SUPERB START

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 225, 22 August 1938, Page 7

SUPERB START

ENGLISH BATSMEN EXCEL. HUTTON AND LEYLAND. 347 FOR 1 IN FINAL TEST. (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) LONDON, Aug. 20. The two Yorkshire County players, Leylaml and Hutton, gave England a great start in the fifth and final Test between England and Australia, at the .Oval to-day. At stumps England’s total was 347 for the loss of only Edricli’s wicket.

After Edricli had been dismissed at 29, Leyland and Hutton batted patiently and skilfully. They mastered the spin bowlers and were still unconquered at stumps, each having scored well over a century, in addition to breaking the second wicket record of 188 [for England against Australia, established by H. Sutcliffe and W. R. Hammond at Sydney on the 1932-33 tour. The Australian Associated Press critic says: “The Australians must rely on a prodigious success on the part of their batsmen to compensate for the failure of the bowlers if tho rubber is to be won outright and not merely drawn. The Australian bowlers so far have escaped fairly lightly. The Yorkshiremen attached more importance to keeping their wickets intact than to following the dictum that the last hour is the best time for run-get-ting against tired bowlers. “They preferred to take safe twos and sharp singles to prevent the bowlers from concentrating on either partner. It was a stout, authentically Yorkshire performance, proving how well-founded is Australia’s respect for Leyland, while Hutton. quick-footed and wristy. though not brilliant, seems to be heading to become a rather sounder version of Sutcliffe.”

The/ weather was fine, crisp, and sunny and tlie wicket appeared to be ill excellent order when play began. Rain temporarily held up play about the tea adjournment. The teams are: , England.—W. R. Hammond (Gloucestershire), captain, K. Fames (Essex), M. Leyland (Yorkshire), H. Verity (Yorkshire), W. E. Bowes (Yorkshire), L. Hutton (Yorkshire), E. Paynter (Lancashire), D. S. C. Compton (Middlesex), W. J. Edricli (Middlesex), J. Hardstaff (Nottinghamshire), A. Wood (Yorkshire). A. Fagg (Kent) is twelfth man. Australia.—Bradman, McCabe, Eingleton, Brown, Badcock, Barnes, O’Reilly, Waite, Fleetwood-Smith, Barnett, Hassett. White is twelfth man. McCormick was omitted on account of neuritis in a shoulder, thus weakening Australia’s attack. Hammond won the toss for the fourth time and England batted. Tlie first hour’s play was slow, McCabe and Waite opening the bowling. Tlie former mixed slows with mediumpaced deliveries. Neither Hutton nor Edricli was taking any liberties with Waite. The first wicket to fall was Edricli’s, after three-quarters of an hour, in O’Reilly’s third over, giving him his 100 wickets in Tests. Leyland began cautiously. He was quite happy against Fleetwood-Smith. He scored faster than Hutton, but was less sound.y.Both Fleetwood-Smith nnd O’Reilly bowled a consistent length. 'l’he rate of scoring was subdued until just before lunch, when the score was 89 for one wicket. Australia’s enforced reliance on spin howling prevented the batsmen from- getting on top. ADMIRABLE BATTING.

Within half an hour after lunch Bradman had tried all four bowlers, and in this period England’s hatting was admirable, Leyland being particularly outstanding. The latter had a narrow escape at 70, when ho nearly played Waite on. Bradman at this stage tried Barnes, who sent down a creditable first over. Meanwhile Fleet-wood-Smith was getting expensive, one over yielding 12 runs. Hutton reached his century in three hours, when the pair had added 189 and established a new second wicket record for England against Australia in Tests. Leyland was for 40 minutes in the nineties before registering his century in three hours 25 minutes. Bain stopped play at 4.25 p.m. with England’s score standing at 242. Hutton gave possible chances at 40 and 48; otherwise, ho had not offered the bonders much hope. The wicket was playing perfectly and the batting was of a type likely to win Tests. Play was resumed after tea in sunshine, when the attendance was 26,0CX). The rate of scoring was not remarkable; perhaps a run a minute. The batsmen were finding it difficult to penetrate the field, while the bowling generally was accurate. The batsmen refused to take risks and fewer than 50 runs were scored in the last hour. Hutton hit 15 fours and Leyland 14 fours. Details:—

ENGLAND. • First Innings. Hutton, not out ... 160 Edrich, lbw, h O’Reilly 11 Leyland, not out 166 Extras 19

Total (for one w icket) . 347 Bowling Analysis. 0. M. R. W. Waite 33 5 G2 0 McCabe 17 4 45 0 O’Reilly . ••• 35 10 79 1 Fleetwood-Smith 35 3 121 0 Barnes 11 2 ill 0