BIG SCORING AT BRISBANE

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29384, 10 December 1960, Page 14

BIG SCORING AT BRISBANE

Tourists Score 359 In Day (2V.Z, Press -Association—Copy rig tit) BRISBANE, December 9. A magnificent 132 by the champion lefthand batsman, G. Sobers, was the highlight of one of the finest days in test cricket history on the first day in the first test match between Australia and the West Indies at the Brisbane Cricket Ground today. At the close of play the West Indies was 359 for seven. Sobers hit 2L 4’s with superb power and timing in 174 minutes. It was his tenth test century and he has now passed 3000 Tuns in test cricket.

The West Indies captain, F. M. Worrell, made a ■fine 65 and with Sobers put on 174 in 152 minutes for the fourth wicket.

This was only five runs short of the record fourth-wicket stand in tests between the two coun-; tries, set by C. L. Walcott (100), and Sobers (64) in the fifth test in the West Indies in 1955. Sobers’ magnificent batting earned him a tumultuous ovation from the crowd. Australia’s heroes were the New South Wales left-arm med-ium-fast bowler, A. K.' Davidson, who took four for 102 in 22 overs, and the wicket-keeper, W. Grout, who took four catches. The other fast bowler, I. Meckiff broke the fourth cricket partnership when Sobers unluckily mis-hit a full toss and was caught. J. Martin was 12th man for Australia. There were moments of suspense for Worrell and the Australian captain, R. Benaud, when they tossed to decide who would bat first. Benaud tossed a florin and Worrell called “tails.” The coin fell to the pitch and rolled on its edge for at least 15ft along the wicket before toppling over to “tails.”

Davidson opened the bowling to C. Hunte. He had a threeman leg trap—three slips, Favell in the gully, O’Neill patrolling the covers and McDonald at midwicket.

Hunte opened the West In- ; dies’ score with a fine off drive for four. Hunte turned Davidson’s next ball—a swinging full toss —beautifully off his toes to the square leg fence for another boundary. Hunte pounded the next ball to mid on with such power that even though Meckiff took much of the pace off the ball, it still rolled near to the fence before C. C. McDonald fielded it. C. Smith hit Davidson past gully for a single, then Davidson gave Hunte a scare with an excellent ball which lifted sharply from a good length. The next ball Hunte hit for his third four in 16 runs with a perfect straight drive. SMITH CAUGHT Smith went to drive a ball from Davidson pitched just outside the off stump and got an edge for Grout to take a straightforward catch. R. Kanhai began by slashing Davidson over the five slips for four. His next shot was mistimed, and the ball shot past square leg for two. The last ball was a nasty bumper which lifted quickly and hit Kanhai on the hands as he held his bat head high. After six overs disaster came again for the West Indies. Hunte went to square cut Davidson but he mistimed the shot and slashed the ball uppishly. Benaud at third slip leaped across to his right to take a fine catch. Sobers had a narrow escape when he slashed at Davidson and the ball whizzed wide of Benaud at third slip to go for four. Kanhai swung at an outswinger in Davidson’s next over and snicked the ball hard to Grout who leaped across to take an excellent catch. Worrell joined Sobers to begin the most vital partnership of the innings and opened his score with a single to mid-off. BENAUD HIT At 87 for three Benaud came on and Sobers raced to 50 in his second over. He hit the first ball past mid-on for four, straight drove the third ball for four, and square-cut the next for four to reach 50 in 57 minutes with eight boundaries. The 50 partnership appeared in 41 minutes, of which Worrell had made 9 and Sobers 41. Sobers square-cut Benaud for three, then Worrell hit a flowing off-drive for four. Benaud’s third and fourth overs cost 21 runs. Worrell pulled Benaud for four immediately after lunch and Davidson came back into the attack to have 10 hit off his first over. Worrell drove him; through the covers for two threes' and they took four singles. Sobers hit Benaud through the covers for his twelfth four to reach 79. The shot took his total of test runs to 3001 in his, thirtyfirst test match. Worrell drove Davidson for his fifth four. Then Sobers hammered the last ball of Benaud’s over to the boundary to bring up the 100 partnership in 90 minutes: At 167 for three the spinner, L. Kline, came in and bowled a maiden to Worrell. Benaud was bowling to a deep defensive field to Sobers—five men in an arc from mid-off to backward point, a slip, mid-on, mid-wicket, and deep backward-square-leg. It did not stop Sobers from hitting a perfect cover drive past Davidson for four, then taking a single to point to reach 100. The crowd went wild as Benaud walked over and shook hands with Sobers. He had been batting only 125 minutes and had hit 15 fours. It was Sobers’ tenth test century. NEW BAUD TAKEN

Davidson and Meckiff took the new ball immediately 200 was reached. Worrell gloriously square drove Davidson to reach 52. Another cover drive for four made the partnership worth 150 in 134 minutes. Sobers’ twentieth boundary was an off-drive from Davidson hit so powerfully that although McDonald got down right behind the ball he still could not stop it and it ran up his ai m and sped to the fence. Next ball Sobers gave

a near chance when he snicked Davidson low and wide of Simpson at slip. Simpson could not get a hand to the ball which went Sot four. Sobers’ magnificent innings came to an unhappy end in Meckiff’s nerxt over. He attempted to turn a -full toss, but apparently turned his bat too soon and the ball hit the back of the bat and lobbed gently to square leg where L. Kline took an easy catch. Sobers stood stunned for a moment at his bad luck, then walked off to a tremendous ovation. He and Worrell had put on 174 in 152 minutes for the fourth wicket* carrying the West Indies to 239 for four. Not long afterwards Worrell was a2so out to a fine delivery from Davidson. The ball moved sharply from the pitch and lifted to take the edge of Worrell’s bat and Grout took another fine catch. Davidson now had four for 84 in his sixteenth over. Solomon and the young lefthander, P. Lashley, carried the total to 272 for five in 240 minutes when Lashley failed to pick Kline’s googly and was caught behind for 19. Earlier Lashley had brought tlhe crowd to its feet with a beautifully hooked six off Meckiff. Salomon went on to score a solid 65. Scores:— WEST INDIES First Innings C. Hunte, c Benaud. b Davidson 24 C. Smith, c Grout, b Davidson 7 R. Kanhai, c Grout, b Davidson 15 G. Sobers, c Kline, b Meckiff 132 F. M. Worrell, c Grout, b Davidson .. .. 65 P. Lashley, c Grout, b Kline .. 19 J. Solomon, hit wkt., b Simpson 65 F. Alexander, not out .. 21 K. T. Ramadhin, not out .. 9 Extras .. .. 2 Total for seven wickets .. 359 Fall of wickets: one for 23, two for 42. three for 65, four for 239, five for 243, six for 289. seven for 359. Bowling O. M. R. W.

A. K. Davidson 22 3 102 4 I. Meckiff .. 15 0 90 1 K. Mackay ..3 0 15 0 R. Benaud .. 19 3 73 0 R. Simpson .. 8 0 25 1 L. Kline .. 17 6 52 1