Aust. batsmen fight back

Press, 4 December 1978, Page 30

Aust. batsmen fight back

i NZPA Brisbane Australia fought its way to within 13 runs of England’s first-innings lead of 170 thanks to an unbeaten century partnership between the captain, Graham Yallop, and Kim Hughes by the close of play yesterday on the third day of the first test.

At the close of play, 25min early because of bad light, Australia had recovered from another disastrous start in its second innings to be 157 for three, with Yallop not out on 74 and Hughes not out on 51.

England made 286 in reply to Australia’s first-innings total of 116.

Yallop and Hughes came together when Australia was 49 for three after losing its first two wickets in the first two overs for only two runs.

England’s giant fast bowler, Bob Willis, had sent Australia reeling when he dismissed Gary Cosier with the first ball of the innings and in the next over, from lan Botham, Peter Toohey was trapped lbw. Yallop, who had a luckless match until yesterday, walked to the wicket with his side in desperate trouble and he answered the challenge with a real captain’s innings.

After blunting the England pace attack the two Australian batsmen started to go for their shots and for I the first time in the match: the England captain, Mike Brearley, was forced to set a defensive field. England resumed its first innings yesterday morning at 257 for eight and added 29 valuable runs before the innings ended 50min before lunch.

The Australian fast bowler, Rodney Hogg, took his sixth wicket to finish with the fine figures of six for 74 from 28 overs and his fast-bowling partner, Alan Hurst, claimed the other wickets to have four for 93, from 27.4 overs. The Australian wicketkeeper, John Maclean, like

I Hogg playing in his first test, took five catches and joined the England wicketkeeper, Bob Taylor, iWho took five catches in Australia’s first innings, in equalling the number of ; dismissals in a test innings !between the two countries. AUSTRALIA First innings lit Second innings G. Cosier b Willis 0 G. Wood lbw b Old 19 P. Toohey lbw b Botham 1 G. Yalloo not out 74 IK. Hughes not out SI Extras (IbL nbll) 12 Total for 3 wickets 157 I Fall: 0,2, 49.

ENGLAND First innings G. Boycott c Hughes b Hogg 13 G. Gooch c Laughlan b Hogg 2 D. Randall c Laughlin b Hurst 75 R. Taylor lbw b Hurst 20 M. Brearley c Maclean b Hogg 6 D, Gcwer c Maclean b Hurst 44 I. Botham c Maclean b Hogg 49 G. Miller lbw b Hogg 27 P. Edmonds c Maclean b Hogg 1 C. Old not out 29 R. Willis c Maclean b Hurst 8 Extras (b 7 Ib4, nbl) 12 Total 286 Fall: 2, 38, 111, 120, 120, 215, 219, 226, 266, 286.

Bowling 0 M R W R Willis 13 2 3* 1 C. Old 8 1 38 1 1. Botham .. 13 5 37 1 G. Miller 13 $ I 9 0 P. Edmonds 5 0 12 0

Bowling 0 M R W Hurst . 27.4 6 93 4 Hogg 23 8 74 6 Lauahiin 22 6 54 0 Yardley 7 1 34 0 Cosier 5 1 10 0 Higgs • 2 9 0