THE CRICKET TEST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23058, 8 December 1936, Page 10

THE CRICKET TEST

AUSTRALIA COLLAPSES FIRST INNINGS TOTAL 234 VOCE TAKES SIX WICKETS (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) BRISBANE, Dec. 7. (Received Dec. 7, at 11.15 p.m.) Play in the first test match was continued to-day, the scores being as follows: — ENGLAND First innings 358 Second Innings Worthington, st Oldfield, b M'Cabe 8 Barnett, c Badcock, b Ward .. 26 Fagg, not out 24 Hammond, not out 12 Extras 5 Total for two wickets 75 Fall of wickets: 17, 50.

AUSTRALIA First Innings Fingleton, b Verity -.. .. 100 Badcock, b Allen 8 Bradman, c Worthington, b Voce 33 M'Cabe, c.Barnett, b Voce .... 51 Robinson, c Hammond, b Voce .. 2 Chipperfleld, c Ames, b Voce .. 7 Sievers, b Allen 3 Oldfield, c Ames, b Voce .... 3 O'Reilly, c Leyland, b Voce .. 3 Ward, c Hardstaff, b Allen .... 0 M'Cormick, not out 1 Extras 10 Total 234 Fall of wickets: 13, 89, 166, 176, 202, 220, 229, 231, 231, 234.

Bowling Analysis

VOCE'S GREAT BOWLING ENGLAND IN GOOD POSITION By J. B. Hobbs (•Copyright in all countries. Reproduction in whole or in part forbidden.) BRISBANE, Dec. 7. (Received Dec. 8, at 0.30 a.m.) As a result of the third day's play England is in a splendid position in the first test. One way England could have forfeited the advantage was by losing four or five wickets cheaply to-night. This has been England's day; perhaps this is the first time I have been able to say that on this tour. Unable to stand up to some good bowling by Voce, Australia's batsmen unexpectedly! collapsed, and were all out for 234 leaving England with a lead of 124 England did not throw away the advantage by going for runs and risking the loss of several wickets; instead, the batsmen wisely forgot about the lead and played steadily. Time aids England because the wicket will gradually wear. There were few signs of this to-day, but occasionally the slow bowlers made one turn. I am expecting the spinners to come into their own tomorrow and the following day.

England played magnificently before lunch, securing three more wickets for the addition of 51 runs M'Cabe was the first to go. Soon after completing his 50 he was caught when making a hook shot just where Barnett made such a great effort to catch him on Satuv day, at mid-on, very wide and deep He was also caught in this position in the New South Wales game, so he hadn't profited by his lessons. Robinson scored only two when he was well caught low down at first slip by Hammond, and Chipperfield was taken at the wicket, all three falling to Voce. In two spells Voce bowled six overs, four of them being maidens, for six runs and three wickets.

Allen opened the bowling, but giving two fours away in the second over, gracefully retired in favour of Voce, and what a good move it was! In three overs Voce took two wickets for two runs, and not one four was hit off him during this session. It was altogether a brilliant performance. Verity and Robins, the slow ' bowlers, backed him up solidly. Verity, for instance, was scored off only three times ir. six overs.

Allen is a lucky captain, m much as his tactics succeeded. He was fortunate he didn't take a new ball when Voce went on again just before lunch, because he might not have had Chipperfield dismissed. Findeton played an admirable back-to-the-wall innings, adding 28 in 90 minutes before lunch, taking exactly five hours for his century, which he completed 35 minutes after the interval. It took him a long time to get his last run, creating tense excitement. His mission was to stav there and try to give Australia a chance to recover.

Allen persevered with the old ball after lunch. First Voce, then Robins and Verity, had a turn, hoping to dislodge Sievers, whom they considered more likely to succumb to slow than fast stuff. As it happened, Fingleton was the batsman to get out. Verity deceived him "ompletel-" with his pace when he bowled him a fast yorker. Finaleton shaned at it much too late. Ultimately Allen and Voce took a new ball, and the tail was soon dismissed. M'Cormick had a runner and was applauded for his pluck in appearing.

I had given Australia 500 this innings, so along with other English supporters I was delightfully surprised. In fact, England performed so well that I got quite excited. We had all been saying such unKind things about them that it is indeed difficult to say nice ones. That given me additional pleasure now to exclaim, " Well done boys! " Voce was perhaps helped by some weak pla/ by the batsmen going for balls on the offside, but six for 41 against such a supposedly powerful batting side in a truly marvellous feat. In 10.6 overs to-day he got five wickets for 16 Earlier in the tour he had been unlucky, often getting one wicket when he bowled well enough to take three or four.

Verity was a perfect foil. He got only one for 52, but indirectly he contributed to some of Voce's wickets. His turn should come later in the match. Though well nurse! by Allen, Voce maintained his pace splendidly under a grilling sun.

While he kept a good length his chief merit was his ability to make the ball run away. Australia was handicapped by the loss of M'Cormick, so M'Cabe was one of the opening bowlers when England batted a second time. The attack lacked sting, with nobody above medium pace. Worthington scored only eight when he missed a yorker from M'Cabe and had the mortification to find the ball rebound from the wicketkeeper's pads and just shake the bails off, and he was out, stumped. Barnett was completely out of touch. Several balls from O'Reilly found the edge of his bat and he was almost bowled with the fifth ball of O'Reilly's first over. He was eventually caught at deep square leg off Ward when having a swing at o ball outside his legs. C. G. MACARTNEY'S COMMENTS "VERITY A REAL MENACE" SYDNEY, Dec. 7. C. G. Macartney says: Verity is a real menace in England's attack, and Australia has now to fight hard to retrieve its position, lost through the failure of her slow bowlers, to whom her faith was pinned. England'*total was beyond expectations, but more runs could have been acquired The fear and the restraint against slow" bowling have become su habitual to the Englishmen that they prevent the employing of sturdy strokes even to bad deliveries. The Australian attack felt severely the absence of M'Cormick. Australia has made a satisfactory reply to England so far, and this position is due in no small measure to the fine, solid innings of Fingleton. The loss of Badcock and the modest contribu tion by Bradman, whose runs were hardly made in true Bradman style, thrust a situation on M'Cabe that demanded caution. Fast bowling and the large doses of Verity with all the bowlers on the spot helped to subdue the batsmen.

POSITION IN ENGLAND'S FAVOUR

SYDNEY, Dec. 7

The Herald's cricket writer says: With two days completed the first test bears an open appearance. The dismissal of Badcock was disappointing, but its effect was mild compared with the shock that came when Bradman was caught. Fingleton and M'Cabe defied a keen attack during the closing hour and a-half, concentrating on keeping their wickets intact. The attendance of 30,775 on Saturday was a record for a cricket match in Brisbane.

A. G. Moyes in the Sunday Sun says: At the end of two days' play the chances are about even. When it came to a test the Englishmen, helped certainly by the indecisiveness of the home team, by erratic bowling and some poor fielding, rose superior to their form of other games. Actually the struggle is only just starting, Fingleton, M'Cabe, Robinson, Chipperfield, and Sievers have it in them to add another 300 runs to the score. Therefore, I still think Australia can win.

Arthur Mailey, writing in the Daily Telegraph, says: Australia will have to fight hard for runs when the game resumes. Australia will need at least another 300 runs before it can be in even a reasonably good position. C. G. Macartney, in the Herald, considers the situation at the end of the second day is in England's favour and adds: This position may not last, but the possibilities are definitely there. England has the runs on the board and Australia still has to make them. Three recognised run-getters remain from these men, plus M'Cabe and Fingleton. A lead of at least 100 runs is essential to make the situation one of safety for Australia. The wicket at one end is showing occasional turning qualities, which are being exploited by Verity, and Australia has the fourth innings. BRITISH PRESS COMMENT

LONDON, Dec. 6. (Received Dec. 7, at 5.5 p.m.) Cricket commentators express relief at England's recovery and in finishing on Saturday in a far better position than was expected. They express the opinion that Hammond will surely not fail twice, and are banking on Australia's disadvantage in batting last on the wicket. ALAN FAIRFAX'S OPINION (Special to Daily Times) AUCKLAND, Dec. 7. The opinion that the English cricket team now playing in Australia had become morally disorganised as the result of accidents and ill-health among the players was expressed by Alan Fairfax, the former New South Wales player, who arrived from Sydney by the Aorangi. He is on his way back to London, where he has been conducting a coaching school for the past three years. Fairfax, who has represented Australia in 15 test matches against England and the West Indies, said that the English team was a good side, but it seemed to have struck a bad patch. The players could not do a thing right and they were palpably weak against slow bowling, and the pace of the Australian wickets seemed to have the batsmen tricked after the wet season they had experienced in England. Hammond was still as good as ever, and Barnett was the second best bat in the team, but hone of the others seemed to be shaping well None of the bowlers except Verity were bowling well. "I think the odds are on Australia for the tests," said Fairfax. " England will be lucky to win the ashes Taking it all round the team is weak as international teams go, but that is only because England is passing through a stage that all cricketing countries go through at some time The English players are all experienced, and they should get over this bad patch. England is ieally building up a new team and giving the younger players a chance. "They should do quite well if there are one or two spin bowlers in the team," said Fairfax, when asked how the New Zealanders would fare on the tour in England next year. Snin bowling was necessary as the Englishmen did not play it properly.

Bowling Analysis 0. M. R. W 10 — M'Cabe 3 — 12 1 30 1 O'Reilly 12 6 15 — Chipperfleld .. 4 2 3 —

0. M. R. W Allen .. .. .. 16 2 71 3 .. 20 5 41 6 Hammond .. .. 4 — 12 — Verity .. .. 28 11 52 1 Robins .. .. 17 — 48 —