Cricket FIRST TEST BEGINS

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29228, 11 June 1960, Page 7

Cricket FIRST TEST BEGINS

Dreary Batting

At Leeds

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)LONDON, June 10. The dreary batting of England on the first day of the test against South Africa at , Edgbaston. Leeds, yesterday, wis cudgelled by every national newspaper today. The “News Chronicle” said England’s much vaunted batting power had been reduced to a “dreary) pawkiness.” Praise was undoubtedly due to the bowlers for the score of 175 for three, but H. J. Tayfield should not have had figures of eight overs for 11 runs, or T. L. Goddard seven overs for six runs, as happened at one stage. At this time the bowlers were delivering half-volleys which should have been hit.

But overall, the Springboks deserved full credit. They kept the ball moving and turning all the time, while their length and direction were so accurate that scoring was never easy. In fact if N. A. T. Adcock had pitched the ball up instead of dropping it short so often, quite a few more England wickets might have gone down. England would obviously have to fight for every run today. The “Daily Mail,” in a strong attack “reported with sorrow that test cricket is with us again.” It, pointed out that R. Subba Row' took 15 minutes to get off the mark while M. J. K. Smith needed twice that time to get his first single. E. R. Dexter took half an hour to advance one run from 35 to 36 and the first 100 runs came from 51 overs which took more than three hours to bowl

The “Daily Telegraph” commented that not by the most charitable stretch could the match be described as distinguished. It was depressing to see men who had been scoring so heavily in county cricket reduced to a trickling rate by the more accurate bowling and added stress of a test match. Scores:— ENGLAND First Innings G. Pullar, c McLean, b Goddard 37 M. C. Cowdrey, c Waite, b Adcock .. 3 E. R. Dexter, b Tayfield .. 52 R. Subba Row, not out .. 32 M. J. K. Smith, not out .. 42 Extras .. .. 9 Total for three wickets .. 175 Fall of wickets: one for 19, two for 80, three for 100. Bowling O. M. R. W. N. A. T. Adcock 24 9 33 1 G. Griffin .. 16 2 52 0 T. L. Goddard 29 15 42 1 H. J. Tayfield .. 24 13 25 1 J. P. FellowsSmith 5 1 14 0