THE FIRST TEST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23057, 7 December 1936, Page 10

THE FIRST TEST

GOOD SCORE BY ENGLAND ALL OUT FOR 358 AUSTRALIAN BATSMEN START WELL (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) BRISBANE, Dec. 5. (Received Dec. 6, at 6.30 p.m.) Play in the first test match between England and Australia was resumed to-day. When stumps were drawn on Friday night England had lost six wickets for 263. Hardstaff was not out 27 and Robins not out 6. Scores:— ENGLAND First Innings Worthington, c Oldfield, b M'Cormick 0 Barnett, c Oldfield, b O'Reilly 69 Fagg, c Oldfield, b M'Cormick 4 Hammond, c Robinson, b M'Cormick 0 Leyland, b Ward 126 Ames, c Chipperfield, b Ward .. 24 Hardstaff, c M'Cabe, b O'Reilly 43 Robins, c sub., Brown, b O'Reilly 38 Allen, c M'Cabe, b O'Reilly .. 35 Verity, c Sievers, b O'Reilly .. 7 Voce, not out 4 Extras 3 Total 353

BOWLING ANALYSIS

AUSTRALIA First innings Fingleton, not out 61 Badcock, b Allen 8 Bradman, c Worthington, b Voce 38 M'Cabe, not out 37 Extras 7 Total for two wickets 151

BOWLING ANALYSIS

MATCH IN INTERESTING STAGE SLIGHTLY IN FAVOUR OF AUSTRALIA By J. B. Hobbs

(Copyright in all countries. Reproduction in whole or in part forbidden.) BRISBANE, Dec. 5. (Received Dec. 6, at 6.30 p.m.)

The test match has reached an interesting stage. Australia, with Bradman out, has two wickets down for 151 in reply to England's total of 358. England did a good job today. The position at the end of the second day was not much in Australia's favour, and I am satisfied. I wanted them to put up a good show, and it must be agreed that they are doing so. Moreover, I noticed in Verity's long final spell that he made an occasional ball turn, which confirms my earlier impression that there may be possibilities in the wicket for slow bowlers towards the end of the match. It has been a typical test, with dour fighting all day, except that the partnerships of Robins and Hardstaff and of Bradman " and Fingleton brought brightness and set the crowd alight, while Robins saved at least a dozen runs by eager fielding. The ground was packed with a record Brisbane crowd of 30,775. The weather was hot and sunny, tempered by a breeze that the weatherwise said came from a stormy quarter. That possibility of rain suggested to Allen a definite policy of staying as long as possible and keeping Australia from eating too much into England's total before the week-end.

The English tai] surprised everyone by the manner in which it played, adding 95 to-day. I take back what I said about them yes-» terday. Robins showed the way, and was ably supported by Hardstaff. They got off to a quick start. Both, especially Robins, repeatedly found gaps in the field, many fours resulting. In the first 30 minutes they gaily scored 48. After making 59 for the seventh wicket, Hardstaff was caught in having a swing at a ball from O'Reilly outside his legs, and M'Cabe made a good running catch. In the same over Robins, trying to hit O'Reilly into the longfield, was easily caught at cover. Allen and Verity carried on. Though both were beaten in turn by O'Reilly, Ward and Chipperfield, they refused to throw in the sponge and were still together at lunchtime. Verity had been in 53 minutes for three runs.

England's innings closed with a much better total than I at one time thought possible. Considering the bad start, it was a grand performance. O'Reilly flighted the ball as well as ever, but was not beating the bat on this occasion. In- his five wickets for 102 one batsman was caught at the wicket on tiie leg side. The others were caught having a hit. When the batsmen were content to play him they were safe on this beautiful wicket. I thought Bradman persevered with Ward too long, for he was proving expensive, while Chipperfield bowls well enough to secure a more extensive show. Bradman was handicapped by the absence of M'Cormick owing to a slight attack of lumbago. . When Australia batted the wind brought clouds up, and the weather was cooler. I wonder what Bradman is worth in sterling to the various State cricket associations. Half the big crowd avowedly came to see him bat. To use a colloquialism, they are Bradman-mad. When he was in they watched him breathlessly, expecting every shot to be a boundary. He is a good showman, and was in merry mood. Allen bowled with much life at the start of the innings. In his first over he made one come back quickly very close to Fingleton's stumps. In the next he bowled another breakback that caused Badcock to play on. Bradman's reception was terrific. He showed his appreciation by hitting two great boundaries in the same over with a late cut and a wonderful hook. Facing Voce, Bradman was beaten and was almost bowled first ball. Voce must think himself an unlucky bowler to miss so closely, but had his triumph after tea. . The bowlers found a difficultv in keeping Fingleton and Bradman quiet. At the tea time they had scored 81 in 75 minutes. Allen proved expensive, conceding 45 runs in six overs. Fingleton was playing excellently, though

naturally he was overshadowed by Bradman, who made pull strokes till tea upset him. He added only one and tried to drive Voce. He was a bit late, and the ball sped almost straight to the gully, where Worthington took the ball knee high. After Bradman's dismissal play was quiet. The only mistake I saw Fingleton make was in Voce's first over after tea, when he nearly gave Verity a catch at short-leg At one time, while Bradman was in, there was a danger of England letting Australia run away, but afterwards they held the batsmen tight. M'Cabe, attempting to hook Voce, skied the ball over mid-on's head. Barnett, fielding rather deep, made an heroic effort to take the catch. If that had succeeded England could have claimed i slight advantage in the match so far. FIRST DAY'S PLAY PRAISE FOR LEYLAND SYDNEY, Dec. 5. Commenting on the first day's play in the first test, the Herald's cricket writer says: The match opened sensationally, and England's position was disastrous when three were down for 20 runs. After that England had to struggle for runs, but due in a large measure to tie dour left-hander, Leyland, the * team effected a recovery. Leyland secured his fifth century in tests against Australia. He gave chances at 17 and 71, both off Ward's bowling, but his innings was marked by characteristic doggedness and skill. M'Cormick, after his devastating burst of success, was affected by lumbago. He will not bowl to-day, but will probably be fit by Monday. Macartney, in the Herald, considers that after Fagg's success in the recent Queensland match he was obviously the opener with Barnett, yet Allen changed the batting order with not unexpected fatal results The wicket at the start contained life, and M'Cormick secured a lift that proved fatal to Worthington and Hammond. Both were unfortunate, as the deliveries which dismissed them hung on the pitch and popped. England, however, staged a great recovery after a poor start, and the association of Barnett and Leyland steered the side out of a nasty predicament. Barnett played a most attractive innings and is in magnificent form. Leyland, however, was the man who placed England in a satisfactory position by the end of the day. He is not the Leyland of years ago. Probably as he has been forced to adopt defensive tactics so frequently, owing to the indifferent batting of the other Englishmen, many of his enterprising strokes have been shelved for the time being. Ames was not comfortable to the slows, and it is not surprising that he succumbed to Ward. Hardstaff appeared a broken reed. There was no semblance to the spirited batsman who played so well in Australia a year ago. His exhibition yesterday was pathetic. Excepting that of M'Cormick, the early bowling by Australia was generally not of test match standard.

PROSPECTS MUCH BRIGHTER

LONDON, Dec. 6. (Received Dec. 6, at 8 p.m.) The constitutional crisis has been responsible for the test match being relegated to the back page, although there is a general gloat in the headlines over Bradman's early dismissal. The Evening News remarks that the Englishmen are settling down into a good team, and that the prospects are much brighter " now we have lost the foolish sense of inferiority. At present we have Australia fighting for runs. It is true they were fighting successfully at the finish, but we have good reason to be satisfied with our work." FREEMAN TO PLAY LEAGUE LONDON, Dec. 5. (Received Dec. 6, at 8 p.m.) A. P. Freeman, the Kent slow bowler, has been appointed professional coach to the Walsall Club, Birmingham League.

0. M. R. W. M'Cormick .. .. 8 1 26 3 Sievers .... .. 16 5 42 — O'Reilly .. 40 13 102 5 Ward .. .. .. 36 2 138 2 Chipperfield .. 11 3 32 — M'Cabe .... .. 2 — 10 —

0. M. R. W. Allen .. .. .. 12 1 58 1 .. 10 1 25 1 Hammond .. .. 4 — 12 — Robins .. 1 — 4 — Verity .. .. 16 2 45 —