THE FIRST TEST

Evening Star, Issue 20511, 16 June 1930, Page 5

THE FIRST TEST

England All Out 270

Australia Bats on Difficult Wicket

Eight Down For 140

LONDON, June 14. Incessant rain overnight and in the early morning delayed play in the test match at Nottingham till 2.15. England made a stubborn last-wicket stand, in which Robins, featured as a mystery bowler, was the principal figure, carrying nis bat for 50 after .attacking the bowling hi the most amazing manner. Australia’s start was as sensational as England’s, and Tate got the stalwarts Woodfull, Ponsford, and Bradman very cheaply, and Australia’s chance of winning suddenly changed to a prospect of defeat. Kippax and Richardson were the only men to make a decent showing on a tricky wicket. The ground presented a sorry sight in the morning. There were mud patches round the wicket, and the outfield was sodden, A notice was posted: “ Enter at your own risk. No money returned. Heavy overnight rain. Deluge at 3 a.m. The captains inspected the wdeket on a couple of occasions, on the last of which they disagreed. Play eventually began in bright sunshine, with a light breeze, about 18,000 being then present. Fairfax used a new ball, which 1 kicked sharply on the lively wicket. Tyldeslcy skied one into Fairfax’s ; hands. CLOSE OF HOME SIDE'S INNINGS ROBINS BATS WELL Robins (28) continued to bat daringly, shaping like a number one batsman, fie and Duckworth ran several smart singles. Robins relished Wall’s shortpitched balls, from which he scored freely, and he reached 50 by spirited batting. Duckworth was out nest ball, and the innings ended at 2.40. Robins hit five 4’s. VISITORS OPEN A DISASTROUS START Australia was. left with an awkward deficit on a wicket that was likely to prove troublesome. England’s innings occupied 265 minutes. Woodfull ordered the groundsmen to use only a light hand roller between the innings. The strength of the sun and the wind increased, and Woodfull and Ponsford came out with the sky almost cloudless ' Tate spread sawdust in order to get a foothold, and Woolley. Hammond, Sutcliffe, and Chapman fielded in the slips. Ponsford again showed his vulnerability on the leg side when a beautiful ball in Tate’s third over swung in and took his leg stump. Fairfax came in instead of Bradman and faced a position full of difficulty. The. batsmen played the rock game to such effect that the total was only 6 for thirty-five minutes, and then the second wicket fell. Woodfulj cutting a ball which Chapman splendidly caught at backward point, . showing fine anticipation. Tyldesley worried Fairfax, who twice mishit, and Bradman was only 7 when Woolley, at first slip, fielding close to the wicket, failed to hold a catch off Tyldesley, but in the next over Tate swung across the wicket and hit the top of Bradman’s stumps. Thus three ■ good batsmen went out inside an hour. Fairfax maintained a solid defence, hitting. Tyldesley three times to the boundary. , KIPPAX SAVES HIS SIDE Kippax batted delightfully from the outset and hit Tyldesley for two successive boundaries. The pair brought up 50 in eighty-five minutes and were still together at tea time. Robins got Fairfax shortly after tea, Hobbs jumping to take a catch at cover point. M'Cabe opened , auspiciously by driving the first ball for 4, but he was out from the next ball in Robins’s over, Hammond taking a running catch from bis shoulder. Richardson had a lucky escape early, Woolley- missing a hard low-left-handed catch off Larwood, whose bowling had increased in pace. Richardson punished Robins, scoring three 4’s in one over, and 100 went up for 135 minutes. The pair had added 44 when Richardson was badly beaten, playing right over the ball. Ho had hit seven 4’s and batted for thirty-five minutes. ; Oldfield defended stoutly. Kippax reached 51 in 115 minutes, j FOUR WICKETS TO ROBINS Duckworth, with a triumphant yell, heralded Oldfield’s departure, taking a good catch at the wicket, making Robins’s third victim. Robins coaxed Grimmett to try to Dt. and he dismissed his fellow-googly bowler for a “duck.”/ Hornibrook survived the two remaining balls of the day. Details;— ENGLAND FIRST INNINGS. Hobbs c Richardson b M'Cabe ... 78 Sutcliffe c Hornibrook b Fairfax ... 29 Hammond Ibw b Grimmett 8 Woolley st Oldfield b Grimmett ... 9 Hondrcn b Grimmett ... 5 Chapman c Ponsford b Hornibrook 62 Larwood b Grimmett ... 12 Robins not out 50 Tate b Grimmett 15 Tyldeslcy c Fairfax b Wall 1 Duckworth Ibw b Fairfax 4 Extras ... 12 Total ... ... 270' BOWLING ANALYSIS. O. M. R. W. Wall 17 4 47 1 Fairfax ... 21.4 5 61 2 Grimmett ... 32 6 107 5 Hornibrook 12 3 30 1 M'Cabe ... 7 3 23 1 Fairfax bowled one no-ball. FALL OF WICKETS. One for 53, two for 63, three for 63, four, for 71, five for 153, six for 188, seven for 218, eight for 241, nino for 4 242, ten for 270.

I AUSTRALIA I FIRST INNINGS. Woodfull c Chapman b Taio ... 2 Ponsford b Tate ... ... 3 ' Fairfax c Hobbs b Robins 14 Bradman b. Tate ... .8 Kippax not out ... _ GO 'fc-abo c Hammond b Robins ... 4 Richardson b Tyldeslcy ... 3T Oldfield c Duckworth b Robins ... 4 Grimmett st Duckworth b Robins 0 Hornibrook not out tl Extras ... S 'total for eight wickets ... 140 THE VETERAN’S GREAT INNINGS GIUMMETT ALWAYS DEADLY LONDON/ June 14. It is almost miraculous how a batsman of Hobbs’s age played with such perfect confidence throughout, timing beautifully, even when the light was at its worst. The dim light was partly responsible for the downfall of Eng--1 land’s best batsmeu in such sensational fashion. Grimmett, who was deadly, scarcely ever used a high toss ball, but bowling with his left shoulder well down, he maintained probably the lowest trajectory ever, seen in test cricket. The ‘Observer’ says: “It was believed that the Australians would find the wicket difficult, but such a staggering start was beyond all contemplation. Fairfax’s 14 in eighty minutes threw Kippax’s free hitting into praiseworthy relief. But thp Australians are a side stiffened, not softened, by adversity, and fight to the last man. Now, beyond doubt, our visitors are of test j match mettle, and the rubber will be finely contested.”. A BOWLER’S WICKET BATTLE OF WITS LONDON, June 15. (Received June 16, at 10.30 a.m.) The weather at Nottingham at 6 o’clock this (Sunday) afternoon was fine, and there were no signs of it breaking. The Australian Press Association correspondent, commenting on Satur- ; day’s play, says it would not ,bo accurate to describe the pitch as had,; alI though it was undoubtedly, a bowler’s wicket. The balls flow awkwardly, and the breaks took deadly effect. Tate bowled superbly, and Chapman handled the attack cunningly. An interesting battle of wits preceded the dramatic fall of wickets, for it appears I that Woodfull was anxious to resume j before luncheon, when the sun had not had a chance to make the wicket difficult. Chapman, who naturally wanted to get Australia in after the sun had | affected the wet pitch, would not I agree, so the umpires decided in the Englishmen’s favour.