One for -157, Wmttfii .171. three for 172, four for MmS&t for 274, nine for 274, ten BfepBTUNE AMONG TEAMS. AJTD X.E. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) SYDNEY. December 23'. has to field to-day it, that Kippax will have to (fbo received word last HHp6« death of his brother's wife. ■Rllfe** weak knee became worse HK It is doubtful if be wiU HIPW fte remainder of ttte tmjr. Bays the "Teleplayers off the field.

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SEVEN CENTURIES. BOBBS'S FINE RECORD. (twnuLUx «* *•*• c *» u is* 0 ®* 110 *-* (IWBTSUWS AW> »•«• CABI * ASB° Cli ' nol '-> SYDNEY, December 23. The "Sydney Morning Herald," commenting on the match, says that Hobbs, by bis batting yesterday, achieved tho earning auocee of bis crictet «*eer. Ho enjoyed the personal felicity of making hifi seventh century in AngloAustralian Test cricket, thus eclipsing the record of the late Victor Trnmper, ■who had ax to his credit. . Tbefirat three of Hobbs's centuries were made in successive, matches m 1913—a feat no other bateman ha* equalled— and the fourth followed with match intervening. Byb» onViess yesterday ho reached an aggroga^ y TSteh%her than that of any SSr' The ordy «Jher Dlavera to secure more runs than Hobos g |«tanroOem Hill, Victor Trumper, and Warwick Armstrong. Hobbs's latest innings was eminently tvnioal of his methods and quite charSSrtto of him. .Without flourish; or he is *•. »!2?J pleasing bateman to watch, if only } or thVeasy, quiet, confident manner of his workmanship. The fielding of the home side hardly came up to the traditional standard of Australian elevens. There are still possibilities in tlw wn)e but the advantage has swung decidedly in favour of Australia.