Stackpole leading Aust, bid to save test

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32521, 3 February 1971, Page 28

Stackpole leading Aust, bid to save test

f.V.Z. Press Association—Copyright) ADELAIDE. Another defiant innings by the opening batsman, K. R. Stackpole, boosted Australia’s chances of saving the sixth test against England at the Adelaide Oval today.

Stackpole, who made 87 in the first innings, was 65 not out at the close of the fourth day yesterday, when Australia was 104 for one.

Australia looked to be facing a mammoth task to salvage a draw from the game when R. Illingworth declared England’s second innings at 233 for four an hour after lunch.

England’s lead was 468, and Illingworth had left his attack nearly nine hours to bowl Australia to defeat. But Stackpole, who shared an opening stand of 65 with his captain. W. M. Lawry, held the England bowlers at bay for 166 minutes yesterday afternoon with a fighting innings that contained some powerful attacking strokes. England’s batting yesterday revolved round the opener, G. Boycott, who completed his ninth hundred in test cricket, including the one he scored against the Rest of the World XI last summer. Boycott was 119 not out when Illingworth declared and has now scored 1535 runs on the tour. This leaves him only 18 runs short of W. R. Hammond's record for an Englishman in Australia, and with another test to go, he looks certain to set a new mark.

With J. H. Edrich, Boycott gave England its second century start of the match—the pair putting on 103 yesterday before Edrich was out.

But the day ended on an unhappy note for Boycott when he was taken to hospital to have a particle of metal removed from his eye.

The M.C.C. assistant manager (Mr B. Thomas) said: "The particle lodged itself between Geoff’s eye and a contact lens while he was fielding. He will have to keep a dressing on it for about 24 hours but there is no question of him being out for any length of time.” After the close last night, Lawry said: “We have absolutely no chhnce of winning the match. A run a minute is too much to ask. But there is no reason why we should not save the game if we bat effectively.”