THIRD CRICKET TEST

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 241, 8 July 1938, Page 11

THIRD CRICKET TEST

Heavy Rain Makes Wicket Soft Londons July 6. Heavy rain at Manchester has made the wicket for the third cricket Test at Old Trafford soft, and it may favour the spin bowlers unless there is a rapid change in the weather.

VERITY FIT FOR TEST

London, July <5.

The Yorkshire county cricket authorities have informed the selectors that Verity will be quite sound, for the Test.

OLD TRAFFORD WICKET

Reputation For Stickiness

(By Burwood.)

The Old Trafford ground at Manchester, where the third Test mate between Australia and England will begin to-day, has a reputation for stickiness. Some small scores have been recorded there, and in the season the Test match at Manchester was abandoned without a ball being bowled. . In the 1884 season England was dismissed for 95, to which Australia reponded with IS2, and England in the second innings lost nine wickets for 180, the match being drawn. In tlie 1888 season. England scored 172, and dismissed Australia for 81 and 70. the Englishmen winning by an innings and 21 runs. Better scoring was seen in 1896, when Australia hit up 412 and 125 for seven wickets, England being ‘dismissed for 231 and 305. Australia winning by three wickets. Sweeping Victory. Good scoring again marked the match in 1599, when England scored 372 and 94 for three wickets, and Australia 196 and 346 for seven wickets, declared, the game being drawn. England had a sweeping victory in 1905, piling up 446 runs, and dismissing Australia for 197 and 169, the Home players winning by an innings and 80 runs. Rain had a big say in 1912, when England scored 203, and Australia 14 for no wickets, and here the argument was washed out. The match in 1926 was also inconclusive. Australia scored 335, and England 305 for five wickets. The same thing happened in 1930, when Australia hit up 345, and England scored 251 for the loss of eight wickets. Heaviest Scoring. The heaviest scoring of the whole series took place in 1934, when England made 627 for nine wickets, and applied the closure. M. Leyland scored 153, E. Hendren 132, L. E. G. Ames 72, H. Sutcliffe, G. O. Allen and H. Verity reached the sixties, and C. F. Walters made 52. Australia mads a vigorous response with 491, S. J. McCabe reaching 137, W. M. Woodful 73, and W. A. Brown 72. England put on 123 for the loss of no wickets in the second innings and declared the innings closed, but Australia had one wicket down for 66 when time was called, and another draw went down on the records.

England holds the honours for Test matcljes at Old Trafford, having scored three wins there to Australia’s two, and the remaining nine matches have been drawn.