TEST CRICKET

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 2 January 1925, Page 5

TEST CRICKET

AUSTRALIA AT THE WICKETS. A FINE RECOVERY. 500 FOR 4 WICKETS. j SV CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. MELBOURNE, Jau. 1. There was ideal weather and a perfect wicket for the second test cricket match between Australia and England. Fqrty-five thousand spectators were present early in the day, including the Governor-General. The teams were: — Australia—Collins (captain), Bardsley, Ponsford, Gregory, Kelleway, Hartkoff, A. Richardson, V: Richardson, Mailey, Oldfield, Taylor. Andrews is twelfth man. The selectors appointed Collins captain for the remaining tests. England —Hobbs, Hearne, Hendren, Chapman, Woolley, Sutcliffe, Tyldesley, Tate, Strudwick, Gilligan and Douglas. Sandham is twelfth man.

The first appearanee of Tate, Sutcliffe and Tyldesley in Melbournevwas the feature of the match. -Collins was again lucky in winning the toss and elected to bat, opening the innings himself with Bardsley. Collins*, and Bardsley faced Douglas and Tate. The latter bowled! a maiden, and then Bardsley opened the score with a single off Douglas. Tate was swerving. Collins got i i- painful knock . on the leg off Douglas. He missed one from fixate, which went perilously close to the leg stump when he was four. Collins drove Douglas to the boundary. A few singles brought eighteen on the \ board. Collins made some spectacular leg strokes in Tate’s sixth over, when an appeal was made for a catch behind. The umpire was slow in giving his decision, which was favourable to the bowler, and Collins looked' surprised. The board then read: 1; —9—22.

Bardsley reached double figures by off driving Douglas. Arthur Richardson filled the vacant crease. Tate had now taken one for seven, and Gilligan and Hendren were fielding brilliantly. At 34 a double change was made in the bowling, Tyldesley and Gilligan replacing Douglas and Tate. A. Richardson, playing Tyldesley with confidence, cut him for four. . Bardsley square cut Gilligan and Richardson attempted a run, but he could not regain his crease before a smart return from Hobbs. The score then read: 2—14—47.

Ponsford joined Bardsley, who tipped Gilligan’s-next ball to Strudwick, making the score: 3—l9—47.'. Taylor was next man in. Tate bowled the last over before.lunch and shared the morning’s honours with Gilligan with an average of one wicket for 12.

Ponsford and Taylor carried the score to 60. The attendance was now 60,000. Taylor was unusually quiet facing Gilligan, but Ponsford prettily cut the fast bowler for a brace. Tyldesley bowled in place of Tate at 72. Taylor took thirty-five minutes to make six runs. Ponsford reached twenty by cutting Gilligan for two. Taylor skied one over Tate’s head, making his. score fourteen for fifty minutes’ batting. Both batsmen were placing Tate safely, but taking no chances. Taylor snicked Tate for a single, bringing the total to 100 for 140 minutes’ play.

When Ponsford was 37 he drove, one to Chapman at deep mid-on, the fieldsman just failing to hold it. Meanwhile Taylor, playing yvitli his customary dash, entered the thirties, driving Tate to the boundary. He was now close to Ponsford, having scored twenty in twenty-three minutes, and the partnership put on 69 runs in an hour, Taylor using evc v y stroke. Hearne replaced Douglas. Ponsford reached fifty with a single, and the partnership had 1 now yielded a hundred runs. Ponsford was 64. Tyldesley at mid on missed a. fast shot. Taylor pulled Tyldesley to the fence and brought his fifty up in 108 minutes. At the lea adjournment the ' score was 3 for 193. '

On resuming Douglas and Tate were bowling with a new ball. Two. hundred came up, and when Taylor appeared set for his- century Hobbs brilliantly threw his wicket clown, with a. lightning return. The retiring man had- batted 12S minutes and hit three boundaries. The score board read: -4^-72—208. The' partnership had added 161 runs.

Australia was now in an enviable position. V: Eidhardson joined Ponsford, who was now 80. At 225 Gilligan bowled and Douglas was persevered with, though his figures were none for 55. Ponsford reached ninety by square cutting Gilligan for a single. V. , Richardson got his next through slips to the boundary, following up by hanging a" short pitched one for four ; and getting two singles off the same bowler, bringing his score to twenty. Po-nsford reached his century in -173 minutes, the feat evoking a remarkable demonstration. Ponsford was congratulated by Gilligan. He established an Australian record by scoring centuries in his first two test matches. Y. Richardson, batting soundly, pulled Hearne for a single, making thirty, to his credit. The Englishmen were tired'; after a heavy day. Woolley bowled a maiden when the score was 255. Ponsford dnd Richardson, carried the total to 300, when stumps were drawn, Australia having a good strurt. - Details: AUSTRALIA—First Innings. Collins, e Strudwiek, b Tate ...... 9 Bardsley, e Strudwiek, b Gilligan 19 A. Richardson, run out 147 Ponsford, not out ...... J. .... 1.. 128 Taylor, run out .. ... 72 Y. Richardson, not out 39 Extras ...... 19.

Total for four wickets ...... 300 THE ENGLISH SELECTION. SURPRISES FOR CRITICS. LONDON. Dee. 31. Newspaper critics generally welcome the additions to 'England’s boiling strength, but there is some surprise that Douglas instead of Kilner is included. Pointing out the advantage of. youth in tests without a time limit, they suggest that Gilligan regards Kilner as unnecessary as long as Woollev is available. The omission of Freeman, after his lion-hearted batting in the fourth' innings at. Sydney, is viewed with greatest surprise, but Tyldesley is classed as a good bowler, a remarkably fine field, a lusty batsman, and, above all, a whole-souled trier. A closer fight than at Sydney is anticipated. ' ■’ '