SLOW BATTING BY ENGLAND

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28794, 15 January 1959, Page 10

SLOW BATTING BY ENGLAND

Australia’s Negative Bowling

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 9 p.m.) SYDNEY, January 14. Australia, in an inglorious display of negative cricket, ran for cover after tea in the fifth day’s play of the third test today.

England, which trailed Australia by 138 on the first innings, lost its first three wickets for 64 runs but P. B. H. May and M. C. Cowdrey, in a fighting fourth-wicket stand of 144, had carried the total to 178 for three at stumps—4o ahead of Australia with one day’s play remaining. K. Slater’s failure to use the scarred pitch and R. Benaud’s inability to get much out of the pitch turned the game into a stalemate.

Between tea and stumps only 21 overs were bowled for the addition of 47 runs, with A. K. Davidson and K. Mackay bowling all but five overs outside the leg stump. To a degree Benaud’s tactics played into May’s hands. May will be well satisfied to get out of this test with a draw. So funereal was the play that at one stage Cowdrey scored only two runs in an hour. England made a shaky start when in the last half hour’s play before lunch it lost the openers, C. A Milton and T. E. Bailey, for a total of 37. At lunch England was 39 for two. Bailey and Milton made a comfortable but quiet start against Davidson and I. Meckiff who, not unexpectedly, had no help from the pitch. Australia suffered a blow when Meckiff, after bowling six balls—the last a wide—in his second over left the field with a bruised tendon in his heel. It is reported that he will not bowl again in the match. Davidson began with four successive maidens but Benaud. who took over from Meckiff, was erratic with 11 runs coming off his first two overs. But Benaud changed ends and i in his second over Milton pushed a googly into Davidson’s hands at j short backward leg after batting i for 71 minutes. In the next over Bailey swept a ball from Benaud high behind square leg where Simpson, fielding as substitute for Meckiff, ran ' across and slightly backwards to hold a magnificent catch. Bailey had batted for 86 minutes and hit 1 three fours. England was 37 for j two. Fortune smiled on England be- ’

tween luneh and tea, when Australia was able to dismiss only T. W. Graveney, after which May and Cowdrey carried the total to 131 in an unbeaten stand of 67. May began like a novice after lunch and vin Davidson’s opening over he made three crude swings at balls which ran away to the off but miraculously avoided the edge of the bat. Later he made another wild swing at Benaud’s top-spinner, which he snicked between the wicketkeeper and first slip. Graveney, after being dropped behind by Grout off Davidson when 22, was out two balls later when he missed in his attempt to turn a ball to leg and was out lbw. Cowdrey, after one or two uncomfortable periods against Slater, who was pitching the ball on the rough outside the off stump, batted grandly. Unless Australia can separate this pair soon it is going to be in plenty of bother on the last day m this pitch. Scores: ENGLAND First innings .. .. 219 Second Innings T. E. Bailey, c sub., b Benaud 25 C. A. Milton, c Davidson, b Benaud >... 8 r. W. Graveney, lbw, b Davidson 22 P. B. H. May, not out 63 M. C. Cowdrey, not out 50 Extras .. ..10 Total for three wickets .. 178 Fall of wickets: one for 30, two tor 37, three for 64.

Bowling O. M. R. W. 1. Meckiff 2.5 0 1 0 A. K. Davidson 22 9 33 1 R. Benaud .. 21 2 65 2 K. Slater .. 15 5 47 0 K. Mackay .. 8 2 16 0