SLOW START

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26543, 19 August 1947, Page 7

SLOW START

ENGLAND BATTING SOUTH AFRICANS’ ACCURATE BOWLING FIFTH CRICKET TEST LONDON, Aug. 16. England won the toss and elected to bat in the fifth test against the South African touring cricket team at the Oval. Yardley received treatment before the game for lumbago but said he felt At enough to lead the team. The wicket was bone hard, and the weather fine and hot. Tuckett and Dawson maintained such an accurate attack that Hutton and Washbrook could score only 13 in the first half hour. Washbrook scored the first boundary, atter 40 minutes off an in-swinger from Tuckett. England in the first hour ’crawled to 34. Hutton got his first 4 after 75 minutes. Then Washbrook, who had lapsed into the quietude which so often precludes his dismissal, seemed to lose concentration, and in attempting a defensive stroke against Mann, he was out lbw. Robertson, after an impressive opening, was deceived by the fight of a ball from Smith-, and found himself unable to continue his intended offdrive. The ball lobbed gently into Melville’s hands at mid-off, Compton’s Powerful Drives Compton made the fieldsmen’s hands tingle with powerful drives, but Hutton went quietly along to make his 50 out of a total of 101 in 135 minutes. Hutton did open his shoulders when Tuckett took the new ball at 108, and banged the first delivery through the packed covers for a sparkling 4. Compton reached 50 in 85 minutes. Neither he nor Hutton completely mastered the accurate attack of five bowlers, who seldom sent down anything of a bad length. The game underwent a change at 178. Compton hit too soon at Rowan and lifted the ball to deep mid-off, where Tuckett was waiting. Mann completely surprised Hutton next over. Hutton drew away from the wicket, apparently to force the ball to mid-on; but it whipped away from him and just flicked the top of the stump, with Hutton nowhere near it. This was a genuine leg break of spin and fizz such as had not occurred before. Hutton batted 210 minutes and hit six 4's. Yardley looked keen to force the pace, but found few chances against the accuracy .of Rowan and Mann Cranston took 30 minutes to score his first two runs. • Mann’s Fine Bowling Mann bowled left-arm slows magnificently, his analysis being 50 overs, 21 maidens, 67 runs, 3 wickets. The South Africans fielded smartly. The wicket-keeper, Fullerton, did not concede a bye. Scores:— ' ENGLAND First Innings Hutton, b Mann 83 Washbrook, lbw, b Mann .. ... 32 Robertson, c Melville, b Smith ~ 4 Compton, c Tuckett, b Rowan .. 53 Yardley, <b Mann 59 Cranston, st Fullerton, b Rowan .. 45 Howorth, not out 17 Evans, not out 10 Extras .. ... ■ 8 Total for six wickets .. 311 Fall of Wickets.—One for 63, two for 80, three for 178, four for 178, five for 271, six for 290. Bowling Analysis.—Mann, 50 overs, 21 maidens, 67 runs, 3 wickets; Rowan, 28, 7, 73, 2; Smith, 15, 0, 48, 1; Tuckett, 23, 5, 63, 0; Dawson, 27. 4, 52, 0.