Hammond a Double Century

Evening Star, Issue 22527, 21 December 1936, Page 10

Hammond a Double Century

Still Batting When Rain Stopped Play England Reaches the 400 Mark Second Cay of Test Match Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright [By J. B. Hobbs.] (Copyright in all countries. Reproduction in whole or in part forbidden.) SYDNEY, December 20. At the end of the second day of the second test, which was curtailed by a thunderstorm, England was still at the creases, and now seems to have a very firm grip on the game. The visitors to-day added 147 runs for the loss of three wickets. Hammond is still unconquered, having been in for more than seven hours and a-half, during which time he scored 27 boundaries. He was solid rather than brilliant to-day, and did not give a chance throughout his long itay.

M'Cormick and Ward continued the attack, bowling a better length than on the previous day. The fielding was also keener. Hammond and Ames played defensively, waiting for loose balls to score from. These were usually despatched to the fence. Hammond reached 150 during the first over, after 270 minutes at the crease. Ames was very stodgy, adding only 10 in an hour. The batsmen, however, were untroubled and continued to await scoring opportunities. 2,000 RUNS AGAINST AUSTRALIA. When Hammond reached 162 he had scored 2,000 runs in tests against Australia, and the addition of another half-dozen gave him 1,000 runs for this tour. The field was set deep for Hammond, and three men were stationed on the fence, but he continued to gather boundaries. A 100 partnership was established after 115 minutes, Ames’s contribution being only 27. The bowlers stuck well to their task, and were rewarded when Ames was caught in the covers during the last _ over before lunch. He was at the wickets for 123 minutes, and played a solid, defensive innings, helping to consolidate England’s favourable position. THIRD DOUBLE CENTURY . Two fours immediately after lunch carried Hammond to 200. He'had been batting for 365 minutes, and so far had not given a semblance of a chance. This is Hammond’s third double century against Australia in tests, all made in Australia. He treated all the bowling on its merits, his off-driving and sweeps to leg being brilliant and effortless. Allen collected two boundaries during his brief stay, and with Hardstaff in the Australians became very keen, clustering round the wicket, A THUNDERSTORM. At 2.55, however, a heavy thunderstorm drove, the players to shelter for 20 minutes. Upon resuming it was expected that the bowlers would be handicapped by a greasy ball, but O’Reilly and Chipperfield had Hammond and Hardstaff playing right back to keep the ball away from the stumps. Hardstaff was in dire trouble facing O’Reilly, and he was extremely fortunate when at 11 he pulled the ball into Robinson’s hands squarely, but the easy chance was lost. Hammond, too, was scratching for the first time during his long innings, but a full-blooded cover drive to the pickets raised 400 after 454 minutes. Both batsmen survived until tea, when England’s score was five for 418. M’Cormick bowled with a new ball after tea, and Hardstaff’s off stump was sent flying. Hardstaff had been shaky throughout his stay at the wickets. In the same over Oldfield failed to hold a chance given by Verity before he had scored. HEAVY RAIN STOPS PLAY. Heavy rain at 4.30 again stopped play and drenched thousands on the hill, who were unable to gain shelter. The sun was shining a quarter of an hour later, and the captains inspected the wicket, but it was too bad. They took another look at 5.5, and made a further survey at 5.35. The decision was then left to the umpires, who decided at 5.40 that there should be no further play. The attendance was 42,476. Details:— ENGLAND. FIRST INNINGS. Fagg c Sievers b M'Cormick ... 11 Barnett b Ward 57 Hammond not out 231 Leyland Ibw (new rule) b M'Cabe 42 Ames c Robinson b Ward 29 Allen Ibw b O’Reilly 9 Hardstaff b M'Cormick 26 Verity not out 0 Extras 21 Total for six wickets ... 42# Fall of Wickets.—Four for 351, five for 366, six for 424. ... s

seemingly endless sunshine the governing idea of the test match is to stay at the crease for days, wear out the wicket until it,crumbles, and so subsides that a seismographic instrument at Peking will register a severe disturbance of the earth’s crust ,in Sydney.” BADCOGK NOT AVAILABLE TO-DAY . I' . . SYDNEY, December 20. Badcock’s temperature has risen, and his medical advisers say that there is no hope of his playing on Monday.

DULL CRICKET . SYDNEY, December 20. Cricket commentators all declare the second test to be the dullest affair. The 1 Sunday Sun ’ says: “Two days have gone with England’s first innings not completed. Next Friday is Christmas Day, and the third test starts on January 1. Players, please note!” Neville Cardus, in the ‘ Sun,’ contends that more runs should have been made by England, and adds that England has probably amassed an adequate total. “ We have come to a pretty pitch in the game’s history when more than 400 for six is not an impenetrable fortress against defeat. In Australia’s

SLOW BATTING

RAIN LIKELY TO IMPROVE WICKET SYDNEY, December 20. C. G. Macartney comments as follows : —“ It would be difficult to ascribe any theory to the painfully slow batting of the Englishmen on Saturday. The easy nature of the wicket, the big score on the board, and the tiredness of the bowlers all contributed to a position that demanded offensive methods which were conspicuous by their absence. Every man who went to the crease seemed to have a fixed idea that he must play for Hammond, who was himself disinclined to take the bit in his teeth. Hammond’s command over the bowling provided untold opportunities for a man with his repertoire of strokes to drive the ball to the unguarded parts of the field. There were seemingly acres of empty country into which the. ball could have been lofted without risk by a batsman of such high calibre as this. England’s total should be much greater, as also should Hammond’s, but thanks mainly to Hammond, England has consolidated her position. The Australians will require all their skill to equal, let alpne pass, England’s total. Everything depends on the weather.' What rain has fallen should improve the wicket. Australia’s out-cricket showed a distinct improvement on Saturday.”

UNPRECEDENTED RESTRAINT

BRADMAN’S CAPTAINCY LONDON, December 20. Carson, in the ‘ Evening News,’ considers England’s rate of scoring, in the face of the amazing weakness of the Australian bowling, showed unprecedented restraint. It was impossible sufficiently to pi'aise Hammond, but otherwise England’s play was desperately dull. Only when watching the other batsmen could one realise Hammond’s immeasurable superiority. Commentators lustily applaud Hammond, but are chary of being overoptimistic. The ‘ Sunday Times ’ expects Bradman to reply in his own fashion to the injuries inflicted on his bowlers, who. however, manfully stuck to the job and tied down Leyland, Ames, Allen, and Hardstaff to defence. E. H. Sewell, in the ‘ Sunday Graphic,’ says the i paucity of Australia’s attack on a good wicket suggests the future inclusion of Fleetwood-S'mith and Ebeling. “ Also I should not be surprised to see a change of captaincy. If O’Reilly, of his own violition, is overdoing his policy of keeping down the runs and letting the batsmen get themselves out, well and good, but it it is at Bradman’s orders it is perilously near bad captaincy.” AUSTRALIANS STICK TO THEIR TASK BOWLING FAR FROM GOLLAREO SYDNEY, December 21. (Received December 21, at 10 a.m.) Hobbs, in a summary of the second day’s play says: Everything worked according to plan for England up to lunch. Australia’s necessity was a quick wicket or two while our batsmen’s duty was to dig themselves in again. Australia failed to get them, and it looked as if our fourth wicket pair would go in to lunch without being parted. Ward sent down a real long-hop, and Ames either could not believe his eyes or else it was so near lunch time that he was afraid to let rip. Trying to cut it past extra cover he hit up the lolliest of catches to cover point, very much to his disgust. This partnership, like Hammond’s with Leyland, had added a century. England was srtill in a strong position. But for that wicket the Australians would have been sorely disappointed with the morning’s work. The batsmen did not worry about scoring runs before lunch, and added only 72. They took no risks. Hammond, who started in his best fashion, was very sound, and it looked as if nothing could get past his defence. Twice he hit two successive 4’s,

one being a beautiful square off-drive off a good-length ball that O’Reilly pitched just wide of his off stump. It beat the fieldsmen by its sheer pace. Hammond’s second century was the signal for a wonderful demonstration. Ward was certainly turning the ball, but it was not coming off quickly, maybe due to the easy pace of the wicket, or because lie was too slow through the air. O’Reilly did not howl so much negative stuff. He was attacking more, hut he .still could not get the ball past the bat until after lunch. Jn his thirtieth over of the match he had Allen leg before to his “ googly. 1 thought Sievers looked more like getting a wicket than anybody before flinch, and he might have been bowled more. M'Cormick, if not quite so fast, was less erratic than Friday. The 100 took us 35 minutes longer to get on Saturday than on Friday. All credit must be given to the Australians for sticking to their task so well. There was no loose bowling. If there had been it would have been taken full advantage of. Their bowling was far from being collared, despite our big score. Hammond was playing more keenly than ever, taking 50 minutes to go from. 201 to 215, his concentration being remarkable. On Allen’s dismissal Hardstaff started with a brilliant cut for 4. A bit of misfielding produced a wicket immediately after tea. The first ball of M'Cormick’s first over was hooked by Hardstaff to long leg, where the fieldsman slipped, enabling 2 to be run. The next ball knocked his off stump out of the ground. But for the fielding error Hammond would have received and I think would have played it all right. Hardstaff, like the others, played solidly, and the wicket added a useful 56. When 11 Hardstaff had a stroke of luck. Hitting O’Reilly hard to leg, he was missed by Robinson, fielding behind the umpire, and I am told that at the same time he dislodged a bail with his foot. The umpire could not see, and, on appeal, had to give him not out. In the Press box we are too high in the clouds to see these things. Verity, off the second ball he received. was missed at the widket. Another heavy shower drenched the crowd and the wicket. England was in a very strong position when the rain came. Some may argue that it would have been advantageous to score faster, but if that had been tried they might have been all out. I was prepared from the start for a stodgy exhibition from our batsmen. _ Played-out tests are an affair of wearing the other side down. Still, when scoring is slow I like to seek the reason, instead of blaming the batsmen straight away. Bowlers seldom receive credit for bowling well and keeping the runs down, or a captain for a well-placed field. Australia’s field was again cunningly placed to-day Another reason was that the slow bowlers, Ward especially, were able to turn all day, and even Hammond could not go all out for many strokes. Bradman bowled his pace men, M'Cormick and Sievers, relying very little on the spinners. This rain mav help Australia, because it will probably bind the wicket together when the roller comes on. Before that there were signs that the widket was breaking up, and I saw the fielders give it many anxious looks. Prior to the heavy rain at 4.30 there had been 192 minutes’ play to-day and 147 added, Hammond’s share being 84, so let us praise Australia’s bowlers, fieldsmen, and Bradman. It was dull cricket, but England secured the runs, and Australia has still to obtain them. The strain of a long innings like Hammond’s is constant concentration, and only a strong man can stand it. Right to the end when a bad ball came he hit it hard. He has not so far given an actual chance. ■ Hammond should to-day beat his previous highest in tests of 251, and is going all out to beat Bradman’s record of 334 if anyone can stay with him.

BRADMAN’S JUDGMENT PRAISED \

LONDON, December 20. (Received December 21, at 11 a.m.) Woodfull, in the ‘ News of the World,’ says: Bradman made full use of his bowlers, ringing on changes with commendable judgment, but nothing would go right for him. Unless Bradman for once rises to the occasion I feel certain an English victory is assured. STICKY WICKET EXPECTED SYDNEY, Derember 21. (Received December 21, at 11 a.m.) The unsettled state of the weather has caused anxiety about the Test wicket. Arthur Mailey, in the 1 Daily Telegraph,’ says: "The heavy rain which fell early this morning will probably mean that the wicket will be a gluepot.” The State Meteorologist predicts a further storm and falls of rain during the week.

BOWLING ANALYSIS. 0. M. R. W. M'Cormick ... 20 1 79 2 Sievers 16 4 30 "Ward 42 8 132 ‘J O’Reilly 41 17 86 1 ChipperfielcI 13 2 47 — M'Cabe 9 1 31 1