TOURISTS’ DEFEAT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22196, 5 December 1946, Page 5

TOURISTS’ DEFEAT

SHABBY FORTUNE

BAD WICKETS TWICE

TEAMS’ MERITS UNSEEN By Neville Cnr;lus

(10 a.m.)

BRISBANE. Dec. 5

“England’s defeat in the first Test match has had nothing of shame in it. Against a jumping, spinning ball, the batsmanship of Hammond, Edrich, Washbrook, Compton and Yardley must have served as an education in slickywicket methods to every Australian present at Brisbane, from Bradman downwards. It is hardly likely that Hammond will again be treated so shabbily by fortune: To be caught once on a sticky wicket when facing a total of GOO runs is bad enough: to be caught I ivicc in the same match is wicked. “Brisbane has told us little of the r elative merit of the two teams: Had England won the toss. I doubt if Australia would have survived as long as England. Far From Test Class “But Australia did a little yesterday to redeem herself in the field after Monday’s unsophisticated bowling. Toshack, in spite of too many long hops, bowled often as a left-hander should bowl on a wicket of his dreams. Yet he is far from Test match class. Australia will do well to pray for fine weather in all the remaining matches. The luck of the toss and luck in general usually turns with a vengeance. Indeed, the Australian victory was not at all convincing: the failure to finish the proceedings after Hammond’s downfall was rather an anti-climax. “Ikin kept the, flag living for his side and drove, even light-heartedly, some variable stuff, notably from Tribe. After this opportunity of looking closely at Australia’s attack on a spitfire pitch, Hammond and his men need not keep awake worrying over much about it. If they go to bed praying for good wickets to bat upon, they should be able to sleep tolerably well. “Another miracle was performed yesterday morning at Brisbane: 'Die match began as usual at noon; the waters had subsided and tho fig-tree was green in the leaf. It was like playing cricket in the Old Testament. At once the pitch showed its venom; even Barnes, while sending down an over to enable a change of ends, hit the body of Hammond thrice and appealed for leg before from a shooter. And then Toshack. ns soon as he attacked from round the wicket, trapped the captain, who departed, with a captain’s fortitude.

Waiting For Crumbs

“When Gibb took block, seven fieldsmen squatted on their haunches under his very nose and spectacles. They reminded me of the birds in Hyde Park waiting in a circle round somebody with a bag of crumbs. But Gibb retaliated and drove twice with spirit for threes from Miller and Toshack, both strokes amusingly suggestive erf academic belligerence. I remembered A.ugustine Birrell who, when he played cricket for the first and only time, broke his bat, and called to the pavilion:' ‘Bring me some more bats.’ “Toshack, observing at last the golden rule that slow or medium bowlers should bowl round the wicket, was now a changed man, spinning from the leg stump to the off. Yardley tried a forward drive and the ball was sliced to the slips, a significant sight for students of the game. “Miller bowled Gibb while the score remained 131. and with the next ball he trapped Bedser with another low vine, very low. The Australians gathered and gloated: They were clearing their character of Tuesday’s stigma. “Voce spoiled Miller’s hat-trick by a leg glance of a grace of which he was possibly not conscious. A catch at the wicket put an end to England's first innings: Toshack again achieved the authentic spin of his breed and school. Yesterday, he occasionally observed a length and direction that compelled attention.

“When a left-handed bowler of Tpshack’s nace is no.t holding the lively interest of a.t least two short slips and the wicket-keeper, he should go home or give his right arm a chance. Major Disaster

“England’s second innings opened with a crushing major disaster; Hutton played a perfectly executed forward defensive stroke, a classic example of the Yorkshire dead bat; an off-break, the first ball, presumably broke back and popped or dallied and Barnes at forward short leg made a ghoulish catch and ran on to the bowler to show it to him. We saw again the traditional Australian swift, manv-eyed agili.ty in the field: We saw also a pitch not substantially chastened by rolling: I.t was evil to .the bone and now the ball was jumping from a good length. “Washbrook and Edrich were both quick to pull short stuff from Toshack tor fours, but Toshack got a faster one through Edrich, who was leg before, standing erect without a stroke. “Natural law was again interfered with when Compton played Toshack into his stumps and the bails remained stationary; the next thing was for the sun itself to stand still. For threequarters of an hour Washbrook battled until he was caught, again exultantly by Barnes at forward short leg, from a' breakback.

England’s Lost Cause

“Hammond came next in the darkening giory of England’s lost cause and superbly he drove Toshack for two sixes and a four in one over, each a blow of noble ease: strokes fit for a king. Between the accomplishing of them he was nearly caught at second slip; no batsman could reasonably hope for long to avoid fatality though, of course, as soon as Hammond and Compton, by great skill, made a stand there was chatter about a _ material improvement in the wicket; it merely changed from viciousness to awkwardness. And there were no bowlers except Miller and Toshack able to exploit it. “Just as the resolution of Hammond and Compton promised to frustrate Australia for another day at least, Compton was marvellously caught at short leg from a half-hit made protectively; Barnes threw himself at the ball 'and just held it. rolling over and recovering an upright position like a cat. Compton’s innings was grand in its self-denial and stoicism.

“In the next over England’s doom was spoken: Toshack clean bowled Hammond’s middle stump. Hammond majestically played forward and missed. And the rest shall bo silence ns far as this narrative is concerned.