Statham Swings Game

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28784, 3 January 1959, Page 12

Statham Swings Game

(Specially written for the bv

W. J. O'REILLY.]

MELBOURNE, January 2. A belated effort with the second new ball deprived Australia of a commanding grip of the controls in the second test. Spirited bowling by Statham and Loader at a stage when all the swing and venom had ostensibly been taken from the new ball by Harvey and O’Neill swung the game surprisingly back in England’s favour.

Ten minutes after the ’ second new ball had been taken, Australia appeared to have assumed complete control. Harvey and O’Neill had belted the shine and seam out of existence. Then Statham used both barrels of swing to break the great partnership. 1 As he swung the ball away to catch the edge of O’Neill’s bat, he also swung the destiny of this game.

Here it was that Benaud made a tactical error. He preferred to send Mackay to bat at a time when he should have joined Harvey to help carry on with the aggressive policy which had paid so well.

Loader then yorked Harvey and the fortunes of the game were even. The quick dismissals of Simpson and Benaud, both leg before, gave England the initiative for the very first time in this game.

In a half-hour’s play, Australia’s prospects dwindled. The Australians are terribly conscious now of England's advantage in winning the toss. Full credit must go to Statham and Loader.

Harvey’s dazzling innings was the feature of most of the day's play. His highest test score against England was taken in the most entertaining manner that a test century has been scored by either country since the war. In captivating the huge crowd with his grand batting, Harvey really brought test cricket back to life. It would be difficult now to tell the animated Melbourne enthusiasts that cricket had sunk to the dreary depths It did just recently in Brisbane.

Splendidly supported by O’Neill, who gave a brilli-jit display of running between the wickets, Harvey collared, the English attack entirely. His specta>--> lar on-side hitting wid- of mldon and square of the wicket coupled with his uncanny ability to steer the ball through field loopholes gave no bowler the slightest chance of slowing down his scoring rate. Even the second new ball failed to disturb him. One remarkable shot back past the bowler when Statham's field was grouped more or less square with and behind the wicket seemed to give the’ green fight for an even livelier final session than yesterday. Then came the landslide. It was tough luck for Harvey that all his Splendid handiwork should lose so much of its apparent-match winning value so quickly. O’Neill batted very well indeed. England's bowlers persisted in shooting a leg-side attack at him, obviously with the hope of rattling his confidence as they did in the Brisbane test’s first innings But the young batsman calmly middled the ball and truly scored fairly regularly to midwicket and fine of the wicket The packed on-side field—Lock had six men almost in each other’s way patrolling the Inner leg positions—forced O'Neill to concentrate upon snatching every available single to keep the aggressive Harvey fully employed.

May tried every trick to crack the Harvey-O'Neill partnership. Loader let a bouncer or two fly just for luck and decided the policy did not pay when each batsman eagerly employed the hook shot.. Bailey even tried to slow down the scoring with an over or two directed wide of the leg stump and gave up in despair. Jim Laker, who caused all the fuss and bother among the Australian batsmen in 1956, showed little enthusiasm for his bowling brief when Harvey got well down the wicket persistently to drive him. Lock looked the most likely bowler to succeed in the early stages of the day, but his success was helped more or less by the restraint of Harvey as he approached the century. Lock has dismissed HarVey seven times in tests.

May surprisingly gave the new ball and use of the following wind to Loader when rule of thumb thinking would surely have preferred Statham for the job, he having taken the only two wickets that had fallen, but the captain surely must have been inspired. Statham has done a. grand job ■Of work in this match. Burke, McDonald, O'Neill and Benaud form a highly imposing bag of wicket. He thoroughly deserved every one of them. It is a great credit to him that he consistently refuses to waste his valuable time, in bowling anywhere but at the stumps. The bouncer is one which he jealously retains as a surprise packet.