BIG CRICKET

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 20 December 1924, Page 5

BIG CRICKET

AUSTRALIA V. ENGLAND,

HOME TEAM BATTING

TWO INDIVIDUAL CENTURIES

BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT

SYDNEY, Dec. 19, llie first cricket test between Australia ana England opened hex 1 © to-day. Australia iooji first strike, and when stumps were drawn had lost three wickets lor 282. Collins made il4 and Ponsford 110. -

ihe weather was. fine and bright, and .the wicket was in good order The attendance was 35,000. Tne teams are: — , Australia. Collins (captain), W •Bardsley, Gregory, Maiiey, Oldfield, Hendry, Ponsford, Kelleway, A. xtichardson, \ . Uichardsoai 3 Taylor. England.—Gilligan (captain), Hobbs, batelilie, Hendren, Chapman, Hearne, Wool ley, Tate, Freeman- Strudwick, and Sandham. \ , Collins won the toss and elected to bat, opening with himself and Bardsley. ' late was in splendid condition, and the batsmen took few liberties with him. Bowling with a slight wind'he maintained a good pace. Freeman also, was puzzling, and kept ac excellent length. It was a slow one of liis that Bardsley snicked into Woolley’s hands at fine slip. . -

Scoring was slop, ' the half-century fifty-nme minutes to compile. Collins batted nicely, scoring mostly on the leg with singles. The fieldsmen let little past them, and Chapman, Sandham, and Freman made' some especially fine returns. Ponsford, who 1 was making his first appearance in test cricket,'- batted forcibly, but Pate kept him: thinking. He played ,1* reetnau and Hearne more ireely, however, and made his fifty in 117- minutes, displaying, nice judgment in placing his strokes. Collins also played keenly, and passed fifty in 150 minutes. He left Q ff balls mostly alone, but sent a good many off Tate away to square leg till Gilligan placed L‘iceman there. i the century appeared in 151 minutes, late was temporarily relieved by- Gilligan after bowling nineteen overs for 46 runs.. With the score at 105, Collins, who was then 42, gave a difficult chance for a catch to Hendren. Just before tea batting became more vigorous and play, livened up. • Wot!'ey seamed unable to get the Halls up. Hearne caused no trouble. Both Collihs and .Ponsford showed svill in puning the fast bowlers to. square leg. This stroke and drives to inid-on probably produced the most ’•.ms.

Two hundred appeared in 210 minutes’ play. Collins reacned liis Hntury with a drive to the boundary-off Hollis after 215'uninutes at the. crease. Twenty minutes later Hendren caught', him in the slips. The Australian skipper hit nine fours, and his partnership with Ponsford lasted 180 : minutes. The board read one wicket for 46 and then two for 236. Collins had an enthusiastic reception on returning to the pavilion.

The running of Ponsford and, Collins between the wickets was a little uncertain, hut it improved as the game went on. Ponsford made one or two flukey strokes, but the ball landed in open spaces. His timing was excellent. He played carefully and took no, risks. Freeman’s first ball after tea narrowly missed his wicket..

The Englishmen’s picking up was exceptionally good and frequently evoked hearty applause. Strudwick was in good form behind the wickets. Ponsford reached liis hundred with a single after 206 minutes’ batting, but retired 22 minutes later. Hi s score included eight fours. A. Richardson was batting attractively, but the fielding was pretty sound. Stumps were drawn with the score at 282 for'the-loss of three wickets. Details AUSTRALIA. First Innings, Collins, c Hendren, b Tate 114 Bardsley, c Woolley, b Freeman ... 21 Ponsford, b Gilligan 110 A. Richardson, not but 21 Taylor, not out 1 Extras 15 Total (for three wickets) 282 Til REIKI DAYS’ RAIN. NO CRICKET AT WELLINGTON. COLLEGE MATCH ABANDONED. (UY TJ3JL.KGItAI>H PIUiSS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 19: Heavy ram prevented play. There :s very litue prospect, ox any play tomorrow in the Town v. Country match. listin' lias laneii steadily for three full days, and it is still coming down. The, game is. timed to start at 11 a.m. on Saturaay, but the prospects are all against it. The teams are now as follows :- Country’.—Holland (eapt.), O'rr, Ritchie (Wanganui), Berna-u, Beuth, Tamper ton (Hawkes Bay), Cole (South Taranaki), Gee (Wairarapa), Pearson .North Taranaki), Hope (Manawatu), Cameron (Rangitikei); .reserves, Tronson (Wanganui), Bennett (Manawatu). Wellington.—Collins, James, Hiddleston, Baker, Banks, Badcoek, McGirr, Westbrook, Jacobsen, Haughey. Burt. . Delegates from Wanganui, Hawke’s Bay, Rangitikei, Wairarapa, * Manawatu, North and South Taranaki this morning conferred with Messrs. G. G. Wilson and Buck, representing the Wellington Cricket Association, and r ec , nm mended that the Town a.nd Country match should he an annual fixture to- be pla-ved. shortly before Christmas, the Wellington Association to appoint a sole each year A suggestion that- the match- be played in country centres was not considered as practicable.

The annual match between. W anganui and Wellington Colleges was to have commenced on Wednesday last., but to-clay all bone of making a. start was lost, and the game has been abandoned.