M.C.C. 143 FOR TWO

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26261, 4 November 1950, Page 7

M.C.C. 143 FOR TWO

Rain Stops Play At Melbourne (Rec. 10 p.m.) MELBOURNE, Nov. 3. The M.C.C. touring cricket team made a good start in its match against Victoria to-day, and at the end of a day in which play was interrupted several times by rain, the Englishmen had scored .143 for two wickets. The test bowler, lan Johnson, captured both wickets. Jack Iverson was unlucky with his spinners. Except for one or two lapses, ne kept an immaculate length and should have had Denis Compton stumped when that batsman was only four. His deceptive spin puzzled all the English batsmen. Compton, who led England, is the first professional appointed as vicecaptain to lead an M.C.C. team in Australia. Compton led the team in the absence of F. R. Brown, who withdrew at the last minute because of a finger injury. Compton won the toss and gave the M.C.C. the first use of a perfect pitch. L. Hutton and C Washbrook took full advantage of the pitch and in the first half-hour had scored 27 runs. In that time the tall left-hander. Bill Johnston, who opened the Victorian bowling, sent down five overs for 16 runs, and D. Kerr, a right-hander of equal pace, five overs for 11 runs. Iverson took the ball when the score had reached 48, and the Englishmen scored 11 in his first over, including a four past mid-on and three behind square leg. Rain was threatening when Hutton brought up England's first 50 in 64 minutes, and five minutes later the players left the ground. lan Johnson in hi» two previous overs had badly beaten Hutton twice. Play was resumed at 2.25 p.m., and after one over from Iverson, lan Johnson completely surprised Hutton, trapping him leg before wicket. Hutton had made 32 in 71 minutes, and the first wicket fell at 61. Batsmen In Trouble

Both lan Johnson and Iverson bowled an Immaculate length early in the. alternoon and frequently had Washbrook and the new batsman, D. Sheppard, in trouble. Iverson struck a bad patch in his fifth over after lunch, when Sheppard hit him for a tour. to long-on ana two twos to reach 14, but in his next over he twice struck Washbrook on the pads. He followed that with a maiden to Sheppard. The score had reached 89 when lan Johnson, who had pinned Washbrook down with a perfect length, induced that batsman to open his shoulders to a slower, higher-pitched ball, and caught him off his own bowling. Washbrook had made 40 in 112 minutes.

Compton began bv driving Johnson past mid-off for three, but there was a loud appeal when the first ball in Iverson’s next over whipped through and struck his pads. Compton played the rest of the over very cautiously. I. McDonald missed a gift stumping in Iverson's next over. Compton raced down the pitch and lunged forward to a ball which completely beat him, and while he was still several feet out of his ground the wicketkeeper fumbled the ball. Compton had then made only four. Two balls later the same bowler also beat Sheppard badly, After bowling 15 overs for 28 runs lan Johnson was relieved by the leg-break bowler. D. Ring, who also beat Compton and McDonald with his fourth ball, which went over the stumps. Iverson bowled 14 overs for 39 runs before giving way to Bill Johnston, who bowled only one over before tea. The score was then 127 for two wickets, with Compton 29 and Sheppard 21. A second heavy shower delayed play tor 25 minutes. Later Compton moved to 34 by sweeping Ring to the leg boundary. Johnston had some difficulty in holding the slippery ball, and one of his deliveries flew at head height to the wicketkeeper. Neil Harvey bowled one more over, and then the players again left the field in heavy rain. As there was no sign of the rain abating stumps were drawn at 5.25 p.m. Scores:— ENGLAND First Innings L. Hutton, lbw, b Johnson .. 32 C. Washbrook, c and b Johnson 40 D. Sheppard, not out .. 28 D. C. S. Compton, not out .. 38 Extras .. 5 Total for two wickets .. 143 Bowling.—Johnston, none for 24; Kerr, none for 11: Loxton. none for 11; Iverson, none for 39; Johnson, two for 28; Ring, none for 24; Harvey, none for 1.