AUSTRALIA’S INNINGS

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12528, 18 August 1926, Page 4

AUSTRALIA’S INNINGS

MAGNIFICENT FIGHTING GRIM STRUGGLE FOR THREE HOURS COLLINS MOST DETERMINED By Telcgmuh,—Press Assn. —Copyright. Reuter’s Telegram. LONDON, August 16. The weather was dull and cloudy for the second day of the fifth and final Test match at the Oval. The wicket remains good, though it is now somewhat cut up by the bowler’s foothold. The attendance was over 33,000. Co-llins and Woodfull, Australia’s two not-out-batsmen, resumed at the crease. Collins opened . confidently against Tate, playing the hall safely plumb, in the middle otf the bat. He was somewhat uncertain when facing Larwood, and showed a disposition to edge the ball dangerously. He gave chances when his score stood at 8 and 10, but he then proceeded to dig himself in. Tate drew tihe field in till seven fieldsmen were closely encircling the wicket, and only Sutcliffe at third man was in any way deep. WODOFULL TRAPPED Rhodes started with two maidens, which Woodfull played with apparent ease. The bowler enticed him further out, and then sent donvn a ball much fuller in length, which Woodfull entirely raisiudged and played on to his wicket. The board then showed five wickets down for the small total of 90 runs. Tate had Richardson guessing, and he was lucky to escape playing the ball on. He then survived a leg appeal. Collins played his accustomed game well, batting for an hour for 16 runs. He was never in difficulties, and met all the bowling with ease, not attempting to score except under the safest conditions. A curious incident occurred when Collins’s total showed 22 runs. H© was beaten by Tate, and the hall, Tobounding off Strudwick’s pads, was caught by Collins, who returned it to the wicketkeeper. No appeal was made by the field, however, and Collins continued his innings. RHODES HARD TO PLAY Tate changed his bowling frequently, and gave the batsmen no chance of settling down. Rhodes, after an over off which three singles were taken, sent down maiden after maiden to Collins, who was only once beaten. The grimness of the struggle is shown by the fact that three hours* batting only produced 120 runs, • including 11 byes. Richardson sent a hot return to Rhodes, which he was unable to hold, when the batsman’s score was 16. Richardson was then called on to play several overs from Rhodes, who repeated his tactics, inducing Richardson to leave the crease. The batsman hit eventually and drove hard in the direction of mid-off, where Geary made a magnificent two-handed catch tery low and wide. The board then read six wickets for 122 runs. At length, after ten overs* nine of which were maidens, a ball from Rhodes was dispatched to the boundary as a result of an excellent cuo by Gregory. Collins had a narrow escape when at 27, mistiming an offbreak from Geary and edging the ball past his leg stump. A BOUNDARY BY GREGORY The first ball Gregory received from Geary he dispatched straight to the boundary, but he was beaten by the five remaining halls of the over. However, he introduced life into the game. Geary, trying the leg theory, had Tate, Hendren, and Woolley close in on the leg side for Collins, but he refused to be trapped. Gregory carefully played his usual game, but when at 38 he gave a difficult return to Larwood. Gregory’s luck held after lunch, for he skied the first ball from Stevens, but it was just out of reach of the bowler. He was then cheered for a magnificent cut for 4. Collins continued to play a sterling game, and was a monument of, patience, batting for 2 hours 55 minutes before he hit his first 4, which he did by pulling a short ball from Stevens to> the boundary. Stevens was not difficult and lacked variety. Gregory made a couple of lucky snicks off Larwood, which were both just wide of Chapman at first slip, the second of which brought the seventh wicket partnership a hundred, scored in 97 minutes, of which Gregory had scored 72. COLLINS AND GREGORY GO The next over, Gregory, in trying to send a ball from Tate to leg, tossed the ball gentlv into the hands of the fieldsman at short log. His was a magnificent all-round display, full of courage and enterprise, and a superb effort to pull the game round to his s ; de. He hit ten 4’s in 102 iniimUs, and the partnership yielded 107 runs. A couple of overs later, for the addition of only 2 runs, Collins made a faulty stroke, and was eatight by .■Elevens, after having batted for three hours 43 minutes. It was a great effort, characterised by doggedness and determination throughout. His score included two fours. Oldfield was stylish, but a trifle uncertain, and had a life early in his innings. He added, in partnership with Giiimnctt, a series of most useful singles. The fielding was very keen, but the batsmen took no risks, and were content to await loose balls, which wore very few. Grimmctt followed closely the model set by Collins, but when at 16, after a lucky 4 through the slips, off Rhodes, bo had a narrow escape of being run out, and was only saved by the slowness of Stevens taking a good return from Geary. The partnership was characterised by quick running, in one instance 4 runs being obtained from, a cut by Grimmett in the direction of