BOWLING THRASHED

Hokitika Guardian, 9 July 1934, Page 5

BOWLING THRASHED

627 FOII NINE ENGLISH BATSMEN ON TOP. (United Press Association-—By Electric Telegraph-Copyright.) LONDON, July 7. For the second day’s play in the test match, the weather was even hotter than it was on Friday. When the match was resumed there was practically no wind. Bromley and Barnett again acted as substitutes. Wall bowled the first over in order to allow Grimmetb and O’Reilly to change ends. Leyland swung a roball from O’Reilly to the boundary, and then powerfully off-drove him to the boundary, the score thus reaching the hundred in 215 minutes. He repeated the stroke off the next ball. Ames remained sound and safe. Darling, in his second over, should have got Leyland, who, .at 120, when ■attempting a drive, snicked a hard left-hand catch to McCabe at first slip, but the ball went for a single, raising 400 in 380 minutes. Wall and McCabe then used a. new ball, which presented no difficulties on the easy wicket, Ames pulling Wall for. a shattering four. Good fielding by Woodfull and Brown saved further fours. Sixty-nine runs were added in an hour’s play. i Batting a hall from Wall (to the boundary, Leyland became the highest scorer in the current test series. The partnership had then added 100 in 100 minutes. O’Reilly’s length ivas suffering from the strain of the gruelling hot day, and his side’s desperate position. Eventually, however, Leyland, when jumping out to drive O’Reilly, was deceived by a floating ball, and he was easily caught by Barnett behind the bowler. Leylaiid battted 315 minutes. He gave one chance. Tt was a superb innings, which included nineteen fours. The Lancastrians forgot t'he Wars of their Roses in their ovation for the Yorkshireman.

Then in his next over, O’Reilly sept back Hop wood, who was completely beaten, playing too (ate to a faster' ball or . beautiful length that turned •slightly from leg and took his off stump. : Five hundrede were raised in 460 minutes for the first time of the tour against Australia.

O’Reilly, .in his next over, should have got Allen, who attempted a big hit, AVall dropped the catch at deep square leg. Arnes then jumped out and drove Griminett powerfully straight into the hands of Ponsfoid at. deep mjd-011, . and Ponsford took a good catch. Ames gave a chanceless display, and hit ten four*.

There were thirty-five thousand spectators present after-.lunch. They were baked in the oven-like,atmosphere. The score of 550 was raised after five hundred minutes’ play. Excellent batting by. Allen and Verity enabled England to exceed 575 runs, the previous biggest test total against Australia in England, and six hundred runs were realised in 545 minutes.

The bowling was worn to a frazzle, but the field still stuck gamely to the terrific task.

Allen, when attempting a big hit, was clean howled by McCabe, after a fine, hearty innings lasting ninety minutes. He hit eleven fours, and it was his highest test innings. Verity also notched the highest score of his test career. Even the left-hander, Clark, managed to stay 25 minutes, while Verity inflated . the colossal score. Ttya iinnnigd lasted 285 minutes. Verity batteef 110 minute*:, and played a. ehanceless- innings, which included eight fours, i : ■- - England declared at 9 for 627.

Australia’s Good Opening. Allen in Us first over against the Australians, bowled a no-ball and three wides. Then lie bowled three more no-balls. ’I he crowd derisively yelled “take him off!” Allen had two no-halls in his second over, hut his other deliveries were good.

Bowling fast, fhe lolt-hander, Clark, had two slips, two gulleys and two fieldsmen close in on the legside. He whipped the ball sharply in towards the batsmen, but Ponsford, prior t© receiving a blow on the band, finely glanced him to the boundary.

Allen’s third over included ■ only one no-ball. Hammond then displaced him, and was successful in his first over in getting Ponsford caught. The ball was going away, and Ponsford snicked it to line-slip, where Heudren dived and took a brilliant right-hunc catch. One for 34. Ponsford was never comfortable.

McCabe had a chance when lie was two, as be mistimed « ball from Clark, where Hendren, at second slip, failed to hold a hard low catch. Fifty runs were raised in even time.

Brown was struck inside the right knee by a ball from Hammond, but lie resumed after a few minutes.

An hour’s play yielded seventy-six runs this being an excellent performance in view of Hammond’s good length. Allen came on again and found bis length, and, with Verity, lie retarded the scoring. One hundred runs were up for ninety minutes’ play. Allen then left the field, and was replaced by Keeton. At 102 Hopwood, a slow left-hander, came on. He was pitching the ball outside of the leg stump, with six leg-side fieldsmen. Brown tnen reached 50 runs in 105 minutes, while McCabe raised bis 50 in 90 minutes. Brown was exceptionally quiet ufier getting