CRICKET

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27064, 12 June 1953, Page 4

CRICKET

SEVENTY-SIX YEARS OF TESTS AUSTRALIA ONE RUBBER AHEAD Although the test cricket series between England and Australia which has just begun is the seventh since England last won a rubber—in Australia in 1932-33—a remarkable balance between the two countries has been kept in the 76 years these matches have been played. The present match is the one hundred and fifty-ninth of the series, and in a total of nearly 150,000 runs, Australia is only 715 ahead of England, which has an innings average of 285 compared with Australia’s 284. Australia has lost to England only once since the war, and has won 11 times. This gives Australia a lead of 68 to 56, but Australia has won only one more rubber than England—l 9 to 18, with three drawn. In England, Australia has won 20 matches to England’s 21. The same balance is maintained in individual performances. In England, 51 centuries have been made for each side, and the totals for the long series are 119 to 117 in favour of Australia. The innings averages for England on each of the test grounds to be used during the present series, with the Australian .figures in parenthesis, are:—Nottingham, 292 (327); Lord’s, 297 (285); Manchester, 305 (237); Leeds, 292 (359); the Oval, 309 (248). The tosses, too, have been won almost evenly. English captains have won 81 of them, Australian captains 77. The batting and bowling performances of the first test players in their earlier England-Australia games are:—

•Not out. The Australian wicketkeeper, Tallon, has 40 test dismissals—36 catches and four stumpings. Evans’ total is 32—28 of them catches. BOWLING

BATTING Australia Ins. N.O. H.S. Ag. Av. A. Morris .. 26 2 206 1520 63.3 N. Harvey ..12 1 112 495 45.0 A. L. Hassett .. 32 1 137 1207 33.9 K. Miller .. 23 3 145* 916 45.9 G. Hole .. 2 0 63 81 40.5 R. Lindwall .. 20 1 100 475 25.0 D. Ring .. 1 0 9 9 9.0 W. Johnston .. 13 4 29 91 10.1 D. Tallon .. 18 2 92 325 20.3 England L. Hutton ..31 5 364 1765 67.9 T. Bailey .. 7 2 15 40 8.0 D. Compton .. 34 4 184 1288 42.9 R. Simpson .. 10 1 156* 349 38.8 R. Tattersail .. 3 0 10 16 5.3 A. Bedser .. 27 6 79 325 15.5 T. G. Evans .. 26 5 50 422 20.1

• Australia Runs. Wickets. Av. K. Miller . 836 46 20.3 G. Hole . 13 1 13.0 R. Lindwall . 1241 60 20.7 D. Ring 44 1 49. 44.0 W. Johnston . 1052 England 21.5 T. Bailey 198 14 14.1 131.5 D. Compton . 263 2 R. Tattersall . 257 a 64.2 A. V. Bedser . 2046 6431.9