STRANGE ANTI-CLIMAX

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 9, 11 July 1934, Page 11

STRANGE ANTI-CLIMAX

FOLLOW-ON AVERTED

DRAMA ENDS IN FARCE

(Received July 11, 10 a.m.)

LONDON, July 10.

. Although, the ■prospects were for some interesting cricket on the final day of the match, the situation dia not attract anything like the same attendance as on the other days. This, howevor, is customary in England on the last day of a niateh. - .There were barely 6000 people present at starting time today, but the attendance increased to 7000 after lunch. The heat wavo continued. As Australia's tail-end batsmen approached the mark which would save- a'follow-on : lhe excitement became greater, and there was a thrill when the objoctiVc was reached. The Australians certainly had their backs to the wall, and it was most comforting to their friends to see how well they were hanging on during the critical period of the game; Chipperficld, who apparently was feeling a little better, made a plucky stand, but was out bofore the requirement . was reached. O'Reilly and Wall, however, accomplished the feat of virtually ending the game, and .were greeted with generous applause. O'Reilly,', with. 30 not out, made his highest score in Test cricket. The English, bowling today was unusually poor. Interest in subsequent play waned. England,, batting again, occupied the wicket until 4.15 p.m., by which time Walters and Suteliffe had madd 123 runs. The innings was closed at that, and Australia, batting again with no prospect of defeat, had put on 66 runs for one wicket when the match, developing into a farcical finish, was cut short by half an hour. REDUCING THE MARGIN. •At the start of the day's play Chipporfield (7) and O'Reilly (1) continued Australia,'s first, innings against the bowling of Allen and Clark, a new ball being . brought into use. Clark strengthened the leg-side field, including three men close in. Runs came reasonably freely, even O 'Reilly hitting | with unusual confidence. The bowling was quickly changed. Chipperuold had a lucky escape Whon S. Ho snicked an outswinger to Hendrcn at socond slip and the fieldsman dropped a relatively easy chance. The 55 runs which .were needed to save a-follow-on gradually began to come down per medium of usoful singles and an occasional 4, which was more important than gaining time. O'Reilly cut Allen to the boundary, while in Allen's fifth over Chipporfield, when 17, again snicked an outswinger. Hammond, at first slip, got his tight hand on to a difficult chanco, which went on to the boundary. Hammond was tried, then Verity replaced him, only to be hit to the boundary by Chipperfield,. bringing up 452 in 545 minutes. O 'Reilly continued pluekily helping to pull the game out of.tho fire. He had a close shave when 12, Hammond dropping a difficult chance from a bumper off Clark. Now only 24 were needed to save tho follow-on, and the position was never more exciting. NEARING THE GOAL. Verity looked more difficult than the fast bowlers on the dusty wicket, and troubled Chipporfield, who, in attempting to, hook a leg-break, skied the ball deep to square-leg where Walters'took a well-judged catch. Tlicrc had been no score for ten minutes, and 24 runs wero still wanted to avoid a follow-on Chipperjicld batted 100 minutes in a plucky stay of almost an hour today. THRILLING FIGHT. When Wall made his appearance he was applauded lustily;" He sodn began to take toll of the bowlers in a manner least expected. r Sixtocn wore wanted when Hopwood, fumbling tho ball, lost a chance of running Wall out, when a risky tw6 was taken off Verity. The crowd appreciated the batsmen's fine fight. ■ Each moment was move thrill-1 ing, and a piquant touch was given to the situation.when only 12 were needed, then 7, then 3. Then O'Reilly, finely swinging Verity to the fence, Saved a follow-On. The feat was greeted with generous applause. More ringing I cheers ' came for O 'Reilly when drinks were brought out. Wall continued on his merry way, and cut Allen to the boundary, but when O 'Reilly was 30 he was dropped at second slip by Hendren. It was a difficult, low chance, off Allen. Keeton, substi-1 tuting for Leyland, ended a sensational innings with a splendid throw from deep square-leg, hitting the stumps when Wall attempted to sneak a second run. Tho innings took 605 minutes. O'Keilly was in for two hours and Wall for 40 minutes, of which 20 elapsed before the follow-on was saved, , The English-

men made way for O'Reilly and Wall entering the pavilion and joined in the applause ENGLAND AGAIN. Twenty-five minutes before lunch Walters and Sutcliffe reopened for England. Bradman fielded in the outfield, and Bromley substituted for Chipperfield. There was no great hostility in the- bowling, and the opening batsmen put on 21 runs by lunch. Tho crowd became ironic at the undue caution of the batsmen in the first 20 minutes after lunch. Then Sutcliffe hooked McCabe twice consecutively to the boundary. There was no evidence of England forcing the pace and then declaring. Tho half-century took 70 minutes, which was unwarrantably slow, seeing that England was not in the least danger. ' SOME DIVERSION. A fire in the grandstand, which was quickly subdued, brought a brief diversion in the dullness of the match. Then Sutcliffo unexpectedly swung MeCabe for a 6 over square-leg—the first 6 of the match. He also hit a 4 in tlie sauio over, and reached 50 in 105 minutes. The 100 was compiled, -in 115 minutes. Walters showed none of his first innings brilliance. His 50 occupied 145 minutes. Wyatt declared at 4.25 p.m. One hundred and ten minutes remained when Brown and Ponsford reopened for Australia. PONSFORD'S THOUSAND. With 110 minutes of playing time remaining, Brown ana Ponsfordi reopened for Australia. Allen ana Clark bowled erratically, but in Allen's second over Brown snicked a ball straight into the hands of Hammond at first slip. Ponsfoid was uncomfortable against Clark's fast leg-stump attack, but McCabo dealt with it confidently. McCabo had mado 8 when Allen dropped a relatively easy catch at short squareleg off Clark. Ponsford, who reached his 1000 runs for the tour, drove Allen for two 4's. Ho and McCabo were now batting so well that the prospect of a collapse was remote One spectator started up a portable gramophone as a diversion from the dying match. Towards the end tho scoring slackened to a snail's pace. Ponsf.ord declined to ' bat while tho ironical applause continueci. Barnott ea'mo out to Wyatfc with a message from Woodfull. The immediate result was that Hendren was cajled on to the crowd's gratification. Hendren bowled one comical over, and then the farcical finish to the match was cut short. It was a very tame ending to a pi'omising match. Details:— ENGLAND. First Innings. Nine wickets for.. 627! (Innings declared closed.) ■ ' Second Innings. * Walters, not out 50 Sutcliffo, not out 09 Extras .................. . 4 Total for no wickets 123 (Innings declared closed.) Bowling Analysis. O. -M. 1?. W. Wall .......... .0 0 : ;tl 0 McCabe . ..' IS 4 .35 0 O'Eoilly 13 4 -25 0 Grimmctt 17 5 SS 0 " ■ AUSTRALIA. First Innings. Ponsford, c Hondren, b Hammond 12 Brown, c Walters, b Clark 72 McCabe, c Verity, b Hammond .. 137 Woodfull, run out ; . 73 Darling, b Verity /J7 Bvadman, c Ames,,b Hamomnd .. 30 Oldfield, c Wyatt, b Verity . . 13 Chipperfield, c, Walters, b Verily .. 2(3 Grimmett, b Verity 0 O'Beilly; not out -...»..'..;..... 30 Wall, run out ..........' 18 Extras 43 Total ■ .........'...191 -Bowling Analysis. •". O. M. ' It.'- W. Clark .40 9 100 1 Allen- 31 3 113 0 Hammond .... 28.3 6 111 3 Verity " .53 • 24 73 4 Hopwood ...... 38 20 46 0 Second Innings. Ponsfoid, not out ....... 30 Brown, c Hammond, b Allen .... 0 McCabe, not out 33 Extras ......;..... 3 Total for one wicket ........ 66 Fall of wicket: One for 1. Bowling Analysis. O. M. B. W. Allen 6 0 23 1 Clark • 4 1 its 0 Hammond .....^2 1 2 0 Hopwood ....... 0 5' 16 0 Verity ......... 5 4 2 0 Hendren ..1 0 4 0