ENGLAND MAKES A GOOD START.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 18 August 1930, Page 7

ENGLAND MAKES A GOOD START.

FIVE FOE 316.

Received Sunday, 7 p.m. LONDON, Aug. 16,

The Oval buzzed with excitement hours before the commencement of the final test which will be a fight to the finish. The morning was crisp and pleasant and 20,000 were present an hour before the start in addition to hundreds in the temporary stands outside the grounds erected by owners of property commanding a view of toe playing area for which high prices are being charged. The occupants of humble fiats alongside the Oval also .reaped a harvest from balcony seats. The crowd wandered freely over the ground except the roped-off wicket and thronged around Woodfull as he stopped to consult the groundsman when returning to the pavilion with Ponsford and McCabe from practice during the morning. It is not surprising Parker was stood down because conditions are unlikely to favour his type of bowling but Australia made a last minute decision preferring Jackson to Richardson, the selectors aiming at solidity of batting at all costs.

A placard "We want Chapman" apI pcarcd among a few spectators but I Wyatt had a great reception when he ! came out to' toss. Woodfull as usual called out "Heads" and it was his turn to lose so England had the advantage of a wicket "full of runs." The decision to omit Richardson must have caused the selectors heartburnings for the South Australian's services arc bound to be missed in the field,, it is believed that the vice-captain, recognising the acutcness of the position, offered to stand down. Play Starts. The' Australians had a rousing reception when they took the field. Hobbs, dour and determined, war warmly cheered when he opened with debonair Sutcliffe. This is almost certainly the veteran's last appearance on the ground on which he must know every blade of grass.

Wall bowled an accurate first over but Hobbs stole a neat single off his third ball and slammed Fairfax's first, a full tosser, hard but Kippax made a good save. The next two overs were maidens. •

Sutcliffe opened his score with a single nicely turned off Fairfax.

The pitch seemed slightly soft and afforded the bowlers no assistance. Wall was bowling at top pace and swung considerably. He once hit Sutcliffe's left leg.

Ten runs in half an hour indicated the batsmen's carefulness. Wall's first six overs cost four runs but Hobbs got four from the seventh. Bradnian's fine fielding twice cut oil boundaries. Fairfax took Wall's end at 19, he and Grimmett each sending down successive maidens to the batsmen who only scored 20 in the hour, plainly trying to wear the bowling down. McCabe came on at £4, Hobbs driving the first ball for four and reaching 20. Sutcliffe was now only eight. Hobbs Caught. Play was unexciting but satisfactory from the English point of view, the bowlers seeming to make little impression on.the rocl-like defence. The ball rarely reached tho outfield where sparrows hopped peacefully. McCabe puzzled Hobbs with two successive balls but Grimmett did riot seem to. worry the batsmen. The veteran Hobbs square cut Grimmett to the boundary and raised 50 in 100 minutes. Jackson fell among the spectators trying, to save a four. Hobbs beautifully hooked a long hop from Wall to the boundary but with' the next ball, in attempting to repeat the stroke, put the easiest, possible catch into the hands of Kippax. He had played a good innings of 115 minutes during which he hit four fours. Whysall started uncomfortably against Grimmett and had not scored at lunch when the total was 71, of which Sutcliffe had made 2.1. i Wliysall l.b.w. to Wall., Thirty-two thousand were presenr when play resumed in cool, cloudless weather. Sutcliffe and Whysall were bright against Grimmett getting singles through carefully chosen gaps. Sutcliffe after 135 minutes hit his first tour lifting Grimmett to 'the on boundary. Whysall was looking like getting runs when he became Wall's second victim getting in front of a full tosser. Dulecpsinhji mishit Wall's first delivery for a single, then quickly got into his stride with two to cover point 1 of Grimmett and raised the score to 100. Wall closed his men in but the fndian cleverly preferred to score outBid - ' tho ring and enlivened the game by nulling Grimmett to the boundary twic.o in one over. He also played Wall

with delightful freedom, glancing and square-cutting with delicate-precision. Remembering Duleepsinhji's previous discoinfprture at the : hands of Hornjbrook, Woodfull brought the Queenslander on at 120 in place of Grimmett but the Indian knocked live off the first two balls. ~.

Indian Bats Well As testimony to the scoring livening up the first hour produced 20, the second hour 51- and the third 64. . Duleepsinhgi was chiefly responsible and equalled Sutcliffe's 41 when he hit Hornibrook for two fours in one over. The Yorkshireman had 150 minutes' start of the Indian who reached 50 in as many minutes , when he tried to get 'a six off Grimmett and skied ttie ball to ; Fairfax who to,ok an easy catch. He hit five fours and gave a slashing display, full of confidence. Hammond Goes Cheaply. With Hammond's advent the scoring slowed down, the newcomer awaiting the right ball to hit,after having sent the first ball--from-Wall'to the boundary, a characteristic coyer drive. McCabe, -who was doing good work in Richardson's place in the field, then took the ball and was rewarded by getting Hammond's wicket at the end of half an hour's batting, just when he looked dike settling down permanently. Hammond's dismissal spoiled what looked like a formidable partnership to which the crowd had been looking forward. # Critical Position. Leyland was beaten hopelessly by Grimmett just before tea and a critical position of '5 for 197 faced England's new captain, who was received with warm and sympathetic applause when he joined Sutcliffe, the spectators recognising the heavy responsibility laid on his shoulders in rather embarrassing circumstances. Ho had two narrow escapes straight away. Grimmett and McCabe each . him and Oldfield each time whipped the bails off lightning-like just as Wyatt managed to regain the crease. He must have welcomed the tea respite when. ■ the score was 5 for 199.

Sutcliffe, by infinite patience, had 66 on the board for 250 minutes' clav.

The attendance had now reached 35,000. Wyatt batted uncertainly and seemed lucky to get four through the slips oft McCabe. England's captain cocked one perilously close to McCabe at silly milloff and survived an appeal for icg before next ball. Wall took a new ball at 221 and Sutcliffe began to hit out more freely. Wyatt was cheered on tfnssimr tho fn*-»i

13. Then-he and the Yorkshireman began 'to punish loose ones and tho figures rose steadily. Sutcliffe reached 100 in five hours by turning .Grimmett to iov.r. He had a great ovation for his first test century this season and the seventh in his career. The attack was languish-

ing towards the close- despite frequent changes. Sutcliffc brought the third century up in 335 minutes. His skipper, after his early difficulties, stuck stubbornly to his task. In the last half hour, loose fielding and bad throwing, gave away a number of runs. Oldfield, however, did not allow a single bye. Sutcliffe's marathon effort occupied' 350 minutes' • actual play. It is a notable fact he gave only one hot chance. "He nit nine fours, three threes, 14 twos and his unfinished partnership . with Wyatt yielded 119. The crowd rushed the ground to get a glimpse of the now captain whose ■ first appearance and success was heartily'applauded. ENGLAND. First Innings. Hobbs, c Kippax, b Wall ...... 47 ''• Sutcliffc, not out ...'.., 138 Whysall, 1.b.w., b Wall ........ 13* Duleepsinhji, c Fairfax, b Grimmett 50 Hammond, b McCabe & . 13 Leyland, b Grimmett .......... 3 Wyatt, not out .. .., '.. 39 Extras .. .. ... 13 Total for live wickets .. .. 316 The wickets foil as follows: —1 for . 68, 2 for 97, 3 for 162, 4 for 190 and 5 for 197.