FOURTH TEST MATCH.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 34, 10 February 1908, Page 2

FOURTH TEST MATCH.

ENGLAND V. AUSTRALIA. A WET WICKET. . ENGLISHMEN MAKE POOR SHOWING. By Telegraph.— fress Association.-^Copyright. MELBOURNE, Bth February. The fourth test- cricket match between England and Australia was continued toduy. When stumps were drawn la&t evening tho Australians in their first innings were out for 214, and the visitors had scored 9 runs without losing any wickets. England was exceedingly unfortunate in having tho worst of^ the weather, and general l egret was expressed that the match should not have beon contested on equal conditions of wicket and weather. It is felt .now that Australia must win, and, that being so, tho rubber becomes Australia's. Rain fell early this morning, conse- i quently tho wicket was soddenod, jind the match, was not resumed till 2.30. SAUNDERS AND NOBLE HAVE A GOOD TIME. Hobbs and Gunn continued their innings in bright sunshine. The wicket was all in favour of the bowlers, and Saunders and Noble had a feast-day. Hobbs, immediately began to hit, and obtained) five successive fourers. Gunn was first to go, being caught and bowled by Saundcrs. His 13 occupied fifty-five minutes. Hardstaff and Hutchings did very little, but tho latter saw Hobbs clean bowled by Noble's first ball of tho day. He had batted seventy-one minutes in a highly meritorious style on a bowler's wicket, and put in ten fourers. Bruundi saw the speedy departure of Rhodes, who was caught in the slips, and Crawford was clean bowled. Biaund was then joined by Jones, who went in for hitting — the proper game on such a. wicket. Braund was vory cloverly run out. Jones played Noblo to mid-oil, and started running. Noble followed up his delivery, . and threw down Biauud's wicket. \ A COLLAPSE. The others put on 9 runs between them, and the innings, which lasted onehundred and twenty-five minutes, closed for 105 runs. Both Suunders and Noblewere unplayable. Noble opened the bowling with O'Connor and Macartney, but soon changed them to himself and Saundcrs, With tho best" result. AUSTRALIA'S SECOND INNINGS. Australia's second innings was opened by Noble and Trumper, on a muchimproved wicket. Tho speet^tois were dismayed to see Citiwford's fouith ball provide Trumper with a "pair of spectacles." Hill and Noblo presented a good front to the bowling, but Noble had the misfortune to play Crawford on to bib leg, and' thence to his wicket. M'Alister did not last long, but Gregory and H,ill got going beautifully. •They stole many runs, and r.ittledi tho fielding by their daring in this Tegard, and roused the spectators to enthusiasm. They play-ed out time in good style. Providing them is no moro rain the wicket should roll out in perfect condition on Monday. ' From present appearances the weather will be fine. Tho attendance registered at the turnstiles was 19,797, and the takings totalled £767. % — ENGLAND —First Innings. Gunn, c and b Saunders 13 Hobbs. b Noble 57 Hardstaff, c Carter, b O'Connor ... 0 Huk-ujn^s. b Sounders 3 Rhodes c M'Alister, b Saunders ... 0 Braund, run out 4 Crawford, b Saunders 1 Jones, b Noble 5 Barnes, C O'Connor, b Noble ... 3 Vielder, &t Carter, b Saunders ... 1 Humphries, not out 3 Extras* , tti 4 Total , 105 Bowling Analysis. Saunders 5 for 28 Noble 3 for 11 O'Connor 1 for 40 Armstrong 0 foT 4 • Macartney 0 for 18 Fall of Wickets. 123456780 58 69 88 90 90 92 96 100 103 AUSTRALIA.— Second Innings. Trumper, b Crawford 0 Noble, b Crawford ... 10 Ilill, not dut 18 M'Alister, c Humphries, b Fielder ... 4 Gregory, not out 13 Extras 4 Three wickets for 49 Fall of Wicket. 12 3 4 21 28 NOTES ON THE PLAY. The winning of tho toss has proved a great stroke of luck to the Australians. The English bowlers performed splendidly on the first day on a wicket which favoured the batsmen, and it was only reasonable to expect that under equal conditions Yhe. \isitors would have secured a hundsome load on the first innings. Fortune frowned on them, ' however, when the rain fell, and instead of batting on. a plumb wicket they had to do so on one which, favoured tho bowler. When tho pitch helps them, colonial bowlers have rarely indeed been found wanting. Tho Melbourne test games have furnished several illustrations. Giffen winning the toss against Stoddart's first team sent them to the wickets, and they were all out for 75. Turner captnring 5 for 32, Trumble 3 for 15, and Coningham 2 for 17. The Australians were disposed of for 123, and eventually the game, which was finished on a good pitch, was won by the Englishmen by 94 ruhs. Maclaren, in 1902, followed Giffeu's example, and put tho Australians in to find them, dismissed for 112, Barno's securing 6 for 42 and Blythe 4 for 64. The 'Englishmen in turn were out for 61, Noble 7 'for 17, and Trumble 3 for 38 being the destroying angels. Australia won that bout by tho margin of 229 runs. Both, matches played at Melbourne- by Warnpr's side were spoiled by the weather, and each team had its share- of luck. England starting with 2 for 221 were all out for 315, Howell and Trumble, doing the bowling. Trumper made 74 in tho colonial's first innings of 122. England replied with 103, Tyldesley standing ouc with 62, whilst Trumble bagged 5 for 34. The Australians were -all out in their second knock for 111. Rhodes had the extraordinary figures of 7 for 56 and 8 for 68, und captured more wickets in a test match than has ever fallen to any 0110 bowler in these games. In tho return match Australia made 247 on a good wicket, and the Englishmen lost Hayward and Arnold for 4. Then came the rain, and tho visitors were despatched for 61, Cotter taking 6 for 40, and Noblo 4 for 19. The Cornstalk's second efforf resulted in 133 being obtained. U list getting 5 for 48. TII3 Englishmen, batting without Haywtud, mustered 101, Tiumble, who took 7 for 2^ also doing

Turning to the game now being ph'yod, mos(s of the run'} weic niadc by Hobbs and Gunn, who probably had the best of tho wicket. The Surroy player's line ell'ort under tno circunibtanccs redounds more to his credit than anything el&e ho has done during the tour. The only "duck" on tho side was that of Rhodes, who, on suth wickets, has dealt out destruction to all and sundry during his career. The score war. 88 when the third wicket fell, and tho side was ail out for an addition of 17 more. Saunders, who also bowled finely in tha recent game with New South ' Wales, showed that he is atill formidable on wick-eta which suit him. Tn thj season o£ 1802 he secured 5 for 50 j,t Sheffield and 4 for 52 at Manchester Noblo helped with three wickets at a small cost, but O'Connor and Macartney, who had a good trial, did not take a, wicket between them. The Englishmen, curiously, started with their fnst bowlers, although there is a chance that Rhodes opened with Crawford. A sensation was provided by Trumper being clean bowled for another duek — his third in succession. The great New South Welshman has fallen indeed from h& higher titate. Against \Varner's team he made more runs in a series than any man has ever done, and, moreover, some of hi,; innings' were played on wickets vhich helped tho bowler. The following table of the largest scores made in one si'ason in these games may prove interesting: — In- Net Bitsman. uuirs. out. Runs. Average. 1897 8.. .. Dnilmir 8 0 537 67.12 1837-8 .... Madmen 10 1 488 F4.22 1801-2 .... Hill 10 0 521 52.10 1903-4 .... Trumper 10 1 574 63.77 1905 .... Jackson 9 2 192 70.28 Peel at ono time made four consecutive "ducks," and Arnold one run in four strikes. Saunders, during the present bout has made but two in five attempts, although twice not out The colonials have now much the best of things, and it is to bo hoped that tho pitch will roll out firm.