MATCH AT MELBOURNE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 1, 2 January 1932, Page 12

MATCH AT MELBOURNE

AUSTRALIA STARTS BADLY

SOUTH AFRICA LUCKY

United Tress Association—By Electric Teleeraph—Copyricht. MELBOURNE, Ist January. The weather was delightful, the Tvicket perfect, and the outfield fast yesterday for tha Test, South Africa v. Australia. Woodfull ivon the toss and elected to bat. Among the early sensations was one when Bell uprooted Ponsford's leg stump, making the fourth occasion recently on which Ponsford has been dismissed in a similar manner while attempting a leg glance. Braduian was nicely taken behind the wickets, Woodfull meeting a similar fate. Bell and Quinn were making the ball lift sharply, and as those bowlers were on the top of their form, Cameron blundered badly by putting on McMillan, who is a slow bowler. Seventeen, including a great straight hit for 6 by Kippax, was made, off his second over. PRE-LUNCH LOW AGGREGATE. At luncheon the total was three wickets for 67, one of the lowest aggregates before lunch on record with the wicket good. When McCabe was caught in the slips after batting for three-quarters of an hour, Bell had taken three for 14 as the result of splendid bowling. Kippax gave his usual neat display. He batted for 114 minutes and hit one sixer and four 4's. A'Beckett and Oldfield were caught in the slips in the same over. Rigg, attempting to force matters,-skied the ball and was caught at fine 'g. He batted for 91 minutes and hit five 4's. He gave an excellent display. At the tea interval the score was eight wickets for 178, the innings closing for 198 at 4.37 p.m. Bell and Quinn bowled magnificently, the ball making great pace off the wicket. Cameron was in great form behind the wickets, ■ and the other fielding , was splendid. SOUTH AFRICANS OPEN QUIETLY. The South Africans opened very quietly, again being badly worried by Grimmett. Mitchell when 12 gave a chance of stumping off Ofrimmett. Finally he was caught high up in the slips. Curnow batted for 70 minutes. The attendance was 20,000 and the receipts £1135 for the day. The score at stumps was South Africa 46 runs for the loss of one wicket. SECOND DAY'S PLAY. To-day the match was resumed in muggy weather under perfect conditions. In the early stages the batsmen played dog: gedly, 60 being reached in 81 minutes. Christy was far below ..his best form, and after batting for an hour was easily caught in the slips. Curnow also was worried by Grimmett, but batted for 144 minutes. He hit three boundaries. The century was brought up in 101 minutes. Taylor was at the wicket for. 46 minutes. All the batsmen were playing fast-footed to Grimmett and Ironmonger. Morkel was looking for runs, but his timing was very much at fault. _ Cameron showed improvement in batting methods by using his feet to the slow bowlers. Morkel showed good form against the medium and fast bowlers, and his scoring rate improved. The partnership added 50 in 54 minutes. CROWD IMPATIENT. Then followed more dull play, the large crowd becoming impatient. Morkel batted1 for 89 minutes, hitting two boundaries. Cameron, after opening nicely, became very stodgy-when he should have been forcing the runs. At the tea interval the score was five wickets for 176 runs. Cameron was smartly stumped by Oldfield after batting for 96 minutes. He gave a good display at times, but wasted too many opportunities of scoring. Australia's total was passed after 298 minutes, bufc: niany runs came from lucky snicks, no batsmen getting on top of the bowlers. Viljoen, who_ was at the wickets for 138 minutes, occasionally made a neat boundary shot and scored fairly freely off Ironmonger toward the close. McMillan batted for 40 minutes. The time for the innings was 367 minutes. The attendance to-daj' was 21,000, and the takings £1242. Details:— AUSTRALIA. First Innings. Woodfull, c Cameron, b Bell 7 Ponsford, b Bell .... 7 Bradman.c Cameron, b Quinn 2 Kippax, c Bell, b Quinn 52 McCabe, c Morkel, b Bell 22 Rigg, c Mitchell, b Bell 68 a'Beckett, c. Mitchell, b Quinn ■ .. <S Oldfield, c Vincent, b Quinn ........ 0 Gvimmett, c Morkel, b Bell 9 AVall, not out 6 Ironmonger, run out -.■ '. 12 Sundries , 7 Total 198 Fall of Wickets.—One for 11, two for 10, three for 25, four for 74, five for 135, six for 143, seven for 143, eight for 173 nine for 1?9, ten for 198. • - Bowling Analysis.—Bell, 26 overs, 9 maidens, five wickets for 69 runs; Quinn 31 overs, 13 maidens, 4 wickets for 42 runs; Morkel, none for 12; Vincent, none for 32; McMillan, none for 22; Christy, none for SOUTH AFRICA. First Innings. Mitchell, c McCabe, b Wall . 17 Curnow, b Grimmett '.'.'.'.'.'. 47 Christy, c McCabe, b Ironmonger. ... 16 Taylor, lbw, b Grimmett n Morkel, lbw, b Ironmonger ....... 33 Cameron, st. Oldfield 39 Viljoen, not out ....* 63 Vincent, c Oldfield, b Wall ......„...' 16 McMillan, not out ; 10 Extras "..**!.*"" 14 Total for seven wickets .......... 26S