Cricket History Made

Northern Advocate, 26 July 1938, Page 5

Cricket History Made

Victory for Australia yesterday in the test at Leeds, by five wickets and with over a day to spare, was the most sensational in cricket history since England got 332 for seven wickets on a rain-damaged wicket at Melbourne, at New Year, 1929. Australia, as holder of the ashes, will retain them until the 1940-41 series in the Commonwealth, irrespective of the result of the Oval match commencing on August 20. Although this will be played to a finish, interest in it will not now be so keen. Violent fluctuations of fortune again marked the final day’s play. After England had started with a credit of 30 runs, and all its wickets intact, the spin bowlers —O’Reilly and FleetwoodSmith—did their work so well that Australia was set to make as few as 105, with apparently only the weather to beat. Australian supporters reckoned without the youthful Kent spin bowler, Wright; and when he dismissed Brad- 1 man and McCabe, four good men j were out for 61. Sensation after sensa-' tion followed till eventually wicket- ' keeper Barnett finished the match with j two boundaries. j The hero of the finale was Hassett, j whose innings will be rated as one of the most valuable in test history. O’Reilly’s ten wickets, in the match brought his total up to 99, taken in the short space of six years. Only five Australians (H. Trumble 141, M. A. Noble 115, C. V. Grimmett 106, G Giffen 103, and C. T. B. Turner 101) and three Englishmen (W. Rhodes 109, S. F. Barnes 106 and R. Peel 102) have captured 100 wickets.