AUSTRALIA 150 FOR THREE

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28821, 16 February 1959, Page 12

AUSTRALIA 150 FOR THREE

McDonald Saves Side With 98 Not Out

(to -Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 7 pan.) MELBOURNE, February 15. F. R. Trueman bowled England back into the picture in the fifth test against Australia yesterday when he dismissed R. N. Harvey and N. O’Neill with successive balls. At that Stage, Australia tumbled from 83 for one to 83 for three, but an unfinished fourth wicket stand by C. C. McDonald (98 not out) and K. Mackay (22 not out) took Australia’s score to 150 for three against England’s moderate first innings score of 205. Trueman’s dramatic over came just 10 minutes before tea. At that stage Australia was moving serenely ahead at a steady tempo. In his eighth over, Trueman, summoning all his pace and hostility, had Harvey caught behind the wicket for 13 and O’Neill caught in the gully for a “duck.’’ The sudden change of fortunes galvanised the Englishmen into action and the fifth test for the first time developed into a grim struggle.

But McDonald held England's keen bowling at bay. Mackay dug in, ignoring slow handclaps when the crowd thought he should have been giving McDonald more of the strike. There was a lot of booing for Trueman in the later stages, when he bowled many bumpers. His sixth and eighth balls in the last over of the day were bumpers to McDonald. Heavy responsibility still rests on McDonald and Mackay because Australia’s selectors omitted a batsman (L. Favell) in favour of an extra fast bowler. Thia has become a match of catches. The entife English team fell to catches and the first three Australians out were also caught. Australia’s openers, J. W. Burke and McDonald, got away to a shaky start against some hostile bowling from Trueman and F. H. Tyson. "W There was a remarkable incident when McDonald on 12 turned Trueman off his hip down to fine leg for 4 shortly before lunch. Fallen Bail Some time elapsed before it was noticed the leg bail had fallen to the . ground. The Englishmen appealed without success. Nobody, not even the umpires, had seen what caused the bail to drop. McDonald was reported to have said that he did not dislodge the bail in executing the shot. Trueman and Tyson sent down an outsize share of bumpers to Burke. One eventually claimed his wicket when he failed to keep a rising ball down and Trueman took the easiest of catches close to the wicket. The Burke-McDonald partnership was worth 41 valuable runs to Australia. Harvey, after a cautious start, began to stroke the ball freely. England desperately needed another break-through and it came some 10 minutes before tea, when Trueman with the third ball of his eighth over had Harvey caught by R. Swetman behind the wicket. With his next delivery Trueman sent O’Neill back. May crowded the field around Mackay, the next man in, but the left-hander successfully staved off the hat-trick. Mackay settled down soundly enough, and with McDonald scoring steadily Australia began to

stage a batting recovery. Mackay brilliantly swept J. C. Laker to the leg fence to bring up Australia’s 100 in 174 minutes. In the next over McDonald smashed a boundary past point off T. E. Bailey. McDonald, at 65, scored his 400th run for this series—a meritorious achievement. J. Mortimore made his first appearance at the bowling crease and was unlucky not to dismiss Mackay, who cocked a catch just forward of gully. Mackay was very nearly run out shortly after. He must have beaten Richardson’s return by the narrowest of x margins. This run brought up the 50 partnership in 84 minutes. It was unexciting batting, bpt of tremendous importance to Australia. x Scores:— ENGLAND First Innings P. E. Richardson, c and b Benaud 68 T. E. Bailey, c Davidson, b Lindwall 0 P. B _H. Mav, c Benand, b Meckiff 11 M. C. Cowdrey, c Lindwall, b Davidson 22 T. W. Graveney, e McDonald, b Benand • ..19 E. Dexter, c Lindwall, b Meckiff 0 R. Swetman, e Grout, b Davidson 1 -J. Mortimore, not out .. 44 F. R. Trueman, e and b Benaud 21 F. H. Tyson, c Grout, b Benaud 9 J. C. Laker, e Harvey, b Davidson .. .. 2 Extras .. .. 8 Total .. ..205 Fall of wickets: one for 0; two for 13, three for 61, four.fer 109, five for 112, six for 124, seven for 128, eight for 191, nine BowHna

AUSTRALIA First innings C. C. McDonald, not out .. 98 J. W. Burke, c. Trueman, b Tyson 16 R. N. Harvey, c Swetman, b Trueman .. 13 N. O’Neill, c Cowdrey, b Trueman 0 K. Mackay, not out ..22 Extras 1 Total for three wickets .. 150 Fall of wiekets: one for 41, two tor

O. M. R. W A. K. Davidson .. 12.5 2 38 3 R. R. Lindwall ..13 2 36 1 I. Meekiff .. 15 2 57 2 G. Rorke ..6 123 0 R. Renaud ..17 5 43 4

83. three for 83. Bowling O. M. R.. W Trueman .. 12 0 41 2 Tyson .. 12 0 41 1 Bailey .. .. 11 2 30 0 Laker .. 10 2 29 0 Mortimore .. 4 1 8 9