BRILLIANT BATTING

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 February 1937, Page 9

BRILLIANT BATTING

BRADMAN-McCABE CENTURIES ENGLISH BOWLING COLLARED [BY CABLE —PBESB ASSN. —COPYBIGHT.j MELBOURNE, February 26. With three wickets down for 342 at stumps, Australia made a splendid start in the decisive fifth Test match with England, which began to-day. A partnership between Bradman, who is 165 not out, and McCabe, who scored 112, added 249 runs in |63 minutes, and created a record for a thirdwicket stand. Fames was the most successful English bowler, taking two wickets for 45. The teams are: — England: G. 0. Allen (captain), R. E. S. Wyatt, W. R. Hammond, C. J. Barnett, J. Harffstaff, M. Leyland, IV. E. G. Ames, H. Verity, T. S. Worthington, W. Voce, K. Fames/L. B. Fishlock (twelfth man). : Australia: D. G. Bradman (captain), C. L. Badcock, J. H. Fingleton, L. O’B. R. Gregory, S. J. McCabe, E. L. McCormick, L. Nash, W. A. Oldfield, W. J. O’Reilly, K. Rigg, ;W.A. Brown (twelfth man).

(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—jubilee match between England and Australia, and the decisive game of the present series. The weather was humid, with a very hot sun, when the big crowd watched the tense ceremony of tossing. 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 not nearly so unhappy as, with Fingleton only two, he missed a “sitter” off Farnes’s bowling. I call it a “sitter” because Allen has taken so many difficult catches on his tour.. It was bad luck to miss one so early in the momentous game, to add to Allen’s already long list of worries.

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 its compensation in the taking of a few wickets before lunch; but when the ball did-lift it was more because it was new than because of 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, and in that period not one ball which by any stretch of the imagination could be called a bumper was delivered.

Just before Fingleton was dropped by Allen, he had' given a difficult catch to Fames off Allen. In addition to these opportunities lost 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, and Hardstaff, at cover, failed to gather in the ball. Fingleton had been very slow so far, and had 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 briliant onehanded pick-up at third slip from a hard cut by Rigg.

Rigg was a far better workman than his partner; he began by offdriving Allen for three, got a four to leg in Allen’s second over, and, when. England’s captain went on again, hooked him splendidly for four and played him past the gully for two. This took him to 26 while Fingleton’s score was six. The total slowly advanced to 42, when Rigg, in attempting to cut Fames, was caught at the wicket. 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 a four behind point—a shot described as a square drive. The cricket before lunch was very slow. Still, Fingleon evidently had orders to stop there at all costs. Though he had some luck, he kept pegging away. Australia put up the best flrst-wicket stand of the series. This took me back eight years, when D. R. 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 from settling down was instanced in the constant bowling chances. He opened with Fames, 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.

Farnes, who made a sensational start before lunch in the Adelaide Test, took a wicket with his second ball on resulting, 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 Farnes two wickets for 10. This was surely Alien’s unlucky day, for now he missed McCabe, who -was 11, at short leg off Farnes. Allen got only one hand to the ball, but it was close enough for him to have used two. Farnes had been bowling like a Trojan, but after this further miss he seemed to lose heart and his length suffered. Almost every hall of his next over was scored off, so he gave way to the skipper. Bradman glided Allen for four. He had already made many good shots. From few balls that were bowled to him, except by Verity, did he fail to score, but this was his first boundary, and the crowd went wild with delight. The batsmen caused Allen to spreadeagle his field, so that when McCabe edged one it went for four through a wide gap between Ames and first slip.

Bradman sent up 100 with a three to the on off Verity and. hitting two boundaries in the same over, from Allen, square-cut and cover-driven, he reached his individual 50. It was a really sound knock, which had taken him but 69 minutes, though it included only three fours. These two batsmen were playing delightful cricket and looTced' well set. A beautiful shot by McCabe off Voce was a second edition of that four of Fingleton’s. Worthington took the ball, but was hit for 14 in

his first over. Ten runs also came from Voce’s next over.

The batsmen were at the top of their form and reached 100 for the partnership in 71 minutes. Proof of the way they wore progressing was given by the scoring of the second 50 in. only 28 minutes. Facing Worthington, McCabe reached his 50 with a drive for a single. It was difficult to say which was the better halfcentury, McCabe, in spite of two wild hits being quite as attractive as his captain. Throughout this battering of England’s attack, Ames kept wickets coolly, being clean and neat. In spite of the handicap of his ilness, he is in the best form of his career, and is undoubtedly a much-improved wicket-keeper. After tea, a new ball was taken, but Bradman and McCabe continued to entertain with sparkling cricket. Don was first to reach the century, and thus equalled my record of 12 in tests between England and Australia. McCabe followed suit, but not before, when 86, he had been missed again. Once more the chance was at shortleg, by Fames this time, off Voce. Though he was lucky to-day, McCabe has batted far better’ in this series than the scores suggest. I was not sorry to see him get his hundred. His cutting was the best I have seen for years. It is rarely seen nowadays and was a feature of his innings, which brought into, play all the strokes known to batsmanship, ( He hit very hard all round the wicket, but i with .a minimum of exertion. loses some of the limelight as a partner of Bradman, but admitting his chances, for pure technique, his display was more than equal to Don’s. Bradman played his most brilliant knock of the series. He did not .give a 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, and constantly gaining applause. Generally, .however, the fielding was not as clean as in some of the tests. The Australians have tatted themselves into a very strong position, and, at the moment, I shall leave it at that. > The cricket had been slow before lunch, but the batsmen more than atoned afterwards, and' it was batting at its best, perhaps the brightest we have seen in the tests. England certainly lacked a good spin bowler, but as far as I could see the only difference one would have made would have been to help the runs come still more quickly. Scores: —

AUSTRALIA—First Innings. . Fingleton, c Voce b Fames .. .. 17 Rigg, c Ames b Fames .. • ■ 28 Bradman, not oqt 165 McCabe, c Fames b Verity .. .. 112 Badcock, not out / • • 12 Extras s Total for three wickets .. 342 Fall of wickets: One for 42, t>vo for 54, three for 303. BOWLING ANALYSIS.

“BRADMAN WAS BRADMAN.” MACARTNEY’S COMMENT. (Received February 27, 10.30 a.m.) MELBOURNE, February 27. Macartney comments: “England encountered the might of Australia’s batting, in the magnificent partnership of Bradman and McCabe. It was practically the first time the visitors have met this pair together. With McCabe in a devastating mood, this partnership clearly revealed the weakness of the attack, and the advantage of winning the toss. Both started cautiously, gradually accelerating the rate of run-getting. McCabe, particularly, gave us a charming innings, his on-driving and square driving being delightfully free and powerful. There was no hesitation about any of his strokes, although he again found trouble in executing short hooks played from the hip. “Bradman was Bradman, to-day. He was watchful and less vigorous than on former days, yet an adept at finding gaps in the field, and occasionally driving in his usual masterly manner. There were times when the fieldsmen were demoralised. Never were centuries by batsmen more deserved. The display of stroke-making was the best vet seen in the series. “With the dismissal of McCabe. Bradman kept Badcock away from the stroke, in an endeavour to build up a reserve for to-morrow. Badcock, in his present form, let loose to-morrow, means much to Australia, especially with Bradman yet unconquered. “Allen erred in omitting Sims, thus depriving himself of variety, and relying almost solely on Verity to provide it. Fames, Allen, Voce and Worthington provide dthat sameness which enabled batsmen to cake toll of bowling. In the afternoon, no bowler could get much lift from the pitch, and Australia’s opening batsmen were hardly troubled by the deliveries'. Both Fingleton and Rigg were responsible for their own dismissals. Riggs shaped promisingly, though he was never realy comfortable. The Bradman-McCabe partnership has placed England in a difficult position.”

RECORD PARTNERSHIP. (Received February 27, 11.40 a.m.) MELBOURNE, February 27. The Bradman —McCabe third wicket partnership of 249 is a record for Australia against England. The previous best was 229 by Bradman and Kippax, at Leeds, in 1930. Bradman has equalled Hobbs’ record of twelve centuries in English-Austra-lian Tests. Hobbs played in 41 Tests. Bradman is now engaged in his twentythird Test. The Bradman —McCabe partnership occupied only 163 minutes. Bradman’s 100 was scored in 125 minutes, and McCabe’s in 143 minutes. “OURSELVES TO BLAME.’’ (Received February 27, 11.40 a.m.) LONDON February 26. "We have only ourselves to blame. Missed chances put Australia on top,” says Carson, in the “Evening News,”

“It is galling, and surprising that our catching was so faulty, and our ground fielding so safe. As soon as Bradman is but, it will become an ordinary game of cricket in which the Australians are lucky enough to have an excejelnt start but it is unlikely that thev will make another 100, I have witnessed most of Bradman’s centuries, and none was played so easily, and naturally, and faultlessly as today’s.” The “Evening’s News” cartoons show the old gentlemen of Lords in a state of collapse saying “What’s to stop ’em getting a thousand?” Also Allen, with goofy fingers, dropping Fingleton and McCabe. The “Star” headlines arc: “England captain’s nerves after losing toss.” LONDON PRESS QUIET (Recd, February 27, 8 a.m.) LONDON, February 26. There is nothing snappy, in the evening’s posters in regard to cricket. “More Bradman Records?,” “Record Test Stand,” are the only variants to the general prominence given to the two Australian centuries. The Englishmen’s letters home, notably Allen’s and Ames,’ testify to the splendid sporting spirit during the whole tour.

TEAMS FOR TO-MORROW. Marist B v. Marist A., at Rec. No 1, to-morrow: Cornish, Pfahlert, Wilde, Mathews, Clancy (2), McGinley, Keddie, Leopold, Griffen, Kilpatrick. Emergencies: Meates, W. Ryan, Casey'. Marist A v. Marist B at Rec. No. 1, to-morrow:—Greenwood, Tindale, Murray, Robinson, Kerridge, C. Ryan, Cullen, Bayley, Lord, Morris (2). Borough Casuals team, to play Borough Permanents, at Cobden tomorrow, 1.30: —J. Watson (captain), A. Purton, J. Fisher, W. Conza. K. McCarthy, R. Tinion, S. Adams, E. Lord, R. Leach, A. Cairney, T. Fraser, J. Curran, J. Rooney, F. McGrath (umpire). Borough team: J. Weir (captain), R. Cooper, F. McGirr, S. Robertson, R. Groufsky, H. Trouland, C. Heaphy, J. Griffin, T. Freeman, W. Baker, E. Sumndr, J. Henderson.

0. M. R. W. Allan - • • ■ ;. 12 0 72 0 Fames ... 13 3 45, 2 Voce .. 13 2 . 88 0 Hammond .. 10 1 44 0 Verity . . 14 0 68 1 Worthington .. 2 0 21 0 Leyland 2 0 16 0