ENGLAND 126 FOR FOUR

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27090, 13 July 1953, Page 9

ENGLAND 126 FOR FOUR

Hutton Out With Compton

(NJS. Preu Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, July ll r England’s great fight on a treacherous pitch in the' test at Old Trafford today had an undeserved ending shortly before stumps, when Hutton and Compton, the heroes of the innings, were both dismissed. The crowd of 30,000 which had cheered the stoic defence as well as the run-getting of England’s two best batsmen since the war was stunned. England had recovered from 32 for two wickets to 126 when the calamity occurred. Wardle and Watson held out to stumps, when England, with six wickets in hand, needed 43 runs, to avoid a follow-on.

Archer, playing his first test against England, caused the first upset when he forced Compton to play forward to a ball which lifted slightly and edge a catch to the wicketkeeper, Langley.

Lindwall, who was one of the few bowlers to get much lift off the pitch, then came back for the last two over* before stumps. His fourth ball had Hutton out, leg before wicket.

Once again this great bowler, Lindwall, had changed the course of the game. Only seven minutes were left before stumps as Hutton wended bis way slowly back to the paVilion. He need not feel disappointed. His innings was superb. The ball popped, skidded, and spun viciously off the pitch, but he was not dismayed and mixed a stern concentration on defence with punishment for anything on the loose side. These two wickets fell, surprisingly, when the early vagaries of the pitch subsided. Hutton and Compton set an example to the Australian batsmen, who earlier in the day were unsteady on a pitch which made stroke play uncertain. Seven Australian wickets fell in 130 minutes today for the addition of 97 runs. Australia were all out for 318. Except for 30 minutes’ delay at the start, there were no interruptions in play. Rain, which made a farce of the first two days’ play, temporarily disappeared. The sky remained overcast, but patches of bright sunshine made periodical appearances. The day began with a sensation. Hole, 66 not out overnight, did not add to his score. He slashed at a ball from Bedser outside his off stump and Evans did the rest.

Harvey, 105 when play began, soon settled down. He was out when he

turned a ball on the leg side, and Evans, anticipating the stroke, took a brilliant eaten.

Evans’s memory must have gone back to the beginning of Harvey’s innings when he missed a catch from Harvey, then on 4. J. de Courcy, of Newcastle, made a good test debut, although many streaky strokes were included in his innings of 41. De Courcy’s Footwork De Courcy’s lightness on his feet and excellent footwork kept him out of trouble, particularly against Laker. De Courcy produces his best when he has overcome difficulties. He was at his best in two previous experiences on the tour—on the “dust heaps” at Stoke in a minor county match, and at Southampton, when the Australians played Hampshire. De Courcy not only stayed at the wicket, but produced many glorious strokes. Little can be said of the rest of the Australian batsmen, except that they made a slow column of batsmen, walking to and from the pavilion. They certainly chased runs, but few got them. Bedser was again the menace. He took five wickets for 115 to give him 27 wickets for the series. He bowled throughout the 130 minutes of Australia’s innings today. Bedser’s aim is to go on one more tour of Australia, “if I can maintain my form” he said today. He need not worry—England has no bowler within reach of his class. Bedser gets little rest in county games, and has already bowled more than 400 overs this season. None of the Australians has bowled more

than 200 overs. He needs eight wickets to beat Grimmett’s test record of 216 wickets. Grimmett, however, played 37 tests, and this is Bedser’s forty-fifth. Novocaine for Laker

J. C. Laker, the Surrey off-spinner, was given four injections of novocaine to deaden the pain in his injured leg muscle before play began today. He bowled excellently, but without luck, and got only one wicket. The leg spin bowler, Wardle, took three wickets. ,

England’s hopes looked forlorn when they set out after Australia’s 318. Hutton would no doubt have been satisfied with a first innings of 189— the score needed to avoid a follow-on. When two wickets were down for 32, and Hill and Miller were bowling vicious spinners, and a quick succession of wickets seemed likely, Hutton and Compton came to the rescue. They had a few narrow escapes, and both survived confident appeals—Hutton for leg before wicket, and Compton for a catch behind the wicket. Archer also seemed dangerous. Slowly England’s score mounted, with boundaries as well as singles. Slowly the Australian field packed around the batsmen in a big circle. When the innings total began to grow, the pitch had dried out considerably, and the stage seemed set for a big England score.

Then the blow fell. Archer enticed Compton forward, the ball lifted slightly, and the reliable if unspectacular wicketkeeper, Gil Langley, accepted a catch. Three wickets were down for 126. Hutton and Compton had put on 94 in 127 minutes.

Pace Beats Hutton Lindwall struck the next blow. He beat Hutton with sheer pace, with a ball that had already been bowled for 62 overs. The scoreboard changed to four for 126.

Seven minutes remained to stumps. Johnny Wardle, the humorist of the England team, sent in as nightwatchman. found his new partner, Willie Watson, who had sat with his pads on for three hours waiting his turn to bat. They hung on till stumps. After two more overs, Lindwall can return with the second new ball, with 43 runs required to avoid a followon. This will be a critical period for England. If they can overcome this obstacle, everything then points to a third draw in the series, with two to play.

The Australian fielding was brilliant particularly by Davidson. Twice he nearly ran Compton out when he and Hutton attempted quick singles. Hole

J» usual was reliable In the slim, and Harvey was always a danger. AUSTRALIA First Innings A. L. Hassett, b Bailey .. 36 A. R. Morris, b Bedser K. Miller, b Bedser M N. R. Harvey, c Evans, b Bedser 122 Hole, c Evans, b Bedser 66 J. de Conroy, lbw. b Wardle 41 A. Davidson, std Evans, b Laker .. 15 R. Archer, c Compton, b Bedser ?' c Edrich, b Wardle 1 J. Hill, not out G. Lan if ley, c Edrich, b Wardle 8 Extras .* 8 Total 318 . O F »H of w,ckeU: one for 15. two for 48, three for 48, four for 221. five for .six for 285, seven for 290. eirbt tor 281, nine for 302. Bowline . M. ”• W. A. V. Bedser .. 45 10 115 5 T. E. Bailey .26 4 83 J. H. Wardle .. 28 10 79 1 J. C. Laker .17 8 42 1 ENGLAND First Inninas L. Hutton, lbw, b Lindwall 63 W. G. Edrich, c Hole, b Hill 0 T. W. Graveney, c de Courcy, b Miller 5 D. C. S. Compton, e Lanjley, b Archer 45 J. H. Wardle, not out 0 W. Watson, not out 0 Extras 4 Total for four wickets "128 Fall of wickets: one for 19, two far 32, three for 126, four for 126. Bowlins O. M. R. W. R. R. landwall 0 3 10 1 R. Archer .11 « 10 1 J. Hill .18 4 51 1 K. R. Miller 16 9 10 1 A„ Davidson .7 1 21 0 R. N. Harvey .. 3 2 2 •