THE FOURTH TEST

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIV, 22 July 1921, Page 5

THE FOURTH TEST

Tlii' 11 mimes from which the fourth English lost team is tu he chosen show ,i further reshuffling, perhaps not quite drastic as previously. The outstanding injustice tiiis time is the exclusion of White, the Somerset slow left-hander. While was regarded as unlucky not io lie chosen for the Australian tour, and this sensun has again performed with great consistency, his record to date ol over 100 wickets at about Hi. being for a slow howler in a dry season a very tine one. (liven one trial in the third test, he howled splendidly, and in the second innings seemed three good wickets for 117, and yet he i- dropped from even the preliminary 11. Marriott, who apparently takes his place, has im performances to approach White’s. Fonder should secure his plaee this time, as he has good howling performances against, (lie Australians and is a leafless hat, likely to hit any howler off his length, and his ability as a captain might also lie useful to Tennyson. Hallows (Lancashire) is again in the first selection, but it is difilcnli to see him in before batsmen. like Bussell. llendren. Holmes, Hardinge and others. Bttsseli should lx* useful as he has two Australian experiences behind him, and hf i scored Do and AM in one of the tests out here. Mead, who was not selected the first time, hut was ; prevented from playing in Ihe other two games, should stlengthen the hatting enormously; in*'is having a wonderful season, having scored his last 1000 runs in about three weeks. On* paper, one would imagine the team will be now about as follows; Tennyson, Fender. Douglas, Mead, Bussell, Brown, Durst on, Woolley, llearne ior ; certain, with either Marriolt or Parker, as the new Jeff-ham! bowler, and cither Ty hies ley or Hallows as a batsman. Brown, who replaced Strndwick as keeper last lime, was evidently not good enough behind the stumps, but made good with the bat and is included again for that, Hut Striidw tek’s name js included again. Hardinge. who had been hatting brilliantly and did lairly well last time, is -oimm.m’iy dropped, and Tyhiesley, who tailed signally in the first match, is brought in again after missing two games. There are of necessity many good players lotlout, hut nice, who really do not seem to have a. lair trial are; White, liardinge and Holmes particularly, and Hendreu. I!bodes and Dipper to perhaps a lesser extent. Due would almost think that the matches so far iiad been only trial games for the purpose of finding the best beam, and certainly the I'.nglish XI. has never Iteen so drastically ‘-bullied about in the history ol the game. Including (hi 1 present select ie,n, no lewer ;;f) plovers have been drawn on. A (lash at the critical moment would seem to have been preienerl io eon-sistem-.v and experience in the selections, 'Hie te-t ;.tames now stand:--Australia -13. Knghmd f<>, although England still leads in the number of wiiis on English grounds, hut unless, the fonril match is drawn. as it might he if the wicket is dry, Anstraiia”slmnld rednee this deficit by two before the present scries closes.