Last Pair Defy South Africa, Save Series

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30364, 13 February 1964, Page 10

Last Pair Defy South Africa, Save Series

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

SYDNEY, February 12. Australia today staged a successful back-to-the-wall fight to draw the fifth test against South Africa at Sydney. The rubber finished tied, both sides winning one test each with three drawn.

But T. L. Goddard’s South African team had the satisfaction of a moral victory in this final encounter. But for a valiant last-wicket stand by T. Veivers and N. Hawke, South Africa would have won. They held the fort for 73 minutes in a stand of 45 invaluable runs.

The South Africans did not break the stand until 22 minutes after the tea adjournment. South Africa then needed 171 runs for victory in 85 minutes, but it was a hopeless task.

Goddard and E.' G. Barlow scored 76 without loss and batted so' comfortably that they left little doubt South Africa would have won With more time. .

The Springboks missed their chance of a victory mainly because of their slow bowling rate and slow runscoring in earlier stages of the match.

But they achieved a drawn series, emulating Jack Cheetham’s 1952-53 Springboks who drew, 2-2, . with Australia. Benaud Out Cheaply Resuming - at 141 for three .wickets, 41 runs ahead, Australia faced an early crisis when R. Benaud, making his farewell appearance in test cricket, fell cheaply in M. A, Seymour’s fourth over. But B. C. Booth, centurymaker in the first innings, touckied down to the task and the only other. Australian casualty in the pre-lunch session, was the left-hander B. Shepherd who was:caught wlien he had scored 12, liftng a drive off Goddard’s bowling.

N. C.. O’Neill batted for 28 minutes before lunch with the aid of a runner. He had strained a thigh muscle in .the field yesterday. The South Africans bowled with pin-point accuracy, Goddard conceding only, six runs from eight overs, Seymour 26 runs from 16 overs. At lunch, ■ when Australia was 188 for five and four hours’ play, remained, the matcl.i seemed to, be going South Africa’s way. For a while longer - after the re-

sumption the tourists seemed to have the match and series in their pockets. Booth, who had gone to lunch .86 not out,, after -289 minutes of. sheet-anchor batting, fell soon afterwards, and O’Neill, who batted 66 minutes- scoring six runs, followed him. . G. D. McKenzie and A.. W. Grant failed to stay for long, and. when.'the last pair came

together Australia was perilously placed, nine wickets down for 225 (a lead of 125 runs) and nearly three hours of play. But Veivers, adding to his good knock in the first innings, and Hawke, who' survived some anxious moments playing Seymour’s off spin bowling, stuck to their task, and saved the match and the series for Australia. Scores:—

AUSTRALIA First Innings ..311

Total ..270 Fall of wickets: One for 29. two for 49, three for 132, four for 152, five for 181, six for 189, seven for 207, eight for 209, nine for 225.

SOUTH AFRICA First Innings .. .. 411 Second Innings T. L. Goddard, not out .. 44 E. J, Barlow, not out .. 32

Second Innings R. B. Simpson, lbw, b Partridge 31 W. M. La wry. c Waite, b P. Pollock 12 B. C. Booth, c Carlstein (sub.), b Seymour 87 P. Burge, c Partridge, b Seymour 33 R. Benaud, c Carlstein, b Seymour 3 B. Shepherd, c Bland, b Goddard 12 N. c. O’Neill, b P. Pollock 6 T. Veivers, c Barlow, b Goddard 39 G. D. McKenzie, c Bland, b P. Pollock .. 0 W. A. Grout, c Barlow, b Partridge 14 N» Hawke, not out.. .. 16 Extras (byes 5, leg byes 4, no balls 2) 11

Bowling R. W. O. M. P. Pollock . 11 1 35 3 Partridge . 32 5 85 2 Haise . 7 0 22 0 Barlow . 1 0 8 0 Seymour . 38 9 80 3 Goddard . 24.7 10 29 2

Total for no wkt. . 76 Bowling O. M R. W. McKenzie .. 4 0 16 0. Hawke .. 4 0 16 0 Veivers .. 8 0 19 0 Benaud .. 8 2 25 0