RECORD CRICKET.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXXI, Issue 5595, 4 July 1930, Page 3

RECORD CRICKET.

THE SECOND TEST MATCH. AUSTRALIA’S GREAT WIN. * A BRILLIANT, YOUTHFUL STAR. (By “Wicket-Keeper.”) When the sun was shining brightly over “Little Old Lunnon” this week, the Australian cricket eleven, and “Don” Bradman in particular, made cricket history in the historic Lord’s Cricket Ground, where had assembled England in all its wealth of grace and chivalry to witness the struggle between England and Australia for the cricket supremacy of the world. England, by winning the First Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, had got “one leg in” for the famous “Ashes,” but the Australians then put up such a gallant fight in theii' fourth innings of the match that their chances in the Second Test were generally regarded as favourable, but no one anticipated such a record smashing game to result. The Second Test will go down in history as “the match of records.” England’s First Attempt. When England put on 425 in the first innings, it was found that this score had only been exceeded on two previous occasions in Australia-Eng-land Tests at Lord’s. In 1926 England made 475 for three wickets (declared), and in 1899 Australia made 421. Then in compiling a century in his first test, K. S. Duleepsinhji achieved the same distinction as his famous uncle, K. S. Ranjitsinhji. It was at Manchester in 1896 that “Ranji” played in his first Test for England against Australia, and he carried his bat for 154.

Ail Records Smashed. It remained, however, for the Australians to smash all previous records. Their total, at which the skipper declared when six wickets had fallen, was nearly a hundred runs better than the previous best in the history of Test cricket, and sets a “main” that seems likely to stand supreme for many a long day. It was triily a colossal total and makes one wonder what they would have reached had the match to be played to a finish. By their batting performances the team has earned the right to be placed - with the best teams that have ever played for the Commonwealth, and have given food for much thought to the critics at Home. It would be of interest to record that the previous best score made by an Australian team was the 600 made in the-1924-25 season at Melbourne. The Englishmen, however, at Sydney in 1928 rattled up 636, which stands as second to Australia, and. also put on 589 at Melbourne in 1911 and 519, in 1929, also at Melbourne.

Individual Record. , In regard to individual totals, the record in a Test match is still held by an Englishman, R. E. Foster, when he flogged the Australian bowling at Sydney, and. in his first Test match reached the great total of 287. Then next on the list, comes “Don” Bradman’s performance this week with 254—a feat which the English critics acclaim in a true, sportsmanlike manner. “His feat,” we are told by cable, “will go down in history as a cricket classic. His tapping, glancing, cutting and vicious drives revealed the superb confidence of this youngster.” This being Bradman’s firs£ appearance in a Test at Lords, the performance is all the more meritorious. The list of those who have made a cenfury on their first appearance in England-Australia Tests is as follows :—

For England. R. E. Foster .. .. .. 287 W.G. Grace .. .. ..152 G. Gunn ..' .. .. 'll9 'M. Leyland .. .. 137 K. S. Ranjitsinhji, not out 154 H. Sutcliffe .. ..115 K. S. Duleepsinhji .. .. 173 For Australia. G. Bannerman, not out .. 165 H. L. Collins 104 R. A. Duff 104 H. Graham .. .. ‘ .. 107 R. J. Hartigan, .. .. 116 A. D. Jackson .. .. 164 W. H. Ponsford .. .. 110 D. Bradman .. .. .. 254 Duleepsinhji’s score is a record for England in the Tests at Lord’s, but of course fades before Bradmanis 254. It is interesting also to note that W. R. Hammond, playing for England in 1928 at Sydney, hit up 251, and previous to that Murdoch’s 211; scored in 1884 at the Oval, had remained undisturbed as the best individual Test total. Bradman now comes in as second with a score of 33 below Foster, a truly remarkable performance for a youngster in the cricketing world, especially when one realises that this tour is his first experience of English wickets. By his century in the first Test, made under most difficult and trying conditions, that might’well have daunted a seasoned player, he joined the select band of cricketers who have made a century in their first appearance in Test cricket."

Test Match Scores. The total of 729 for six wickets by Australia easily constituted a record for a first innings in a Test match. Australia’s previous best was 600 at Melbourne in 1924-25. The- largest aggregate by England in a first innings was 636, at Sydney, in 1928-29. The previous best total made by an Australian in a Test match was recorded by W. L. Murdoch, who made 211 at the Oval in 1884. S. E. Gregory scored 201 at Sydney in 1894-95, and J. Ryder* made 201, not out, at Adelaide in 1924-25. Australia’s New Star.

. Don. Bradman made his first appearance for Australia in Test matches in the 1928-29 season. In the first Test at Brisbane, he scored 18 and 1, and was dropped for the second Test at Sydney. Brought back into the team, he scored 79 and 112 in the third Test at Melbourne; 40 and 58 in the fourth Test, at Adelaide; and 123 and 37 not out in the fifth Test at Melbourne. In the four Test

matches in which he played, he aggregated 468 runs, with an average of 66-85 per innings. As Bradman scored 8 and 131 in the first Test at Nottingham and 254 in the second Test at Lord’s, he has now compiled 394 runs in these Test matches, so that his average runs out at 98.50, being once exceeded by the record of Duleepsinhji, who has played two innings and scored 221 runs, with an average of 110.50. fJt seems as though there are no heights to which this brilliant Australian youngster of 21 may not soar. His feat of notching 1000 runs in May has never been equalled by an Australian batsman, while only four Englishmen have turned the trick. These were W. G. Grace, Walter Hammond, Tom Hayward, and the Lancashire left-hander C. Hallows. The Bowral boy’s performance was the more impressive since the weather cui*tailed the number of innings he played. Grace, who. was 47 when he put up his performance in one of the driest summers England had seen for years, averaged 112.88 for the month. Bradman’s average when he reached the four figures was 143.