FIFTH TEST MATCH.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 49, 27 February 1908, Page 4

FIFTH TEST MATCH.

AUSTRALIA DOES WELL. ENGLAND'S POSITION.

279 TO GET TO WIN. By Telegraph.— Press Association.— Copyright. SYDNEY, 26th February. Rain which fell last night and this morning did not improve tlio wicket for the continuation of the final test match, the previous soakings and the past four days' play having already impaired the pitch considerably. Ths game was" not resumed till I.lb ,p.m. Hayes fielded for Barnes, who was Buffering from an injured knee, and Blythe'took Hardstaft's place). , - At the start the bowlers found some difficulty in maintaining a footing on the slippery ground. ARMSTRONG AND RANSFORD. Armstrong (19) and Ransford (4), the Australian not-out men from last night, ■when the total stood at. 357 for six •wickets, again took their stand at the wickets, and Armstrong commenced hitting out vigorously. After adding 13, however, he put the ball very simply into Gunn's hands at point, and retired. Hartigan was next man in, but only added 1 a 4 and a single, and then played a ball from Crawford, on to his wicket. CaTter partnered Ransford, who was playing a sound game, and the fourth hundred appeared on the. board for four hours fiitvjpigufc minutes' work. The : Sydney man quickly got into 'doublo figures, and passed his Victorian partner, knocking up 22 in thirteen minutes. Then he put the ball' up into Hobbs's hands at third man. Cartor's score included four 4^ s . Saunders, the last man, fended off his firsc ball from Rhodes, but put the second one up neav the wickets, Young getting to it and effecting a catch. '.ENGLAND'S SECOND VENTURE, -With 279 to get to win, Fane and' Hobbs commenced the Englishmen's second innings. The former was missed by Trumper off Noble's first ball, before any Bcore had been made. Runs came slowly, Hobbs doing mo9t of the scoring till he lifted one, hard from Saunders, Gregory making a good catch. '. Gunn iilled the vacancy, but before he could score a beautiful ball from >lacartney dug hie leg-stump, out. '■" Hutchiiias made a couple, -but Macartney, in'the ne^t.over, lifted his off 1 stump out of the ground, -Macartney's average Standing at- two for B. -I Hardet'aff 'followed,*" Hobbs running for ]}im, and play was slow and (careful. After tea the score crept into the 50's, and then .'Hardstaff pulled one ' from Saunders on to his wicket. • " I, ' A STAND. ' Fane via.* now playing the bowling with some conh'deno3, and was joined by Braund. The half-century had been compiled in seventy-seven minutes. Braund Was a quarter of an hour without getting oft the mark ; then he hit one fasts and Noble effected a pinart catch at point. " Rhodes joined Fane, and play brightened up, the latter getting in some vigorous stioke,s- • "Rhodes reached double figires ik. a 'palfelfc manner,. Under thd Hrying wincl the. .wicket had graatiy improved, and' the bowling was losing much of its stint;. '-"Various changes of bowling were tried! till Noble displaced Macartney at 87, and his second ball shifted Jane's st.umps. Fane had batted two Lours fourteen minutes. / Young followed, and the century was hoisted for two hours twenty-ssyen minutes' play. ■ ; - The' attendance during the afternoon Reached 8600., ' ;, „ ; • Following- ar-s the' scored :—: — v— l- AUSTRALIA. - First Innings - ..v - 137 Second Innings. Noble, lbw, b Rhodes 34 O'Connor,' b' Barnes ... ■. i 6 Trumper, c" Gunn, b Rhodes ... 166 Gregory, b Crawford « . b6 Macartney, c Jones, b Crawford ... 12 Hill, c Young', b Ciauford £4 Armstrong, c Gunw, b Crawford ... 32 Ransford, not out 21 Hoftigan, b. Crawford ... ; 5 Carter,- c Hobbs, b Rhodes 22 ! Baunders, c Younj:, b Rhodes ... 0 , Lxtias ..." 24 . Total , ... .".. 422 ! £ ... ■ * Aggregate •... 559, " .-— — Fall of Wickets. 123456789 10 i ' « . _ _ I 25' -'52 -166 192 300 342 375 387 422 422 / Bowling Analysis. ' Barnes ... ' ...' 1 for 78 Crawford 5 for 141 Rhodes 4 for 102 Biaund 0 for 64 Hobbs 0 for 15 ENGLAND. Fir*t Innings „ ... 281 Second Innings. Far.c, b Noisle . 46 Hobbs, c Gregory, b Sauuders ... 13 Gunn, b Mncutn-rr 0 Hn'.chiugs, b Macartney i 2 HtiHstaff, b f-'nurders' .., ... 8 lka,uad, c Noble, ti Saundcrs ... 0 llhodes, not out 32 Youn?, not out 9 Extras 7 Six tickets for 117 Fall of Wickets. 12 3 4 5 6 21 25 cQ 51 67. 87 POSTPONED. SYDNEY, 26th February. Owine to tiie prolouga Uon of the test match tbc- &outh Australian fixture has been postponed until Monday. NOTES ON TIIE PLAY. The rnin is ncrain taking a nand in the -ftiatih, vwf lL ib difficult to tell at thia dhtaiKG how mu<"h the play has been Influenced by it Th? Englishmen j 'had the b?st of tho conditions when ; they won the toss, mul put the colonials in. aftenvitnis batting themselves, oiran improving wicket. On Saturday, and again on Monday, they played on a pitch übirh -fla? piob.'bly about t!io siime a-5 v, hnt their oppunents contended 'Mth in th^ir fii.=t innings. The visitois should, perhaps, have bagged a, wicket or two on Monday nigh'u, when the conditions favoured tho bowlers On Tuesday tho Australians had a good pitch, arid no doubt made tho mutt of their oportunities. Yosl'uvdoy, however, the wicket was again in favour of j the bowlers, ten players bit the dust — •four Australian' ia«d» six Englishmen. The colonial score was increased by 65 runs. Arfistrorg reached eh& thirties, | and once more Crawford captured Ins wicket. The Surrey man has proved his bete noire on several occasions, Carter, as usual, hit freeiy, and Ransford batted soundly. Both these men have had a gooc 1 season with the bat, the Victorian especially so. He_ has run into double figures on eacn of tho thirtesn occasions Jie, has faced f the Engtistf' tfundlers. and in five strikes in the- inter-State games ho did the same on four instances. His other innings totalled seven, and included in tinabove eighteen innings aje three centurie^, —- -

Crawford and T.hodes divided the colonial wickets, and the Tykes figures are his best of the present series. Tho Englishmen shaped rather badly at the out&et, when, probably, the wicket was at its worst. Fane and Rhodes however, offered a stout resistance, and the Yorkshiremap is still in possession. Qunn got a duck, but his aggregate in the present series of test matches is the largest on either sidej ho and Armstrong oei ng the only ones to make over 400. The gamo now stands greatly in favour of the fielding order, but should tho wicket roll out true, there is no reason why the visitors should not make a fight for it. Good scores are due by two or three of the men yet to be disposed of.