STILL HOPEFUL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17955, 6 December 1932, Page 5

STILL HOPEFUL

AUSTRALIAN CRITICS ENGLAND’S LOST OPPORTUNITY BRADMAN'S PROSPECTS (Elec. Tel. Copyright-—United Press Assn.) (Received Dec. 6, 11 a.m.) SYDNEY, Dec. G. The secretary of the New South Wales Cricket Association, Mr. Hevdon, stated officially that a blood test which Bradman had undergone proved entirely .satisfactory. The test was arranged by officials of the Board of Control, following reports that Bradman was suffering from some form of anaemia.

The doctors have advised Bradman to rest for two or three .weeks. Whether he will be lit for the second test will not be known until he has been further examined after a rest. Most Australian critics think that Australia still lias a change of winning the first test. They say England lost’ a great opportunity of making a big score yesterday.

FRIGHTFUL BATTING BRITISH PRESS COMMENT (Received December 6, 11 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 5. The evening papers are much more subdued with the disappearance of the prospects of England scoring 1000 runs. It is remarked that England’s grip slackened. Critics regret the batsmen’s lack of enterprise in view of the possibility ol rain, and condemn “pottering,” particularly by Sutcliffe, when they should have gone after runs. They lament the paucity of runs oil a batsman’s paradise. The batting at the end of the day is described as frightful. FEATURES OF THE PLAY RECORDS ESTABLISHED PAT AUDI’S RESPONSIBILITY Perhaps the outstanding feature of the Englishmen’s first innings, although, it is not included among the official records, is the fact that the first three-wicket partnerships each contributed more than a century to the score. Sutcliffe figured in each partnership, adding 112 with Wyatt, 188 with Hammond, and 123 with Fataudi.

As was suggested yesterday, the second wicket partnership was a record for an English team in a test match, the best previous figure being 152 by W. Gunn and A. Shrewsbury in 1893. Hammond now shares in both the second aud third wicket partnership records for England, the latter, 262, having been established with Jardine, at Adelaide, four years ago. Chief interest in individual performances to-day will centre around Fataudi, who is confronted with the responsibility of maintaining the reputation of other Indian players who have represented England. Both Ranjisinliji and Duleepsinhji made centuries on their first appearance against Australia, the former scoring 154 not out at Manchester in 1896, and the latter compiling 173 at I.ord’s during the last series. Pataudi is the third Indian to play for England, and if he carries his score to three figures it will add to the notable feats of his countrymen in the past. Only seven English players have scored centuries on their first appearance, s-o that the honor is no mean one. Of the seven, it is interesting to note, Leyland and Sutcliffe are included in the present team.

The fact that Ames and Allen are two of the remaining English batsmen recalls the fine performance of these two men against New Zealand in the first test last year. New Zealand in the first innings had put on 224 runs. England’s first four wickets, including Hammond and Duleepsinhji, fell for 62 runs, and then Woolley and Jardine added another 67, the score at the close of the day being 190 for the loss of seven wickets. The following day was a sensational one, however, the last three wickets adding 264 runs in under three hours. Most of these runs were scored by Ames and Allen, who have to bat against the Australians to-day. Ames scored 137 and Allen 122, both scores including 20 boundaries, the eighth wicket partnership being a record for England in test matches.

Sutcliffe’s century yesterday was his eighth against Australia, and his 194 was better than his previous best score of 176, at Melbourne, in 1924. He has twice made 161 at the Oval, and in his first test match at Sydney scored 115. England’s present total of 479 has only been exceeded on 11 occasions. Their highest score against Australia was 636 at Sydney four years ago, and only on nine occasions have they passed the 500 mark, all but one of the scores having been made in Australia.