CRICKET England 21 for One Wicket

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 December 1946, Page 4

CRICKET England 21 for One Wicket

Rain Stops Play in Test Match

BRISBANE, December 2. Rain and dull light . caused the abandonment of play m U . match this afternoon after Australia, had been dismissed for 645, and Eng land had lost one wicket lot 21 L runs Australia’s last wicket fell half an hour before lunch, and only 39 mm utes’ play was possible after D p.ip., When L. Hutton and C. V . brook opened for England. In that time Hutton’s valuable wicket was lost. The was beaten and bowled by the sh e pace of one of K. Miller’s test ones with the total at 10, and his qwn score at 7., This was a staggenng blow to England, since Hutton was the likeliest batsman to keep his wicket intact long enough to leave the Australians short of time to dismiss the complete side twice. W. J. Edrich joined Washbrook after Hutton had been bowled. _ There was a sensational development soon after play was resumed this morning. After four runs had been added to the Australian score of 595 for five wickets, both the not out batsmen, C.. V. McCool and I. Johnson, were dismissed. They both went in exactly the same way. Wright in Form. D. V. P. Wright, who had previously claimed S. G. Barnes and K. Miller as victims, was in great form, and he trapped McCool and Johnson, leg before wicket, in quick succession. McCool added three runs to his overnight score, taking his tally to 95. He was thus unlucky to miss the signal honour of scoring a centeury in his first test match by only five runs. His total included 14 fours. Johnson did not add to his overnight score of 47. R. Lindwall and D. Tallon were cheered wildly as they took the score to 600 and then on past 604, which was the previous highest score ever made in one innings by Australia against England in Australia. This total was compiled in 1907 at Melbourne. ' Lindwall, batting very nicely, hit a beautiful six and then a four. Just as he and Tallon appeared to be getting set, Tallon went out, leg before wicket, to Edrich. With eight wickets down, Australia passed the record for an innings score put up by any test side in Australia. This was 636, made by England at Sydney in 1928. G. Tribe did not last very long, going in yet another leg-before, decision. Edrich claimed his wicket with a perfect ball. Edrich. had now taken two wickets for 9. Toshack joined Lindwall and succeeded in breaking his duck before Lindwall was taken brilliantly by W. Voce at deep mid-on off Wright. Lindwall’s 31 included two sixes, one of which was caught by a spectator in the main stand, and three fours.

Lindwall’s Bumpers.

When England batted Lindwall got pace and lift off the pitch, making both Hutton and Washbrook duck smartly.

Short covers, extending only 3ft Gin forward of the batting crease at each end, are being used, to leave the wicket largely at the mercy of the weather. Consequently, if the weather later has a hot sun as an ally for furthering the batsmen’s discomfort, the match rnay yet take an unexpected turn. Meanwhile the rain has improved England’s prospects theoretically by giving the batsmen a chance to rest and cutting down the time to make a draw easier to achieve. Scores: —

Some Records in Test

Matches

Some interesting facts about Aus-tralia-English Cricket Tests:—

Record attendance: 350,534 and receipts £39,168 (six days), Melbourne 1937. Record for one day: 87,789, and £7,405, January 4, Melbourne 1937. Highest score for Australia v. England D. Bradman, 334, at Leeds, July, 1930. Highest score for England v. Australia: L. Hutton; .364, at the Oval, 1938. Best Batting average: A. E. Trott (Australia)) 103; D. Bradman (Australia) 91.42. Highest Total in one Innings: 903 for seven (declared))', by England in August, 1938. Most wickets in Test series: 38, by W. M. Tate (England) and 36 by Arthur Mailey. Lowest total in one innings: 36, by Australia, 1902.

Origin of the Mythical

Ashes

Once again the world is at peace .... and Australia and England, in the first cricket test at Brisbane since before the war, occupy the spotlight of sport for all citizens of the British Empire. Once again Americans will wonder what it’s all

about, but there can be little wrong with a sport which has been part and parcel of English history itself. First team of English cricketers to visit Australia was in 1862, when a privately organised team was led by H. H. Stephenson, of Surrey. In commenting on this during the jubilee of the M.C.C., the editor of “Wisden” pointed out that among other pioneer teams sent to Australia was one captained by W. G. Grace. The development of Australian cricket that followed—due largely to coaching by professionals of English touring teams who stayed behind and taught correct style—was to some extent hampered by bad wickets, but after Grace’s tour the game prospered.

Cricketing Giants

It was not long before Australia had produced a race of cricketing giants, including Charles Bannerman, I’. R. Spofforth, and W. L. Murdoch, and these men were included in the team that met England in the first official test match, played in Australia in the 1876-77 season.

In 1868, Australia had sent a team of aboriginals to England, but after Lord Hawke had led an English team to Australia, cricketing history was made in September, 1880, when the first test was played in England. England won by five wickets, Australia having all the bad luck. Two years later, Australia scored her first win over England. Set to get 85 for victory, England had 51 up with three men out. “The intense feeling among onlookers became sheer dismay as our leading batsmen, on a treacherous wicket—a real ‘sticky dog’ after rain —fought to keep their wickets quite apart from getting runs,” it was recorded.

“ ... . Nineteen runs only were wanted by England; tension grew as the fear became stronger that England might lose, and one spectator felt the poshition so acutely that he bit through the top of his umbrella. Another spectator died from excitement. . “In a nerve-racking finish England’s last five wickets went down for 11 runs, leaving Australia winneis by seven runs.” In “The Pink ’Un” After this dramatic match, an epitaph of English cricket was Published in the Sporting Times ( Ihe Pink ’Un.” It appeared m a black-edged border and read: In affectionate remembrance of Eng is cricket—the body will be cremated, and the ashes taken to AustraliaSo were born “The Ashes. Whe the Hon. Ivo Bligh (afterwards Lora Darnley) led an English teal ?? victory against Australia the foil " ing season, some Melbourne had the happy idea of placing s ashes in a small urn, which they p sented to the winning captain. in« urn was "brought to England eventually given to the M.G.L. Lord Darnley and placed m pavilion at Lord’s. . +ln ; c “The Ashes” are at stake againAhi week. In all 143 matches have bee played between Australia ana land, with Australia winning 5 G land 55 and 31 drawn. Austral holds “The Ashes” at present.

AUSTRALIA First Innings. S. G. Barnes, c Bedser, b Wright 31 A. R. Morris, c Hammond, b Bedser 2 D. G. Bradman, b Edrich . 187 A. L. Hassett, c Yardley, b Bedser 128 K. Miller, lbw, b Wright 79 C. V. McCool, lbw, b Wright .. 95 I. Johnson, lbw, b Wright 47 R. Lindwall, c Voce, b Wright 31 D. Tallon, lbw, b Edrich 14 G. Tribe, c Gibb, b Edrich 1 E. Toshack, not out 1 Extras .. ... 29 Total 645 BOWLING. O. M. R. W. D. V. P. Wright 4.3.6 4 167 R A. V. Bedser . . 41 5 155 2 W. Voce .. .. 28 9 92 0 W. J. Edrich .. 25 2 107 3 N. W. D. Yardley 13 1 47 0 D. C. S. Compton 6 0 20 0 J. T. Ikin .... 2 0 24 0 M.C.C. First Innings. L. Hutton, b Miller 7 C. Washbrook, not out 5 W. J. Edrich, not out 8 Extra 1 Total for one wicket 21 BOWLING. O. M. R. W. R. Lindwall .. 4 0 13 0 K. Miller .. 3 0 7 1