CRICKET TEST

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22608, 22 December 1936, Page 11

CRICKET TEST

ENGLAND ON TOP AUSTRALIANS COLLAPSE TEAM OUT FOR 80 RUNS GOOD RECOVERY MADE Uy Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received December 21, 0.20 p.m.) SYDNEY, Dec. 21 Fortunes fluctuated in (he third day's play in the second cricket test match between England and Australia to-day. After batting for two days and scoring 426 for six wickets under good conditions, England declared its innings closed and sent Australia in to bat on a wicket affected by rain. The Australians gave a sorry display and were dismissed for 80. Allen, the. English captain, made Australia follow on but, with the wicket much improved, the home team staged a good recovery and at stumps had compiled 115 for the loss of one wicket. Fingleton and Bradman are the not out batsmen with G7 and 57 respectively. Bowling honours in Australia's first innings were taken by Voce, four wickets for 10 runs, Allen three for 19. and Verity two for 17. Fighting Hard After the. first innings debacle the Australians are fighting hard in the second innings. With Bradman still in, Australia has every prospect of saving an innings' defeat and giving England runs to get in its second innings. This of course, is dependent on the weather being favourable. Should further rain come, and it is threatening, Australia's task will be hopeless. The attendance to-day was 24,894. The wicket was wet on top but not sticky when Fingleton and O'Brien opened Australia's innings. Voce had charge of the attack and Fingleton took a single from the third ball but the seventh ball was snicked by O'Brien to the third of five slip fieldsmen. Bradman came in and turned thr> next ball to short square-leg for a simple catch. Fingleton then played a maiden from Allen, and Voce, with the second ball of his second over, had McC'abe caught in the slips. Voce hail taken three wickets in four balls and missed the "hat-trick" by one ball. His figures now were three for one. He was making the ball rise sharply and tho batsmen were sorely troubled. Chipperfield Aggressive C'liippeifield decided on aggression and slammed two fours past the bowler. Hr> was then dropped in the slips off Voce but had not added to his total when he hit Allen hard to Sims at point and was out. Fingleton was next to go. He had been very watchful for 55 minutes before edging one to Verity at backward point. The total was now 28 for five wickets, and Voce had accounted for four batsmen for eight runs. Sievers and Oldfield joined the pathetic "procession" and Australia had lost seven wickets for 31. A partnership between O'Beill}- and McCormick then added 40. The former was missed off Voce before he had

scored and he celebrated his escape by vigorous hitting, pulling Verity once avid Sims twice over the fence for sixes. This pair defied six bowlers until the. luncheon adjournment.

Soon after the resumption Allen - boivled McCormick and Ward with successive balls and Australia's rout was complete in 107 minutes. Badcock was still too ill to play. The wicket was not really bad but the Australians were worried by the pace of the pitch. Voce and Allen both made the ball rise awkwardly but the batsmen lacked enterprise. Cautious Start Following on, Australia began its second innings at 2.50 p.m. with a deficit of iJ 1(3 runs. The wicket was slowly improving but still had life in it. O'Brien and Fingleton began very cautiously. Hammond had Fingleton troubled and was unlucky not to secure his wicket, as an easy chance to Fagg at second slip was not accepted. In Hammond's next over, however, O'Brien spooned one to Allen at silly leg. Bradinan, after his two successive test "ducks," just kept the first ball he received out of his wicket. He continued scratchily until the tea adjournment. The batsmen spent time during overs patting the wicket, but after the adjournment the howlers did not appear to get much assistance from it. Bradinan, at 24, gave a hard chance to Robins at square-leg off Allen. The next ball was glanced to the fence and Brad ma n was the highest Australian scorer in test matches, beating Clem Hill's aggregate of 2660 runs. Whereas Hill had 76 innings this is only Bradman's 34th. Costly Chance A four to Bradinan took the total to 100 after 12a minutes. Fingleton's escape,- at nine, proved costly to England, as he was batting very solidly at 50, made in 137 minutes. Twice Verity nearly bowled Bradman and otherwise the Australian captain was not playing in his usual clean and confident fashion. It was a brilliant ondrive to the fence, however, which took him to 50 after 111 minutes. An appeal against the light at 5.45 p.m. was upheld, but the sun came through the clouds and play was continued at 5.55 p.m. Bradman and Fingleton played safely until stumps.. Details of the scores arc as follows: — ENGLAND. —First Innings A. E. Fagg, c Sievers, b McCormick 11 0. J. Barnett, h Ward . . . • 5< W. R. Hammond, not out . . . . 2.11 M. Ley]and, Ibw (n.r.), b McCabe 42 L. E. G. Ames, c Robinson, b Ward 2i) G. 0. B. Allen, Ibw, b O'Reilly . . 0 J. Hardstaff, b McCormick . . • . 26 - H. Verity, ' not out 0 Extras 21 Total for six wickets (declared) 426 Fall of Wickets. —One for 27, two (or 118, three for 247, four for 351, five for 808, six for' 424. Bowling 0. M. R. W. McCormick- . . 20 1 70 2 Ward .... 42 8 132 2 : O'Keiliy ... 41 17 86 1 Sievers . . .. 16 4 30 Chipperficld ..]•'< 2 47 McCabe 131 1 AUSTRALIA First Innings J- Fingleton, c Verity, b Voce . . 12 L. P. O'Brierf, c Sims, b Voce . . 0 D. G. Bradman, c Allen, b Voce . 0 S. J. McCabe, c Sims, b Voce . . 0 A. G. Chipperficld, c Sims, b Allen 13 M Sievers, c Voce, b Verity . . 4 W. A. Oldfield, b Verity .... 1 'V J. O'Reilly, not out .. .. 37 L L.. McCormick, b Allen .. .. 10 1' Ward, b Allen 0 G L. Badcock, absent 0 Extras 3 Total . . , . ~ , n > . . . 80

Fall of W ickcts.—One for 0110, two for one, three for one, four for 16, five for 28, six for 30, seven for 31. eight for 80, nine for 80. Bowling 0. M. E. W. Voce „. . . 8 1 10 4 ■Allen .... 9 1 19 3 Verity .... 3 Hammond 4 Sims .... 220 2O Kobins .... 1 SECOND INNINGS L. P. O'Brien, c Allen, b Ham•J. 1< ingleton, not out (57 D. G. Bradman, not out 57 Extras 4 Total for one wicket 145 Fall of Wickets.—One for 38. Bowling O. M. T{. W. Hammond . . 4 Voce .... 7 2 lo Allen ... . . 11 2 34 Sims .... 5 Verity .... 12 3 38 I'obins .... 1 ALLEN'S MISTAKE STATE OF THE WICKET HOPE FOR AUSTRALIA VOCE'S ACCURACY PRAISED (Received December 22, 12.10 a.m.) SYDNEY, Dec. 21 Commenting on to-day's play, C. G. Macartney says:—Australia was dealt two unkindly blows to-day—one the early-morning rain, and the other the inability of Badcock to play. Allen made a good decision in closing England's innings, but I am convinced he was deceived by the state of the wicket, as at no time was it as bad as the Australians' first innings denoted I am certain that had he known the pitch would roll out so well in the afternoon lie would not liave made Australia follow on. Also, he seemed to think the pitch would bo worse after lunch —his bowling changes all pointed to that. Bradman made a bad error in appealing against the light with 15 minutes to go when runs were coming freely. The light was not nearly as bad as at Brisbane, when the umpires at the same stage ordered that the game should continue. Nevertheless, Australia is making a commendable fight, with the situation still very largely in favour of England, for if rain falls before play to-morrow a victory for them is assured. Australia must secure at least 500 runs to havo any chance of victory. This is a long, stern chase. The condition of the wicket to-day at the start of play gave the English bowlers a moral advantage. The steady length of Allen, Voce and Verity was greatly aided bv the early batsmen playing fast-wicket strokes on a slow pitch. No bowler could obtain any reasonable turn on the ball, and what there was the slow wicket rendered negative. O'Brien, Bradman and McCabe played puerile strokes where a deadbat approach would have overcomo the difficulty. A contrast was noticeable later when O'Reilly and McCormick were gathering runs in the easiest manner. O'Reilly brought tremendous relief after his earlier disappointments. Most of the time he played with comparative ease and confidence. Fingleton, too. showed that there was no real devil in the wicket. Still, one must admire the accuracy of Voce, who thoroughly deserved his success. His control and slight variations of pace brought the downfall of batsmen who bail not concentrated sufficientlv on the conditions.

Australia's inglorious display should arid another nail to the oof Tin of covered wickets. Australia perhaps deserves some touches of fortune. Bradnian is still at the wickets, and while that is so anything can happen. The Englishmen certainly cannot all'ord to give him too many lives.

OPINION OF HOBBS

SLOW SCORING RATE (By J. E\ Hobbs. —Copyright in all countries. Reproduction in whole or in part forbidden.) SYDNEY, Dec. 21 Commenting on the first two days' play in the second test match between England and Australia, J. B. Hobbs says:— "England was in a very strong position when the rain came. Some may argue it would have been advantageous to score faster, but it' that had been tried the side might have been all out. i was prepared from the start for a stodgy exhibition from the English batsmen. Played out tests are an affair of wearing the other side down. Still, when scoring is slow i like to see the reason, instead of blaming the batsmen straightaway. Bowlers seldom receive credit for bowling well, and keeping runs down, or the captain for a well-placed lield. Australia's field again w.us cunningly placed. "The slow bowlers, Ward especially, were able to turn the ball. Even Hammond could not go all out for many strokes. Bradinan bowled his pace men, McCormick and Sievers, very little, reiving on the spin bowiers. "The rain may help Australia, because it will probably bind the wicket together when the roller conies on. Before that there were signs that the wicket was breaking up, and 1 saw the fielders give it many anxious looks prior to heavy rain. "Let us praise Australia's bowlers and fieldsmen, and Bradinan. It was dull cricket, but England got runs and Australia has still to obtain them. The strain of a long innings like Hammond's is in the constant concentration, and only a strong man can stand it. Right to the end when a bad hall came lie hit it hard."

CAPTAIN DEFENDED BRA DMA N' S .J UDG ME XT LONDON. Dec. '2l The former Australian captain, Mr. W. M Woodfull, writing in the New World, says: —"Bradinan made full use of his bowlers, ringing the changes with commendable judgment. Nothing, however, would go right for him, and unless he for once rises to the occasion 1 feel certain that an English victory is assured."

INFERIORITY COMPLEX BATSMEN TO BLAME (Received December 21, 10.42 p.m.) SYDNEY, Dec. 21 Mr. Neville Carilus. writing in the Sydney Sun, sa.vs: "Not one of the disasters to Australia in the first innings to-day could lie attributed to the state of the wicket—only to the state of the batsmen's minds. Bradman's stroke was not fit for public view. This morning's exhibition was an occasion for tears and the veil. Mr. W. M. Woodfull, writing in the Sydney Sun, says: "Voce's beautiful action and perfect control wrought the havoc. Once again he proved too hostile for our leading batsmen—Voce, plus the thought of rain and a damaged wicket which only occasionallv proved awkward. Bradman and McCabe made poor shots at balls which should have been ignored. For nearly an hour Finuleton defended gamely without revealing a fault. He then selected the wrong ball to try a forcing shot."