AUSTRALIAN CRICKETERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19784, 8 May 1926, Page 11

AUSTRALIAN CRICKETERS

MATCH AGAINST ESSEX., FIXE SCORE BY THE VISITORS. : CENTURIES BY WOODFULL AND MACARTNEY. (Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, April 6. The match between the Australians and Essex was continued to-day. The attendance was 7000. When stumps were drawn the score was 532 for eight wickets. Collins was unlucky to get a magnificent in-swinger before he found his feet. Macartney and Wocdfull quickly settled down to work, and piled up the score rapidly, the first 100 appearing for 65 minutes’ play. Macartney was brilliant all round, while Woodfull was bright and attractive. The field was kept continually on the run. The conditions were wintry ; there were a couple of hail showers before lunch. The bowling of Essex was in no way comparable w'ith that of Leicester. The batting had undergone an entire change, being freer, more forcing, and more enterprising. Macartney obtained his century with a splendid cut to the boundary after two hours at the crease. Woodfull took 10 minutes longer. A new ball did not diminish the rate of scoring, both batsmen turning and cutting the fast balls from Nicholls delightfully. and driving the medium-paced Eastman and the slow bowler Hipkin. Macartney gave an easy chance which Freeman in the long-field missed, and. square-cut the next ball, which was taken on the boundary by Ashton. Ha displayed wonderful wrist work. He tut ten fours and batted 150 minutes. The total was then 270, Hipkin in his next over held a hot, wide return from Taylor, taking the bail almost on the ground. Ponsfcrd, when 13, was the subject of a curious appeal from Hipkin. The ball appeared to remove the bail, and rebounding from the wicket-keeper’s pads removed the other bail. The umpire decided in Ponsford’s favour. Woodfull continued freely driving all the bowlers impartially and finding weak spots in the field. He late-cut Ashton delight uilly. Richardson made an uncertain start, but soon settled down. He relied largely on leg strokes. When the board showed 419 Woodfull ran out for a terrific hit, missed, and was bo .vied. He had played a chanceless innings of forceful, superb driving. He batted four hours. His score included 14 fours, and 80 singles. He had a tremendous ovation on leaving the ground. His principal partnerships were with Macartney (270) and with Ponsford and Richardson (69 each). Gregory had a lucky escape in the slips when he had only one run on the board, and again when three, he was missed being stumped. Hendry, in essaying a short run, was sent back, and ought to have been run out easily, but Nicholas broke the wicket prematurely. The concluding stages of the plav were quiet. Hendry played graceful alhrcund strokes. The fielding was patchy. Tire following are the scores:— AUSTRALIA. First Innings. Collins b Nicholls _> 0 Woodfull b Hipkin _ ... ... 201 Macartney c Ashton b Hipkin ... 148 Taylor b Hipkin ... - 6. Ponsford Ibw b Russell 23 Andrews b Ashton —. 5 Richardson b Hipkin —. 45_ Hendry not out _ ~ 71* Gregory c Nicholls b Hipkin ... 7 Ellis hot cut - 17 Extras Total for eight wickets ... 552 —Reuter.