M.C.C.’S FIRST INNINGS

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 25021, 1 November 1946, Page 7

M.C.C.’S FIRST INNINGS

349 For Eight Against Victoria COMPTON’S FINE CENTURY (Rec. 12.15) MELBOURNE, Oct 31. After a bad start in its first innings against Victoria, the M.C.C. team finished with 349 for eight wickets at stumps. D. C. S. Compton scored 143, and N. W. D. Yardley 70. With a perfect wicket and a fast outfield the M.C.C. team won the toss and batted first. C. Washbrook snicked his first ball from Johnston, a fairly fast left-hander, who made the ball with a good length rise higher than expected. L. Hutton, who was more confident, stayed 36 minutes until he lost the flight of a slow off spinner from Johnson and was bowled off his pad. P. A. Gibb was never confident and was nearly bowled several times, but stuck 90 minutes before a slow leg break from Ring bowled him. J. Hardstaff was never on top at the bowling, although he used his feet and hit Johnson high for four. He pulled the next for three before Freer, a fast medium right-hander, trapped him with a slower ball. Compton was the star of th* innings, although he had slight early difficulty in judging the flight of the ball. When he settled down he played delightful strikes everywhere, favouring sweeping leg shots and making full tosses or those of good length and punching them straight. Compton hit three fours in one over off Ring, a short ball going behind point, the second being cracked to square leg and the third being turned to the leg boundary. He reached 50 in 77 minutes, hitting seven fours. The highlight of the match was Compton's 143 in 190 and his 19 fours were perfect gems of hardhitting. He was a little uncertain in his footwork but soon settled down, delighting the crowd with his stroke play. In one spell when 100 runs were added only 27 came from Yardley, his partner. Sweeping leg shots and delightful shots past cover and point were features of his innings. .Yardley enchanced his test prospects with a sound, unspectacular display with his leg side play especially strong. W. Voce and A. V. Bedser hit out merrily, scoring three sixes. The attendance was 14.193, and the takings were £1034. Scores:— M.C.C. First Innings L. Hutton, b Johnson .. 15 C. Washbrook, c Barnett, b Johnston 0 P. A Gibb, b Ring . 22 D. C. S. Compton, T Harbey, b Ring 143 J; Hardstaff, lbw, b Freer ’ .. 15 N. W. D. Yardley, c and b Tribe .. 70 J. T. Ikin, not out .. ..22 J. Langridge, lbw, b Tribe .. 0 W Voce, c and b Johnson .. 21 A. V. Bedser, not out .. ..22 Extras, byes 11, leg byes 7, no-ball 1 19 Total for eight wickets .. 349 Fall of wickets: one for 3, two for 31, three for 76, four for 132, five for 251, six for 293, seven for 293. eight for 318.

Khartoum College Closed.—The Gordon Memorial College in Khartoum has been closed indefinitely following a students’ strike as a protest against the Umma Party’s opposition to Egyptian sovereignty over the Sudan, says Reuter’s Khartoum correspondent Shops are closed and demonstrations are expected.—London. October 30.

BOW1/ING O. M. R. W. Johnston .. ..15 1 «5 1 Freer .. .. 19 3 21 f Johnson .. .. 18 2 79 2 Tribe .. 23 3 82 2 Ring .. .. 9 1 42 2