TEST CRICKET

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 19 December 1936, Page 5

TEST CRICKET

AUSTRALIA THREE UP

HIGHLIGHTS AT SIDNEY AUSTRALIA BEATEN AFTER RECORD SCORE—ENGLAND OUT FOR 45, YET WINS

(By “Ponty”)

the bnrraekers “roasting” him. When Australia followed on after England hail .sot the main of 551, those sterling lefthanders, Joe Darling (101) and Clem Hill (96), were the principal scorers. Australia had a six wicket revenge in the final Test at Sydney, in which there was some of the finest fast bowling ever witnessed. "Ernie Jones, got six for 82 and three for 61. while Tom Richardson’s eight for 94 in the first innings was a ciassic. Darling’s 160 in the second innings was the only three-figure tally of this contest.

HORDERN AND GRIMMETT TOO GOOD FOR ENGLAND

Of the previous 29 Tests at Sydney Australia won 16 and England 13. Appended are a few notes on some of the more famous .struggles and players. The first two decisions at Sydney in 1862 went to Australia by five and six i wickets. G. F. Palmer, seven for 68 and four for 97, clinched the initial victory, despite a first wicket partnership of 56 and 129 for England by happy George IJlvett and stonewaller, R. G. Barlow. Palmer, five for 46 and four for 44. was still a mighty force a month later; Tom Garrett (later Public Trustee of New South Wales) lending valuable support, with three for 85, and six for 78. But Alex Bannerman (76) and Percy McDonnell (147) scored all but 29 runs off the bat in Australia’s opening knock, and paved the way for victory. Alfred Shaw was the English captain, and on the side was that other great player, Arthur Shrewsbury. When Hon. Ivo Bligh (afterwards Lord Darnlcy) led the 1882-83 invaders, England won for the first time at Sydney, by 69 runs. It was not a high-scoring game, and after the demon bowler, F. R, Spofforth, had taken four for 73, and seven for 44, Australia’s chances were rosy. Barlow, however, came to light with the magnificent figure of seven for 44, and the colonials were all out for 83 m their final knock.

Archie McLaren, was skipper in 190102 and things looked bright when ho (116) and Tom Hayward (69) went in first at Sydney. Some capital bowling by Sidney Barnes, Colin Blythe and Leit Braund turned Australia out for 168 and 172 leaving Marylebono, to win by 124 runt*. It vas the only English victory, as Australia won the other four Tests—the return at Sydney by seven wickets. Gilbert Je.ssop, who' failed with the bat on this tour, took four for 68 for England. R. E. FOSTER’S HISTORIC 287 Winning both contests in the New South Wales capital in 1903-04, “Plum” Warner’s men got a mortgage on the Ashes, which they duly recovered after Joe Darling’s successful onslaught at Home in 19U2. Although Noble scored a century in the first innings of the whole series, England, thanks to that classic performance of “Tip” Foster (287), which stood until twice eclipsed at Leeds by Bradman, aided and abetted by Braund (102), bad a lead of nearly JOO. 1 hey might have needed them all, too, for with Victor Trumper scintillating (185 not out) the Commonwealth replied with 485. Hayward (91) and Hirst (60), however, made the task of scoring IS4 to win not so difficult as it might have been. The margin was five wickets, whil 'etwo months later it was 157 runs. The original googlie bowler, B. J. T. Bosanquet crippled Australia with his six for 51 in the second innings. Australia was revenged with two Sydney victories and the rubber against the 1907-08 crusaders led by that muchadmired all-round Notts sportsman. A. O. Jones, who refereed when the Springboks heat Wales by double figures a year alter the Principality had conquered the All Blacks. The first Test was fairly even, and Australia had to fight hard to get 275 for eight wickets. Geo. Gunn (who was travelling with the Englishmen unofficially, for the benefit of his health, not having been selected) was pressed into service and made history by becoming the then fourth Englishman to make a century on a first appearance. He also ran up 74 in the second innings. A couple of months afterwards the Australians won with 49 runs to spare, but this was a finer effort as England had led by 144 on the first innings. Victor Trumper’s 166 set the main for Australia’s second venture of 422, and when Saunders got on the job with five for 82, ‘England really had no chance of getting 279 for a win. Although Australia beat P. F. Warner s 1911-12 team (captained by Douglas after the official leader became critically ill) by 146 runs in the opening engagement. England did not lose another game. Trumper (113) and Roy Minnett (90) were the highest scorers of the initial contest, in which Frank Foster (left hander) rocked them in. Sidney Barnes, the greatest of all English Test bowlers, not striking true form until the following match at Melbourne. 11. Hordern’s five for 85, and seven for 90 equalled the record of F. Martin (Kent) in taking as many wickets as a dozen in an initial Test appearance. Foster and Barnes, who were critcised for pegging away inside the batsmen’s legs, were too good when Australia tried to get 363 for a win in the final pre-war Test in Australia, England getting the verdict by 76 runs. APRES LA GUERRE

Australia squared the rubber on the same field three weeks later, making it two all, as four Tests, had been arranged. Winning by four wickets, Australia’s heroes were G. J. Bonnor 87, Bannerman 63, and a fine double of 57 and 58 (not out) by J. McC. Blackham, the greatest of ali wicket-keepers. The famous Lancashire batsman, A. G. Steel, in compiling 135 not out in England’s first venture, recorded the only threefigure score of the series.

SAM JONES AND “THE DEMON”

Shrewsbury was captain in 1885 when England was beaten by six runs—-the second closest finish in history to Australia’s three-run victory at Manchester in 1902, when Jack Saunders bowled Maurice Tate’s father. , Sam Jones, now of Aratonga Avenue, Auckland, opened the Commonwealth batting, with the useful contributions of 28 and 22, but the “Demon” was still a power in the land, as his four for 54 and six for 98 prove. Three weeks later Australia again conquered Shrewsbury’s eleven, this time by eight wickets. Jones scored 40, run out, and 15, not out. Again, in 1886-87, were consecutive games played at Sydney, England, for a change winning both. Shrewsbury Was still captain, and led his men to one of the most remarkable successes in cricket history, for after England had batted first and been dismissed for 45, the lowest innings ever recorded by England, that country eventually vanquished the Australians by 13 runs. Spofforth was a spent force, and it was left to 0. T. B. Hurner (the “Terror”) arid left-hander J. J. Ferris (who later played for England against South Africa) to do the damage, sharing 17 wickets. ' W. Barnes and the Surrey champion, Geo. Lohmann, demoralised the home eleven in the second innings. Another low-scoring contest followed, England’s margin a mouth later being 71 runs. Turned out again by the prince of length, flight, and spin, Lohmann (eight for 35) in the first innings for' 84, Australia’s only champions were again Turner, and Ferris. The colonial wicket-keeper, F. J. Burton, came to New Zealand with the 1895-96 New South Wales team, and settled in the Dominion. In a Test after the war at Wellington he walked out on to the Basin Reserve as umpire, and his mate was Tom Cobcroft, his Australian captain in New Zealand nearly 30 years earlier!

“ABLE! ABEL AND W.G.”

Since the Armistice the Sydney games have resulted:— 1920-21.—Australia heat J. W. 11. T. Douglas’ team by 337 runs and nine wickets.

Only one meeting took place in 1887-88 when there was the amazing spectacle of two English teams touring the country that season captained by Lord Hawke and C. A. Smith. These teams combined tor the sole Test. It was responsible for the lowest aggregate in a Test played in Australia, the 40 wickets falling for 374 runs. England won by 126; Peel and Lohmann taking nine wickets apiece, annihilated their opponents, whose two innings realised only 42 and 82. Turner (12 wickets) and Ferris (six) were still Australia’s only useful pair. None other than the great W. G. Grace skippered England in the 1892 fixture, which Australia won by 72 runs. There were some wonderful individual performances. Lohmann eight for 58 first innings), and Australia’s all-rounder Geo. Giffcn, four for 88 and six for 72, got most wickets; hut Johnny Briggs did tile “hat trick.” One of his victims was Sid Callaway, afterwards a great player for Canterbury, whose _ bownng gave that province a splendid -victory over Wynyard’s 19066 ( M.C.C. teaiVi.

1924-25. —Australia vanquished A. E. R. Gilligan’s side by 193 runs and 307 ruiis (fifth Test).

Clarrie Grimmett made his debut in the final match of that season, when he dominated the Englishmen to such an extent that. 11 wickets fell to him for 82 runs the next best initial effort in Test cricket to Hordern and Martin.

1928-29.—A. P. F. Chapman’s team beat Australia, by eight wickets (W. R. Hammond 251). Only one international at Sydney. 1932-33.—D. R. Jardine’s eleven vanquished the Australians by 10 wickets and eight wickets. >

And us for batting, Bobby Abel (died last Thursday, blind, aged 79) the little Surrey wonder, created an English record by carrying his hat all the way through the first innings for 132.

-OPENED WITH 586, TO LOSE Perhaps Uic most famous game of all Test cricket in Australia was the opening fixture of that utility sportsman A. E. Stoddart’s 1894-95 tour. For Australia opened with the then record score of 586, made England follow-on, yet lost the match, Peel and Briggs getting Australia out on a sticky wicket when then forced to bat last. Sid. 'Gregory scored 201 in the first innings, and it was harder still for Geo. Giffen to be on the losing side after knocks of 161 and 41 and a bowling double of four for 75 and four for 164. Albert Ward (Lancashire) had the remarkable batting figures of 75 and 117. Australia won the return at Sydney (the fourth Test) by the large margin of an innings and 147 runs. _ Harry Graham played a marvellous innings of 105 on a rain-ruined pitch and became the oniy player to score a century on his initial Test appearance in both countries (and it was at Lord’s that he made his three-figure debut in 1893). He afterwards played for Otago and -New Zealand, 3.1 years ago. and died at Dunedin in the early forties. Turner and Giffen were too good for England (65 and 72) in the conditions. Although Australia opened with 414 in the rubber game at Melbourne, Stoddart’s men 1 won it by six wi'fleets. RANJI "ROASTED'’ When Stoddart came out again in 1898 he had men like Archie MacLaren, ,T. It. Mason, Tom Hayward, W. Storcr, )Gco. Hirst, '‘Ranji,” J. T. Hoarne, J. Briggs and Tom Richardson to support him, but England won only one of the four Tests. In the first, at Sydney Ranji played that marvellous innings of 175, after coming out of Sydney Hosi pial with quinsy, which did not prevent