CRICKET TEST

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 28002, 23 June 1956, Page 9

CRICKET TEST

Australia 5 For 235 (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 1 a.ni.) .LONDON, June 22. At lunch on the second day of the test match between Australia and England at Lord s Australia carried its overnight score of 180 for three to 235 for five. A fine spell of fast bowling by Trueman and Statham, who persistently attacked the stumps, claimed the wickets of Miller and Burge shortly after the resumption of play. Trueman, bowling from the pavilion end, got Miller on 28 when it seemed he had weathered the fast attack. It was a very good ball which came back from the off-stump.

Statham, bowling from the nursery end, dismissed Burge when he was The scoring was slow. McKay, in the first 70 minutes of his innings, had made only 12 runs, and at lunch, after one and three-quarter hours, had made 16. Australia’s 200 took 373 minutes. Thirteen overs were bowled m the first hour and 19 in the second and the rate of scoring was 33 runs from 100 balls. , At lunch, Archer was on 25 and McKay 16. Australia ha dlost five wickets for 235.

Australia Established Australia, three for 180 in 310 minutes. was soundly established at the finish of the first day’s play. Johnson, by winning the toss, and Englands five-man selection committee, by omitting the world’s best spin bowler. Tony Lock, conceded Australia at least a 100 run advantage before a ball was bowled. One of the selectors, Peter May, fielding in the position that Lock would have occupied at second slip, missed McDonald, Burke and Burge. Lock, because of the menace of his bowling and the brilliance and safety of his close-to-wicket catching, is vital to England. Wardle was played because the selectors believed his variations of flight and spin were more suited to conditions at Lord’s in fine weather. McDonald went eventually to a snick which Trueman, falling to the left, held magnificently though almost entangled with first slip. McDonald has improved in soundness and his general approach as a result of his West Indies tour. His average in 15 tests is the excellent one of about 50 for an opening batsman. Burke may provide for him the kind of partner that Brown was for Fingleton and Barnes for Morris. Burke’s bat is straighter and looks broader than McDonald’s. He is also more liberally endowed with strokes. Burke, who tipped a century for himself before he batted, fell to a piece of Evans’s wizardry behind the wicket when he changed his stroke to leaker and overbalanced. Trueman, because of his indefatigable maintenance of pace and direction, and Bailey, because of his persevering accuracy and seaming of the ball, were outstanding in the English attack, which was rewarded in some measure for keeping to its job all day. Scores: — AUSTRALIA First Innings C. McDonald, c Trueman, b Bailey 78 J. Burke, st Evans, b Laker .. 65 N. Harvey, c Evans, b Bailey .. 0 P. Burge, not out .. 18 K. Miller not out .. 19

Total for three wickets .. 180 Fall of wickets: One for 137, two for 137, three for 151. Bowling O. M. R. W.

B. Statham . 20 5 48 0 F. Trueman . 17 4 37 0 T. Bailey . 21 6 48 2 J. C. Laker . 16 6 25 1 J. Wardle . 10 3 22 0