TEST CRICKET.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 7 January 1925, Page 6

TEST CRICKET.

AUSTRALIA OUT FOR 250.

INTERESTING STAGE

BY C-ABLS—PEESS ASSOCIATION COPYRIGHT. MELBOURNE* Jan. 0. The fifth clay of the cricket test match saw the dismissal of the Australians for 250 in their second innings, while England had one wicket down for .54 when stumps were drawn, liiey require 372 to win. The weather was cool but sunny when Collins (17) and Taylor (25) resumed Australia’s second inning®, the overnight tseorc being (>3 for the loss el three 1 wichets-. flic wicket vas ciacking a little, and thus was conducive to shooting. Taylor took strike to Hearne, who bowled a maiden, lace then took the ball from Hearne and Taylor glanced him for three, the over yielding nine. Hearne at SI relieved” Tate, who bowled from, the other end. Taylor got into the forties by snicking Tate into slips with a lucky shot. ' .... Collins, who had opened the innings., was now 2d, and Taylor, who was the fourth batsman, was -10. They were running well between the wickets. Collins when 30 played a chance back to Tate, but the bowler dropped it amid cries of “Lucky Collins.’’ Taylor pulled Hearne to the fence and raised his fifty fcr 75 minutes’ play. Before the Australian captain could add to ids score Hearne heat him with an oilbreak. Collins bad played- a useful innings, and when he 101 l the hoard read : I —3o TOO. TAYLOR’S FINE INNINGS. V. Richardson was accorded an ovation on going out to bat. Gilligan at long olf was fielding brilliantly. When the score was 121 Douglas went on in place of Tate. Five runs later Uichardson was smartly caught by Struclwick oil Hearne, the score at that stage being: 58 —126. Kelleway, “the rock,” joined Taylor, who was going well for his century. At lunch the' total was 130 for five wickets, Taylor’s score being^76. When play was resumed Tate and Hearne took up the bowling. The former sent down two maidens. Taylor drove him to the off for a single and had eighty to his credit on the board. Kelleway was thirty minutes getting ten and nearly played on a ball which struck liis pads. Taylor got five off Tate, four being for an overthrow. Hobbs and Hearne carried on the burden of bowling, maintaining a perfect length. Kelleway now played defensively for a while, but presently broke the spell by driving Hearne to leg to the fence. Taylor reached ninety by driving Tate for a single, but the bowler had his revenge in the same over, clean bowling him. The retiring man had played an invaluable innings, lasting 1.49 minutes and including seven boundaries, and one five The hoard read: G —90 —166. (?■

Hartkopf joined Kelleway, who -in the nest- over wa«s caught and howled by Hearne. “The rock” had stonewalled for his 17. Australia was in a bad position when Hartkopf went out leg before to Tate, and the hoard showed : 8—0 —168. A SPLENDID STAND.

Gregory and Oldfield were both cautious at the wicket*. The latter drove Hearne for three, Gilligan misfielding the ball, and Gregory pulled Hearne to the pickets. Gilligan replaced Tate at 194. Oldfield hanged Hearne to the fence, and the score read 203. 'Pate went on again, and Hearne at point missed a difficult high catch from Gregory, who was now 17. A drive off Tate yielded four to Oldfield. Douglas replaced Hearne at 208. Gregory broke his bat, and Oldfield created amusement by swopping bats in transit.

The pair were making a splendid stand, Oldfield being 30 and Gregory 18 when the tea adjournment came with the score at 220 for the loss of eight wickets. On resumption Gregory drove Tate for a couple of singles. Oldfield, playing with confidence, drove Hearne for three, but the howler soon had _ the satisfaction of gettiyg a leg decision. The retiring batsman’s display was a feature at a critical stage of the game. When he left the hoard read: 9 —39 239.

Tate appealed for leg before when Mai ley had made two, and the crowd was very angry. Tn the next over, however,' Mai ley dragged one from the same bowler on*, and the innings closed for 250.

Taylor’s display was brilliant, and the Gregory-Oldfiekl combination yielded G 7. Tate and Hearne were destructive factors, accounting for the indifferent exhibition given by Australia. ENGLAND BATS AGAIN.

Requiring 372 runs to win, Hobbs and Sutcliffe began✓ England’s second innings, facing Gregory and Tvellewav at 5 o’clock. A. Richardson went on at 21, Collins placing the field, and bowled a maiden. Hobbs when 17 just managed to get in before a smart return from Taylor. Mailey at 31 took the ball, and caused Hobbs some' anxiety. Eventually. amidst trot mendous applause from 13.000 spectators, Mailey got a leg decision over Hobbs, the board reading: I—21 —22—36. Meanwhile Sutcliffe was playing palieiifiy. Rtrudwiek joined him. The field was crowded in and the English ’keeper got going, scoring faster than Sutcliffe. The pair played out time, when the board showed 54 runs for the loss of one wicket. Details: AUSTRALIA. First Innings 600 Second Innings. llardsley, 1.b.w., b Tate 2 Collins, b Hearne 30 A. Richardson, b Tate 9 Eonsford, b Tate £ Tavlor, I) Tate 90 Y.‘ Richardson, c Strndwick, b Hearne ® Tvellewav, c and b Hearne 1 1 Hartkopf, 1.b.w., b Tate ( 0 Gregory, not out 36 Oldiiekl, 1.b.w., b Hearne 39 Mailey, b Tate ■’ 3 Extras 1Total 250 Rowling analysis: Tate took six wickets for 99 rims; Gilligan none for 40; Tyldcsley, none for 6; Hearne, four for 84; Douglas, none for 9. ENGLAND. First innings 479 Second innings. Hobbs, 1.b.w., 1) Mailey ‘22 Sutcliffe, not. out Strndwick, not'out Extras '• Total (for one wicket) 64 KEEN INTEREST IN MATCH. ENGLAND STILL OPTIMISTIC. LONDON. .Tan. 5. Colonel Philip Trevor, in the Daily Telegraph, says: “Never in the history of test cricket lias there been such interest and excitement as is be-

ing shown in the present match, which by 3 common consent is regarded as the supreme test of the English team’s grit People who ordinarily ignore cricket are daily discussing nothing else. I refuse to believe Hobbs, Sutcliffe, and Tate are the only members of the team who can live up to their well-established reputations o.u this great occasion. Therefore my optimism is unshaken.” Wilson, writing in the Daily Express, says: “Tire Australians, despite their bad start, will set us at least 450 to get. If the wickets helps the bowlers we will have'our backs to the wall in the second innings.”' _ Barnes, in the Daily Chronicle, expresses surprise at the fine weather wicket at Melbourne showing signs of wearing. If Tate receives support from the others the Australians will become a struggling side. England’s collapse is a tribute to Collins’ skilful bustling changes in the bowling. SHEFFIELD SHIELD MATCH. MELBOURNE, Jan. G. A meeting of representatives of the Victorian and New South Wales Cricket Associations decided to play the postponed Sheffield Shield match, New South Wales v. Victoria, in Sydney on January 24.