Australia Has Thrown Away Victory

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

Australia Has Thrown Away Victory

SYDNEY, January 14. Australia’s shutters went up soon .after the tea adjournment and what has previously looked like a certaia—Australian victory was encouraged to“~'become a highly-organised version of an undertakers’ picnic match. In a magnificent partnership May and Cowdrey saved the day for England. Coming together when three wickets had fallen for 64 runs and the first innings deficit was still not made up, the team’s leaders presented the best batting performance seen from English batsmen this summer. Australia’s tossing in the towel at such an early stage was inexplicable. Admittedly Benaud’s job of maintaining an aggressive attack was made difficult by the loss of Meckiff. But even that taken into account cannot excuse the defeatist attitude adopted by the Australians immediately after the tea interval. England wiped off the deficit of 138 runs by taking 17 runs in three overs off Slater, who had bowled interestingly into footmarks made by Davidson. Benaud forthwith replaced him with Mackay. Mackay, in the kindliest description one could possibly offer, is not quite up to the standard of being chosen to bring about an Ashes-winning victory. He is one who would more than likely find it difficult to assume a matchwinning bowling role in a high school match. Davidson was his bowling partner in a session in which the game lost all its sense. Each bowler blatantly wasted time. Davidson’s walk back was by far the slowest I have ever seen and Mackay imitated him as best he could in this. Benaud must have had some solid reasons of his own for this funeral display, they elude me completely. May battled continuously. Never in the early stage of his innings did he show promise of ever timing the ball sweetly. Three times in one over from Davidson May missed in playing defensively down the line of the off stdmp. Benaud’s leg breaks worried him incessantly. He was very lucky not to have been run out even before he took strike. Graveney hit straight to Simpson at mid-wicket and went through for a run. May just made it But Cowdrey started in top gear and batted splendidly. Ever since the Melbourne test Cowdrey has shown unmistakable signs that his confidence and his strokemaking have returned to him in full. The only bowler to cause him the slightest worry was Slater who twice beat him beautifully from a rough patch outside the off stump.. He then resorted to rather exaggerated use of his pads in countering the young off-spinner. Together May and Cowdrey had an overwhelming tactical victory over the Australians.

The fact that the Australian shutters went up so quickly shows what an impression they had made. Their responsibility undoubtedly was to save this game. Aus-

[Specialty written to? the N.2.P.A by W J. O’REILLY.}

tralia’s was just as surely to win it. Time-wasting therefore was all in England’s favour. I If this game is drawn England still has a chance of squaring the series by winning the last two tests and thereby retaining the Ashes. If this should happen May can carry home very kindly thoughts about the manner in which the Australians played right into his hands yesterday afternoon. England should have no difficulty now in saving this game. This is the very first time I have seen a win thrown sky-high in an Australia-England test. It is a novel experience and not a very pleasant one.