ALLEN'S UNLUCKY DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 49, 27 February 1937, Page 9

ALLEN'S UNLUCKY DAY

TOSS AND CATCHES

TRIBUTES TO MC CABE

BRADMAN AT HIS BEST

, United Press Association—By Electric. Tele- . • graph—Copyright. (By J. B. Hobbs—Copyright in all countries —Reproduction in whole or in part, forbidden.) MELBOURNE, February 26. The Melbourne Cricket Ground provided a wonderful setting for one of the Test matches of the century—the jubilee match between England and Australia, and the "decider" in the present series for the Ashes. The weather was humid with a very hot sun when the big crowd watched the. tense ceremony of tossing. In order to let the spectators know at once who had won it was announced that the captain who' picked the coin off the ground was the lucky one. Allen looked dejected then, but nothing like as unhappy as when, with Fingleton only 2, he missed a sitter oft Fames. I call it a sitter because Allen has caught so many this tour. It was bad~ luck'to' miss one so early in a momentous game. ..

'■ At the time England lost the toss I was not certain it was such a , bad stroke of luck, because I hoped it might have compensations in the shape of a few wickets before lunch, but when the ball did lilt it was more due

to the new ball than the wicket. Before lunch the wicket was slower than that on which the game with Victoria was played. Drinks were brought out after 45 minutes, arid in that period not one ball which by any stretch of imagination could be called a bumper was delivered. . CHANCES GO BEGGING. Just before Fingleton was dropped by Allen he had given a difficult catch to Fames off Allen. In addition to these lost opportunities by England the score had reached only 24 when a good chance of' a run-out went begging. Fingleton called Rigg for a short run. Hardstaff, at cover, failed to gather the ball. Fingleton, very slow so far, set himself to play so carefully that when he did get a no-ball at which to make a stroke, his effort was so feeble that it caused laughter and the ball rolled but a few /yards. ( The fieldsmen had little opportunity to shine before lunch, although Voce once distinguished himself by a brilliant one-handed pick-up at third slip .from a hard cut by Rigg. Rigg was a far better workman than his partner. He started off by driving Allen for 3, got a 4 to leg in Allen's second over, and when England's captain went on again, hooked him splendidly for 4 and played him past gully for 2. This took him to 26, while Fingleton scored 6. The total slowly advanced to 42, when Rigg, attempting to cut Fames, was caught at the wicket. MAGNIFICENT STROKE. One stroke by Fingleton is worth mentioning. Off Verity's first ball he made a magnificent stroke off a wide, well-pitched-up delivery, resulting in 4 behind point, best described as a square drive. The cricket before lunch was very slow. Still, Fingleton evidently had orders to stop there at all costs. Though he had a bit of luck he kept pegging away and Australia put up the best first-wicket stand of the series. This took me, back eight years, when Douglas Jardine and I batted till lunch time for 40 odd. We were quite satisfied because we did not lose a wicket. Allen's live captaincy In trying to prevent the batsmen settling down was shown by constant bowling changes. He and Fames opened, but after each had delivered three overs he put on Voce and Hammond for the same period. Allen and Fames returned and Verity and Voce had one over each from the same end before the interval. FINGLETON'S BAD STROKE. Fames, who made a sensational start before lunch in the Adelaide Test, took a wicket, with the second ball on resuming, Fingleton being caught by Voce at second slip. It was a bad stroke at an off ball that rose high and would have been best left alone. That gave Fames two wickets for 10. ( This is surely Allen's unlucky day, for he missed McCabe, who was 11, off Fames. He got only one hand to the ball, but it was close' enough for him to have used two. Fames had been bowling like a Trojan, but after this further miss he seemed to lose heart and length. Almost every ball of his next over was scored off, so he gave way to the skipper. ~ Bradman glided Allen for 4. He had already made many good shots and few balls were bowled to him, except by Verity, that he did not score from, 'but this was his first boundary. The crowd went wild with delight. The batsmen caused Allen to spreadeagle his field with the result that when McCabe edged one it went for 4 through a wide gap between Ames and first slip. Bradman sent up the century with a, 3 to the on off Verity, and, hitting two boundaries in the next over from Allen, a squarecut and a cover drive, he reached his 50. It was a really sound knock that had taken him but 69 minutes, though it included only three 4's. BATSMEN WELL SET. ' These two batsmen played delightful cricket and looked iwell set. A beautiful shot by McCabe off Voce was a second edition of that 4 of Fingleton's. Wor.thington took the ball, only to be hit for 14 off his first over. Ten runs also came in Voce's next over. The batsmen were at top form. They registered the century partnership in 71 minutes. Proof of the way they were progressing is given by the second 50 taking only 28 minutes. Facing Worthington McCabe reached 50 with a drive for a single. It was difficult to say which was the better halfhundred, McCabe, despite two slips, being quite, as attractive as the captain. Throughout this battering of England's attack, Ames kept wickets coolly, being clean and neat. Despite theihandicap of his illness he is in the best form of his career. He is undoubtedly a much-improved keeper. After tea the new ball was taken, but Bradman and McCabe continued to entertain with sparkling cricket. The captain was the first to reach the century, equalling my record of twelve in EnglandAustralia Tests. McCabe followed suit, but not before being missed again at 86. Once more it was at short-leg, by Fames this time, off Voce. Although -lucky today, McCabe has batted far better on this tour than his scores suggest. I was not sorry to see him get a century. His cutting was the best I have seen for years. It is rarely seen nowadays, and was the feature of an innings which brought into play all the strokes known to batsmanship. He hit very hard all round the wicket, but with a minimum of exertion. Stan McCabe loses some of the limelight when partnering Don Bradman, but, admitting his chances, for pure technique his display was more than equal to his captain's. "NOT A GHOST OF A CHANCE." Bradman played his most brilliant knock of the series. He neither gave the ghost of a chance nor ever looked like getting out, so much was he on top of the bowling. It was a remarkable thing that, with 150 to his . credit, he did' not once hit the ball into the air. The heat made it trying for the fielding side, but the bowlers stuck to the job gamely. Hardstaff did grand work in the field., chasing the ball all the afternoon, constantly gaming applause. Generally, however, the fielding was not as clean in character as in some Tests. Australia has batted itself into a very strong position, and- at the moment I will leave it at that. The cricket had been slow before lunch, but the batsmen more than atoned afterwards, and it was batting s.i its best—perhaps the brightestl we have seen in the Tests. England certainly lacked a good spin bowler, but as far as I could see, the only 'difference it would have made would have been to help runs come still more quickly. Details:—

ft. u .3 J. nnuin. First Innings. Fingleton, c Voce, b Fames 17 Rigg, c Ames, b Fames 28 Bradman, not out 165 McCabe, c Fames, b Verity 112 Badcock, not out 12 Extras • 8 Total for three wickets 342 Fall of wickets: one for 42, two for 54, three for 303. Bowling Analysis. O. M. R. W. Allen 12 0 72 0 Fames 13 3 45-2 Voce 13 2 68 0 Hammond 10 1 44 0 Verity 14 0 68 1 Worthington ..... 2 0 21 0 Leyland 2 0 16 0