AUSTRALIA GRIPS TEST England Effort In Field Not Matched By Batting

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30973, 1 February 1966, Page 3

AUSTRALIA GRIPS TEST England Effort In Field Not Matched By Batting

(N.Z.P.A. Reuter—Copyright) ADELAIDE. Australia was heading for victory at the end of the third day of the fourth cricket test against England yesterday.

England, 275 behind on the first innings, had lost three second innings wickets for 64 at the close.

Victory for Australia would give each side a win in the series, with two drawn, and with one more test, starting at Melbourne on February 11, to come.

A crowd of nearly 36,000 saw R. Simpson again play a dominant role, in spite of a slight gastric upset which slowed down his rate of scoring.

The Australian skipper took his Saturday score of 159 to 225—the highest score ever made by an Australian against England at Adelaide—and then helped to break the back of England’s early batting resistance by making a fine slip catch to send back J. Edrich. England lost three wickets for 32 and only some grim defensive batting afterwards by K. Barrington and M. C. Cowdrey staved off complete disaster.

Australia, replying to England’s first innings total of 241, was all out shortly after tea for 516, Simpson was at the crease altogether for just over nine hours and hit one six and 18 fours.

Improvement England bowled and fielded with far greater determination yesterday than on Saturday and did well to contain the batsmen for long periods. The left arm pace bowler, J. Jones, put in some sterling work yesterday and finished with six wickets for 118 in 29 overs.

England’s one big success yesterday was the dismissal for a “duck” of D. Walters, the new golden boy of Australian cricket. He was at the wicket for 18 minutes be-

fore being caught behind off pace bowler D. Brown. The Australians lost their first wicket yesterday when Peter Burge, who had earlier been dropped by Boycott, was caught behind the wicket for 27. Walters’s dismissal followed and Australia had fallen well below Simpson’s run-a-minute aim. Simpson himself only managed to score 23 in the first 85 minutes yesterday. Low Catch At lunch Australia was 411 for five, and with only four runs added after the interval England captured another wicket.

I. Chappell tried a forcing shot off the back foot against Jones and edged a low catch to Edrich in the gully.

There was some mild barracking for Simpson in the afternoon as he was struggling to force the pace against off spinners D, Allen and F. J. Titmus. He was obviously

tired, however, and it was no surprise when he was seventh out at 480.

Stackpole hit up a bright 43 in 83 minutes before snicking a catch behind the wicket at 501, and the side was finally all out for 516, the last four wickets having fallen for 36 runs.

At this stage England had a good ehance of saving the game, but again their batting failed miserably against some top class seam bowling by D. McKenzie and N. Hawke. McKenzie produced a magnificent ball to send back Boycott with the score at 23.

The ball came back sharply and trapped the batsman leg before as he played a defensive stroke too late. Off McKenzie’s next delivery J. Edrich edged the ball just in front of Stackpole at second

slip, and at the other end Barber survived another legbefore appeal. Barber finally fell at 31, to a fine catch by the wicket keeper. W. Grout. He at- ' tempted to cover drive a ; widish ball from Hawke and snicked a catch which Grout took diving to his left almost in front of first slip. Hawke dismissed Edrich in similar fashion off the fourth ball of his following over, and with only one more run added. Edrich seemed to attempt a drive but succeeded only in edging a knee-high catch to Simpson at first slip. C. Cowdrey and K. Barrington came together in a dour stand which realised 32 runs in the last 56 minutes but England has an almost impossible task to stave off defeat with two days remaining. So far Barrington has been at the crease for 68 minutes for his 14 and Cowdrey 12 minutes less for his 13. Nei-j ther batsmari has produced ai boundary yet.