GETTING INTO FORM

Grey River Argus, 8 May 1926, Page 3

GETTING INTO FORM

AUSTRALIANS MAKE OVER 530. Two Big Scores. LONDON, May 6. The Australians in the first day’s play made 532 for 8 wickets against Essex. Play started in fine weartiher, and on a good wicket. The attendance was seven thousand. Woodful scored over 200, while Macartney made 148. This pair soon settled down to work and piled up the score rapidly, the first hundred appearing in sixty-three minutes. Macartney was brilliant all round, while Woodfull was bright and attractive, notably in front of the' wicket. The field Mas kept continually on the run.

The conditions were wintry noiv.ithstanding the fitful sun. There were iai couple of hail showers before lunch.

Essex bowling was in no way comparable with Leicester’s, but the batting had undergone an entire change, being freer, forcing, and more enterprising. Macartney obtained a century with a splendid cut to the boundary, after two the crease. VVoodfull took ten minutes longer. A new ball did not diminish the rate of scoring, both batsmen turning and cutting fast balls from Nicholls delightfully, and driving mediumpaced Eastman and slow Hipkin.

Macartney gave an easy chance, which Freeman in the long-field missed, and square cut the next ball which was taken on the boundary by Ashton. He had displayed wonderful wrist work. He hit ten fours and batted 120 rirtnutes. The total was then 270.

Hipkin in the next over, held a hot wide return from Taylor taking tlie ball almost on the ground. Ponsford, when, thirteen, was the subject of a curious appeal from Hipkin. The ball appeared to remove the bitff and rebounding from the keeper’s pads removed the other bail. The umpire decided in Ponsford’s favour. Woodfull continued freely, driving all bowlers impartially, and found w.>ak spots in the field. He late cut Ashton delightfully.

RfcTiarciSu’n made an uncertain start, but soon settled down. He relied largely on leg strokes. When the board showed 419, Woodfulj ran out for a terrific hit, missed and was bowled. He had played a chanceless innings, with foreful superb driving. H e batted four hours, and his score included fourteen fours and eighty singles. He had a tremendous ovation on leaving the ground. His principal partnerships were with Macartney 270, Ponsford and Richardson sixty-nine each.

Gregory had a lucky esoaipe in the slips when he had only one run on the board and again when three. H missed being stumped. Hendry essaying a short run, was sent back and ought to have been run out easily, but Nicholas broke the wicket prematurely. Tli o concluding stages of the play were quiet. Hendry played graceful all round strokes, but the fielding was patchy. AUSTRALIA —lst. Innings. Collins b Nicholls 0 Woodfull b Hipkin 201 Macartney c Ashton b Hipkin 148 Taylor c and b Hipkin 6 Ponsford l.b.w. b Russell 23 Andrews b Ashton 5 Richardson b Hipkin 45 Hendry not out 71 Gregory o Nicholls b Hipkin 7 Ellis not out 17 Extras 9 Total for 8 wickets 532