SECOND HIGHEST TEST TOTAL

Hawera Star, Volume L, 21 August 1930, Page 5

SECOND HIGHEST TEST TOTAL

" Australia’s First Innings Yields 695 ANOTHER DOUBLE CENTURY BY BRADMAN England One for 24 in Second Strike (United Press Association —By Electric- Telegraph —Copyright.) Received 11 a.m. to-day. LONDON, Aug. 20. Play at The Oval on the fourth day of the momentous fifth Test between Australia and England saw the former, in their first innings, not dismissed until they had compiled 695 the second highest score in the history of the tests, inferior. onl\ to the 729 (for six wickets declared) made by the Australians in the second Test of the present series. Of this big total Bradman, the brilliant New South Wales batsman, who has already established his claim to be regarded as the most prolific scorer cricket has ever known, was responsible for 232. With a big deficit on the board, England -commenced then sgeond; strike at a late hour and misfortune early befell them 5 Hobbs, the veteran bat, appearing in his last match against Australia in Tests, playing Fairfax on to his wicket when ~ only 17 had been scored. Only seven more runs were scored when bad light caused the abandonment of play for the day. Australia, with a first innings lead of 290, is thus considered to be in an excellent position to regain the Ashes, symbolic of cricket supremacy.

A smaller crowd than .the previous day’s saw the resumption of the Test in "fine, cool weather; consequently the wicket was in good order. Hammond seemed to get more help from the pitch than Peebles. Bradman and Jackson, once hesitating between the wickets, had a scare when Hammond threw down the middle stump after a slowly run single. Then Bradman, cutting Peebles, put Australia ahead and in an excellent position with seven wickets in hand. The lefthander Leyland was tried and bowled two maidens. Bradman in the third over sent him to the boundary A sharp shower stopped play at 11.55. After the rain the weather continued patchy with glimpses of brilliant sunshine, severely testing the skill of the batsmen. Jackson took 45 minutes for six runs, his 50 occupying 200 minutes. Tate looked extremely dangerous. Bradman played him confidently, passed Sutcliffe’s 161 and became the highest scorer in the match. Rapid changes of bowlers made no difference, except to slow down the rate ■of scoring. The partnership yielded 220 runs 'in 230 minutes, of which Jackson’s share was 62. Hammond damaged Jackson’s fingers with a severe blow and Bradman received a blow on the chest- from Larwood. The ball was playing all _ sorts of tricks. Bi’adman was almost laid out lint recovered quickly and continued as well as ever. Jackson, still slow and elegant, received another blow on the hip from Larwood and still another from Hammond. Poor fielding gave away many runs rind 500 appeared in 530 minutes. An..jLlier boundarv to Bradman made his tttf-al 200 in 365 minutes, and this stroke put Australia- 100 ahead. This was Bradman’s third double century in Tests and his fifth of t-lie tour. He was given an ovation. The partnershp, after putting on 243, ended with an easy catch at cover. Jackson batted for 270 minutes and bit eight fours. He revealed high-class hatsmanship. .McCabe started briskly with fours off Wyatt and Peebles, and the batsmen punished the latter freely. At lunch Australia were in a. commanding position. Twenty-five thousand were present on the resumption of play. Continuing brisklv, McCabe scored boundaries off Tate and Larwood. The wicket was easy and scoring continued at- a steady rate. Bradman. whose great innings stretched over three days, was dismissed at 570. He flicked a rising ball, and Duckworth accepted the catch. Bradman batted for 430 minutes and hit 16 fours, 10 threes and 28 twos. He was missed at 82: otherwise he never lifted the ball. He was given a fine reception in recognition of his great share in consolidating Australia’s advantage. Fairfax was quiet, but McCabe continued to collect runs. Fifty was made in 70 minutes. McCabe was out shortly after to a brilliant catch behind the wicket. He had nine fours to In’s credit-. The Australians then passed 600 — for the second time in the tour —in 620 minutes. Fairfax and Oldfield put Australia 200 *nhead. Both reached the fence with luckv mis-hits Tate used a fourth new ball, but the massacre of the bowlers continued. After an 'hour’s batting Oldfield was , dismissed by a splendid low catch at id-on. He had hit four fours. Grimmett and Fairfax were together at tea. when Australia led by 270. Peebles dismissed the opposing “googlyite.” .Everyone was weary and even one of the umpires sat down for a brief rest. In the same over Wall was also out leg before to Peebles, who had now taken six wickets. After 120 minutes Fairfax reached a laborious 50. Duckworth made bis fourth catch to dismiss Homibrook and end the innings, which is the second high-

est in Test history and lasted for 735

minutes. Hobbs and Sutcliffe commenced with a- deficit of 290. Woodfull, as a sportinn- gesture, gathered the Australians round Hobbs and called for three cheers on the occasion of the famous batsman’s last Test appearance against Australia. ~. 0 , Hobbs gave a lew singles, while butcliffe drove Fairfax to the boundary, but Oldfield dropped him next ball. The Yorkshireman also had the narrowest escape of being run out. Hobbs shook his head in misery as he was dismissed in Fairfax’s third over, deflecting a fast ball into the stumps. His was an unhappy farewell hut a triumph for Australia. The score at this stage was 17. Whysall commenced in an indifferent light- and scored six from Wall. An appeal against- the light at 6.15 was upheld, with Australia in an almost undeniable position.

Scores: ENGLAND. First Innings 405 Second Innings. Hobbs, b Fairfax 9 Sutcliffe, not out- S Whysall, not out 6 Extras 1 Total for one wicket 24 AUSTRALIA. First Innings. Woodfull. c Duckworth, b Peebles 54 Ponsford, b Peebles HO Bradman, c Duckworth, l> Larwood 232 Kippax, o Wyatt, b Peebles 28 Jackson, c Sutcliffe, b Wyatt 73 McCabe, o Duckworth, h Hammond 54 Fairfax, not out 51 Oldfield, c Larwood, b Peebles ... 34 Grimmett, l-.b.w., b Peebles 6 Wall, 1.b.w., b Peebles 0 Hornibrook, c Duckworth, b Tate 7 Extras 46 Total 695 Fall of the wickets. —One for 159, two for 190, three for 263., four for 506, five lor 570, six for 594, seven for 670. eight for 684, nine for 684, ten for 695. Bowling analysis. O. M. R, NY. Larwood 46 6 132 i Tate 65 12 153 1 Peebles 71 8 204 6 Wyatt 14 1 58 1 Hammond 42 12 70 1 Leyland 16 7 34 0

“MENACE TO ENGLISH CRICKET” AUSTRALIA’S WONDER, BATSMAN. LONDON, Aug. 19. The farcical five minutes’ resumption of the Test match finds ample criticism in the newspapers. The “Daily Express” says it is lucky for all concerned that the two Australians, particularly Bradman, were able to play the bowling, for had either been dismissed, the memory left would lie decidedly unpleasant. England would have deserved never to have heard the last-of it. Chapman, in the “Daily Mail,” says: “There is nothing to say about this match except that Bradman is a definite menace to English cricket. This brilliant batsman is too good for us. He never looked like getting out- and England was definitely outpointed on Tuesday’s play. Australia is now on top and I am afraid we will have great difficulty in avoiding defeat.” The “Morning Post” says Australia should win whatever the pranks of the weather.