Struggling England Facing Defeat

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30485, 6 July 1964, Page 12

Struggling England Facing Defeat

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) LEEDS, July 5. England, virtually 36 for five wickets in its second innings, is facing defeat in the third test against Australia at Headingley. England will resume its innings on Monday in the thick of a dire emergency. It has scored 157 for four after trailing Australia’s 389 by 121 runs on the first innings.

The left-hand batsman, P. H. Parfitt, who had his left hand in plaster after breaking a knuckle while batting on Saturday, will bat for England only in a crisis.

Parfitt had faced only one ball and scored one run when the accident occurred. In addition to Parfitt, the fast-medium bowler, J. Flavell, had to leave the field during Australia’s innings on Saturday with torn fibres in his right ankle. To Have Try-Out While Flavell may be able to bat in his customary position at No. 11, he could be under some handicap when he bowls. He will have a try-out on Monday morning. This test has been a remarkable one for its sensational fluctuations, England, after winning, the toss and having first use of a perfect batting strip, got away to a sharp start, but was bundled out for 268. . Australia’s batting followed something of the same pattern. An early build-up was suddenly destroyed. But where England failed to make a comeback, Australia had P. J. Burge and two lower orderbatsmen of quality—N. J. Hawke and A. W. Grout. Valuable Stands

By fierce determination and a will to apply themselves to the best form of batting techniques, the last three Australian wickets added 211 runs and raised Australia’s score from 178 for seven to 389.

On Friday evening Burge and Hawke had put on 105 for the eighth wicket, the stand ending on the last ball of the day.

On Saturday, Grout came out to partner his fellow Queenlahder. Burge—looking more like Rocky Marciano than Stan McCabe to whom his great innings of 160 has been likened:—continued to bat pugnaciously as he flayed the fast bowlers almost at will.

He and Grout added 89 runs for the ninth wicket, after which G, C. Corling gamely stuck with Burge for a further 17 runs. Surge was the last player to be dismissed and when he swung a ball to mid-wicket and was well caught by the substitute fieldsman, A. Rees, he had batted for 314 minutes and hit 24 fours. The only semblance of a chance during his Innings was a difficult caught and bowled at 117 to the slow left-arm spinner, N. Gifford. It was an innings worthy of the batting giants of any era and as he walked off the York-

shire crowd of 27,000 gave him a standing ovation. Although the. innings belonged to Burge, great credit must go to Grout and Hawke who both scored 37 runs. Simpson's Scheming Australia, uplifted by the wonderful fight-back, quickly got rid of the dangerous G. Boycott whom Corling had caught by Simpson at first slip for the third time. It was a brilliant catch made to look easy by Simpson. For this quick break-through much credit must go to Simpson who wisely allowed Corling rather than Hawke to share the new ball w’ith G. D. McKenzie knowing full well Boycott’s weakness against Corling. One of the big factors and the surprises of the match so far has been that the Australian pace bowlers—McKenzie, Hawke and Corling—have been able to get a great deal more lift out of this pitch than their England counterparts—F. S. Trueman, J. Flavell and E. R. Dexter. It was this ability to make the odd ball get up sharply that brought disaster for England. Struck on Left Glove Parfitt, facing the last ball of Corling’s over in which he had dismissed Boycott, was struck on the left glove as he pushed it away for a single. He did not face another ball, but left the ground immediately after completing the run. K. F. Barrington played an innings of extreme good fortune, finally settling down after a series of mistimed shots when

easily could have been out. At 44 he skied a ball to deep mid-on where W. M. Lawry badlv misjudged a catch. Dexjer, who has been severely reprimanded by English critics for his bowling tactics In the second test and present test, came out with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Subdued Daxtar He played entirely out of character. staying at the wicket, for 74 minute, for hl, 17 runs when he was smartly picked up by I. R. Redpath off T. R. Veivers at short mjd-on. But be fore he left Dexter had shared In a valuable stand of 57 with Barrington. » J. H. Edrleh. who started not too happily; went to the first ball after tea. He moved too far Inside it. got a touch on the leg side and was well caught by Grout.

Simpson kept Veivers pegging away at -one end and, in his last stx overs, Simpson advised the big Queenslander to switch to round-the-wlcket In an at tempt to land the ball in the bowlers' rough. It was success ful—Dexter was caught. And then the most telling blow of all came six minutes before stumps when Veivers had Barrington l.b.w Barrington, like Grout, had not offered a bat to the ball when he was struck on the pad and he gave the umpire. Mr F Price, an equally menacing look as Grout had done in hi, dismissal. Barrington batted just over three hours for his 85 runs and hit nine fours.