ENGLAND’S TEST VICTORY

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27124, 21 August 1953, Page 6

ENGLAND’S TEST VICTORY

FIRST RUBBER SINCE 1932-33

EARLIER SERIES RECALLED

English cricket had a long wait for the success at the Oval. From the end of D. R. Jardine’s muchdiscussed Australian tour in 1932-33, until now, England had failed to win a test rubber with Australia and,.in fact, had won only five tests in the 33 matches played. In Australia’s 1934 tour of England, Bradman was at his most masterful, and England had no bowlers to compare with Grimmett and O’Reilly. Australia won the first test comfortably, but Hedley Verity, taking full advantage—ls wickets for 104 runs for the match—of a really helpful pitch at Lord’s, gave England an innings victory. The third test was drawn, and so was the fourth, after Bradman (304) and Ponsford (181) had scored 388 for the fourth wicket. In the fifth test, they did even better, scoring 454 for the second wicket—Ponsford 266, Bradman 244, and Australia won by the handy margin of 562 runs. In this series, Ponsford averaged nearly 95 just heading Bradman, while McCabe had a moderate 60. Between them, O Reilly and Grimmett took 53 wickets. In an English side which was clearly inferior to its opponents, Leyland, Sutcliffe and Walters were the outstanding batsmen, Fames and Verity the most successful of some over-worked bowlers.

In 1936, G. O. B. Allen took an English side to Australia, and like the South Africans of more modern times, it was given practically no chance of success by its critics at both ends of the cricket empire. However with skill, determination, and some good luck, it won the first two tests, only to lose, the last three. At Brisbane, Voce and Allen plhyed havoc with Australia, which was out in its second innings for 58. In the second test, Hammond made an unbeaten double century and again it was Voce who was chiefly responsible for Australia’s first innings score of 81. The third test was also affected by rain, and will be rememberd for some rapid declarations —Australia at 200 for nine, England at 76 for nine. In Australia’s huge second innings, Bradman helped himself to 270. The fourth test really lost England the series. Dismissing Australia for 288, England at one stage had scored 290 for five, but was all out for 330 and then Bradman scored another double century. O’Reilly played an outstanding part in Australia’s innings win in the fifth test of the series.

High Scoring in 1938 When Australia went to England in 1938, the first test was notable for the fact that seven centuries were scored. Hutton and Compton, both playing against Australia for the first time, each scored one, and a highscoring match was drawn. So was the second, in which Hammond scored 240 and Brown batted right through an Australian innings for 206 not out. There was no play in the third test but the fourth, won by Australia, was a thrilling affair. Australia was thoroughly extended, but a century by Bradman, and O’Reilly, with a match analysis of 10 for 122. carried the day. The last test in this series was Hutton’s—he made his record score of 364, England totalled 903 for seven before. Hammond applied a merciful closure, and the Australians lost by an innings and 579 runs. In this series Hutton and Paynter had averages of more than 100, Hardstaff was 92, and four other Englishmen more than 40. Bowes. Verity and Fames were the bowlers. Bradman had a modest figure of 108, but O’Reilly was a great, unsupported bowler. In tfie post-war years, England’s batting was often suspect, and Bedser stood almost alone among the bowlers for two whole series. In the first tour of Australia after the war, Australia made some astronomical scores, and Lindwall and Miller emerged from obscurity to become a magnificent pair of fast bowlers. Australia won both the first two tests with an innings to spare, with double centuries by Bradman and Barnes, but England drew the next two, both Compton and Morris scoring two centuries in the Adelaide match. Australia also won the fifth test, but this time only after a thrilling struggle. Over the series, Bradman averaged 97, Miller 77, Barnes 74, and Morris 72 a fair reflection of the standard of the English bowling. Australia’s superiority was maintrained in England in 1948, Bradman’s last tour, in which he again played an outstanding part. Compton’s 184 in the first test was England’s best effort, and in both the third and fourth tests England was more than merely in the fight, but Lindwall and Johnston called the tune. Morris, Barnes, Bradman, Harvey and—by one of cricket’s inexplicable tricks — Toshack, all averaged more than 50 in the tests, and Lindwall and Johnston each took 27 wickets in the series. This rubber went to Australia 3-0, with two games drawn. The end of the long road seemed almost in sight at the end of F. R. Brown’s tour of Australia in 1950-51. Australia won the first four matches, but in the first two was all but beaten, with Bedser, Brown and Bailey bowling with great success, and Hutton reaffirming his right to the title of the world’s greatest batsman. He averaged almost 90 in the series,— and the next most successful Englishman was Simpson (39). England’s great hour was the fifth test, its first post-war victory over the ancient enemy. And so to the present season, with four drawn matches—all of them day after day of cut and thrust, with the initiative changing to and fro —and to the Oval test. Throughout the cricket world, there has been keen sympathy for the under-dog, and England’s fine victory will be welcomed widely wherever cricket is played, or read, or heard.