Now only 3-day test

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32494, 2 January 1971, Page 26

Now only 3-day test

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) MELBOURNE. Torrential rain washed out play for the second successive day of the third test between Australia and England yesterday—and a meeting was immediately called to discuss the possibility of playing on Sunday, the rest day.

But after two hours of dis- ■ cussion between officials of 1 the M.C.C. and the Australian board of control, it was decided it was impossible to play the extra day. Mr Jack Ledward, secretary of the Victorian Cricket Association, issued the following statement after the meeting: CAPTAINS TOSSED “Careful consideration was given to Sunday as a playing day; but as the match had commenced consequent to the toss being made, the game was now covered by the . laws of cricket and the agreed playing conditions for

the tour, and no alteration should therefore be made.” The meeting was attended by Sir Donald Bradman and Mr R. Parish, of the Australian board, and the M.C.C. officials, Sir Cyril Hawker (president), Mr G. O. Allen (treasurer), and Mr D. Clark (team manager). Mr Clark said one reason for deciding against Sunday play was concern about establishing a precedent.

$50,000 LOSS Asked if the captains had been consulted about playing on Sunday, Mr Clark said: “If we had decided it was administratively possible to play Bill Lawry and Ray Illingworth would then have been consulted.” On the financial loss, Mr Ledward said: “A conservative estimate of the money we would have taken on the first two days is about $50,000.” . Not a ball has been bowled in the match, and with only three days remaining, the prospect of a result now looks remote.

Unlike Thursday when play was not called off until the mid-afternoon, the decision to abandon play yesterday

came only 45 minutes after the scheduled start. There had seemed a good chance that the match would begin on time yesterday morning until a storm broke 40 minutes before the start. The rain continued, falling heavily at times. AUSTRALIA TO BAT After it had been announced on Thursday that the match would begin after lunch, the captains tossed. Illingworth called correctly and put Australia in to bat. Soon afterwards the rain returned. Both captains have now offered the opposition first use of the pitch during the present series. Lawry sent England in when he won the toss before the second test at Perth. Illingworth is the first English skipper to ask Australia to bat since E. R. Dexter did so at Lord’s in 1964. Lawry commented: “1 would probably have done the same thing as Illingworth had I won the toss, and sent England in to bat.”

Australia made the pace bowler, A. Thomson, twelfth man, and England left out the batsman, K. W. Fletcher.