BIG FIGURES IX TEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14867, 19 December 1911, Page 8

BIG FIGURES IX TEST.

PLODDING ON BOTH SIDES.

ENGLISHMEN WELL BEHIND.

FAILURE OF THEIR SKIPPER.

HORDERN'S DEADLY GOOGLIES.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.— Copyright

(Received December 18, 8.5 p.m.)'

Sydney, December 18. The test match, England v. Australia, in which the Australians, had scored 447 and the Englishmen 142 for four wickets, was continued to-day in fine, hot weather, tempered with a cooi breeze. The wicket was in excellent condition, and the attendance 13,000. Though Foster and Hearne. added 89 for the sixth wicket, the Englishmen's total fell 129 short of Australia's total, and ae the Australians at drawing of stumps had

scored 119 for tho loss of only one wicket, they are now 248 to the good, with nine wickets in hand. Slow, but sure, batting by Hill and Kelleway marked the closing play. Hordern came through with the fine average of five wickets for 85, comprising Foster, Woolley, Douglas, Mead, and Rhodes.' Kelleway took three for 46. Wicket Tails in First Over. The not out men, Hobbs (63) and Hearne, resumed the Englishmen's first innings, and Whitty captured Hobbs in his first over before the Surrey man had added to his Saturday's score. The ball pitched well tip on the leg «ido, and Hobbs, in attempting to glance it, lifted it to silly mid-on, where Hill made a clever onehanded catch. . ' Hobbs was at the wickets • for 167 minutes for his 63. Ho gave two chances. His score included five fours and one five. Foster followed. Cotter was bowling from the other end, and nearly added another wicket before the total was further increased, for Hearne snicked a ball waist high between Kelleway and Bardsley in the slips. Instead of a wicket a four resulted. Foster brought the total to 150 _by forcibly driving Whitty for two. The inn-, ings had then been in progress three hours. Trumper's injury was sufficiently improved to allow him to take his place in the field. Macartney, however, still fielded as substitute in place of Minnett, who had injured his foot at the practice nets. Foster Pulls Like Trumper. Foster quickly passed Hearne at 19,, twos and fours coining at almost every stroke. This pair emulated some of the Australians, notably Hill and Bardsley, it making every possible run. The practice met with hearty approval from the crowd, who repeatedly cheered. At 180 Horclern replaced Cotter, Kelleway going on at the other end. The Australians fondly imagined that Trumper was the only player who dared to pull balls on the off stump to the leg boundary, but Foster disabused them of this idea, repeatedly pulling balls across, and once landing one on the track. Both batsmon used their feet freely to tho googlies of Hordorn. The second century went up in 211 minutes, and Foster's 50 appeared in 50 minutes. When lie had added six runs, in attempting to play Hordern, Foster hit a ball. on to . his wicket. His* 56, made at the rate of a. run a minute, included nine fours. , , Woolley quickly got his eye in, and faced the bowling with confidence, while i Hearne was watching carefully. After luncheon Whitty and Cotter renewed tho attack, and Hearne's 50 appeared after he had been 107 minutes at the wickets. Regret at Woolley's Dismissal. ' With the total at 293, Hordern took the ball from Cotter, and his first over clipped Woolley's bails. The spectators wore sorrv to see the Kentish left-hander's ' dismissal, as, with the exception of Foster, ;ho is the most attractive batsman in tho team. Woolley's 39 included five fours. Douglas faced Hordern, and played the first ball up to Trumper, who took an easy catch at silly-point, England's acting-cap-tain thus retiring for a duck. When Barnes joined Hearne, play slowed, several maidens following. Then Barnes drove Wliitty for four, making the total 301, which had occupied tho same number of minutes. Hearne was loudly cheered on passing Hobbs's score by a lifting Hordern to ,the track. Kelleway relieved Whitty, and his first ball bowled Barnes,' who 'had made nine. , : :. ' " With wicketkeeper Strudwick in, Hearne hit out, and " with his total at 76 he skied Kelleway to Trumper, who made a catch at long-off. England's innings thus closed with a deficiency of 129, Strudwick being not out with nil. The Australians' fielding wa3 generally smart and clean. Australia Opens Poorly. \ The Englishmen's innings came to an end shortly before tea-time, and the interval was consequently cut out. Trouble started early for tho Australians, Foster bowling Bardsley when the total was 29. The Australian's second innings had then been in progress for 35 minutes. Hill joined Kelleway, who had scored 17. Both played steadily, and 50 appeared in 54 minutes. Tho bowling was frequently changed, Douglas, Barnes, Woolley, and Foster taking a few overs each, and they were well supported by tho field. \ After passing 50, play became uninteresting, the bowlers keeping a good length, especially Douglas, whose 1 eight overs yielded 10 runs. Hearne went on at 76, . and play brightened a little: it was still, however, far from brilliant, Hill and Kelleway seeming to be determined to play out time. The hundred took 10/ minutes.

A Little By-play. A slight diversion was caused by Hill hitting a ball about a yard along tho pitch, and sneaking a run. The wicketkeeper (who had been standing back) and the bowler ran for tho ball, and collided; meanwhile, the batsmen got home. With a-quarter of an hour to go, Rhodes started to bowl. The rate of scoring did. not improve, in spite of barracking by a section of the crowd. Both Hill and Kelleway were unbeaten when stumps were drawn. The details of the scoring are:— ENGLAND.First Innings. Hobbs, c Hill, b Whitty ... ... 63 Kinnier, b Kelleway ... 22 Gunn, b Cotter ... ... ... ... 4 Rhodes, c Hill, b Hordern .1. ... 41 Mead, c and b Hordern ... 0 Hearne, c Trumper, b Kelleway ... 76 Foster, b Hordern 56 Woolley, b Hordern ■ ... 39 Douglas, c Trumper, b Hordern ... 0 Barnes, b Kelleway 9 Strudwick, not out ... . ... 0 Extras ... . M ... 8 Total ... ... -.my . ... ... 318 The order of the fall of wickets is as follows -One for 45, two for 53, three for 115, four for 129, five for 142, six for 231, seven for 293, eight for 293, nine for 310. . Bowling analysis: Cotter took one wicket . for 88 runs; Whitty, one for 60; Kelleway, three for 46; Hordern, five for 85; Armstrong, none for 28; Minnett. none for 3. „ AUSTRALIA. First innings ... ... ' ... 447 Second Innings, Bardsley, b Foster ... ... 12, Kelleway, not out •..< ... *.. 47 Hill, not. out ... ... •••; ... 49 Extras ... ... 11 Total for one wicket ... ... 119 Trumper's 113 'is his sixth century in tests, and he also, completed 2000 in tests. Commenting on Minnett's brilliant debut in test cricket, the Sydney Morning Herald says that he imparted splendid power, nearly all his strokes bombarding the fielders on the off side. Minnett repeatedly made strokes ranging from third man to straight, with an occasional on-drivo, .and ho is > capable of still better things..