"THE ASHES"

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 5, 6 July 1921, Page 4

"THE ASHES"

Of the 83 decided tests, Australia has now won 43, England 40. The last five tests in Australia were all won by the Australians, who thus recovered■" the ashes," using that phrase in the sense in which it is generally understood. As, however, some people regard "the ashes" as something to be won or lost on English soil, Australia may be said to have confirmed her title, in this special sense, by the victory at Leeds cabled to-day, which gives her the first three matches in the English rubber of five. The first two of these matches, in-which England gained the toss, were won by Australia by. ten wickets and eight wickets respectively. At Leeds, in the deciding contest, England had a considerably altered team, some o£ whose aew batsmen fought

gamely, but they failed in their final hit by 219 runs, although it must be admitted that this defeat U riot-so big as it looks, if one remembers that Hobbs batted in neither innings, and that on this occasion England, with nine wickets only, also lost the toss. With first innings totals of 40V for Australia and 259 for England, the match was at an interesting stage when Australia had lost four wickets for 223 in the second innings. The time-factor was beginning to press, and Australia's game was to get runs quickly, so as to leave, time to dismiss the Englishmen in their second innings. But\ getting runs quickly is risky, and three more wickets fell for an addition of only seven runs, owing mainly to a new bowler (White) unearthed by the English selectors. Then the veteran Armstrong steadied things—he could punish Parkin but not White—and carried the score to seven for 273, when he " declared."

With 422 runs to make to win, and 270 minutes in which to do it, the Englishmen in their second innings had practically no winning chance, but a chance to draw Could the Australian attack break the batsmen down in time? At time of writing the details available are not sufficient for a close analysis, but it is apparent that Brown (46), Woolley (37), and Hearne (27) gave trouble. Their wickets were well parcelled out — Gregory removed Brown, M'Donald removed Hearne, ■ and Mailey " got" Woolley, whose wonderful batting was the feature of England's play in the second test. Later on Tennyson (the amateur " hope" and a descendant of the poet) and Jupp made something of a stand, and 1 this time it was Armstrong's opportunity. He took both their wickets and appears to have finished up with the wonderful average of 'two wickets for six runs. The other bowling honours were well • distributed among Mailey, Gregory, and iM'Donald. Although the loss of " the ashes " in Australia was confirmed in England on Yorkshire soil, the only Yorkshireman in this match was the Australian wicket-keeper Carter, who, besides "keeping" finely, made 34 and: 47, a,nd who received a deserved ovation, as a doughty, opponent, from the people of the great cricketing county that failed to provide a Yorkshire defender. Mention of Carter's run-getting recalls the fact that; the Australian batting team hais a marvellous "tail," and that fact has to be remembered whenever Armstrong " declares." Tho limit of the "tail," in runs, simply doeß not exist. Though the rubber is decided, interest is by no means gone. English cricket is trying hard to " come back." And' it may do so even before this tour is ended.