TEST CRICKET

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 December 1935, Page 7

TEST CRICKET

S. AFRICA v. AUSTRALIA HOME SIDE’S MODERATE SCORE [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] DURBAN, December 14. The first Test match between South Africa and Australia commenced in terrific heat, which was somewhat reduced subsequently by heavy clouds, which affected the light, interrupting the South African innings and preventing the Australians from batting in the few minutes left for play. The wicket was perfect. The attendance was thirteen thousand. The Australians were given a hearty ovation, as they took the field. Mitchell played confidently, though ■a well-placed field robbed his strokes of runs. Siedle’s dismissal when 31 did not cause surprise, as O’Reilly was always getting the better of him. Siedle stepped in to the wicket to turn a ball to leg, but its variation in pace beat him.* Rowan, too, found O’Reilly difficult to play, but he helped Mitchell to put up a staunch defence, till the latter, going forward, was beaten by Fleetwood Smith, with a sharp off turn.

Viljoen opened his account with a four from Fleetwood Smith, but the next ball he played over one that was virtually a full toss. Nourse started off with a. great dash, hitting Fleetwood Smith for two successive fours. Then, after narrowly escaping being stumped at thirty, he raked a ball low into his wicket. He batted for thirtythree minutes.

‘‘ Wade got three successive fours from McCormick, and Rowan also helped himself to a boundary in the same over, which cost seventeen runs. Then Wade, very unluckily, played a ball from O’Reilly on to his wicket. It curled back after he hit it. Dalton, after struggling against Fleetwood Smith, attempted to hit Out, but Oldfield brilliantly stumped him, Dalton having raised his right foot for a fraction of a second. Langton fell an easy victim to Grimmett, who next caught Rowan off his own bowling. , , , . With the collapse of three wickets for two runs, Crisp joined Nicholson and delighted the crowd by adding thirty-one runs in twenty minutes. The batsmen successfully appealed against the light at 5.4. Play was resumed at 5.20. Crisp played a breezy innings, which concluded when he made an. attempt to play Fleetwood Smith. He hit six fours. Robertson failed to stay with Nicholson. The South African innings lasted 293 minutes, and realised 248 runs. There were eight minutes left for plav when Fingleton and Brown opened play for Australia’s reply, but they did not face a ball, as they made an appeal against the light, which was upheld. Scores: — SOUTH AFRICA—First Innings. Mitchell, b Fleetwood Smith .. 19 Siedle, 1.b.w., b O’Reilly -31 Rowan, c and b Grimmett .... 66 Viljoen, b Fleetwood Smith .... 4 Nourse, b McCormick 30 Wade, b O’Reilly Dalton, st. Oldfield, b FleetwoodSmith J Langton, b Grimmett 0 Nicholson, not out 16 Crisp, b Fleetwood Smith >5 Robertson, b O’Reilly 0 Extras “ Total Bowling: McCormick 13 overs, 4 maidens, 50 runs, 1 wicket; McCabe 10/1/28/0; Grimmett. 28/10/48/2; O’Reillv 33.2/17/55/3; Fleetwood Smith 28/6/64/4. Fall of wickets; One for 45; 2 tor 59- 3 for 71; 4 for 108; 5 for 168; 6 for ISS; 7 for 186: 8 for 187; 9 for 234.

TRIBUTES TO BOWLING. (Recd. Dec. 16, 2 p.m.). DURBAN, December 15. A torrential downpour occurred early this evening. The Kingsmead ground is sodden, but the wicket was covered and is not affected. H. G. Deane, a former South African captain, writing in the “Sunday Tribune,” says: The Australian bowling is as good as I have seen in any Test for many years, but the Africans fell into the mistake of allowing it solely to dominate the game. Louis Duffus, writing in the “Arigus,” says: South Africa s eleven includes too many batsmen of the opening type against an attack in which the opening bowlers are the least effective members. Australia s spin bowlers, with Fleetwood-Smith, are making a striking Test debut. They won the first tilt at Africa’s cavalcade of batsmen, but prospects of a keenlyfought rubber are not as remote as the first day’s score suggests. TARRANT’S TEAM. INDORE, December 14. Indore team playing Tarrant’s Australian team, in the first innings, lost 7 for 275. Jagdale made 55; C. K. Nayudu 50, C. S. Nayudu 42, Bhaya not out 48. _ LATER. Indore, first 380 (Bhaya Rin 106. Alexander 2 for 57). Tarrant’s Eleven, first 6 for 190 (Love 46, Ryder 33).