ENGLISH CRICKETERS

Southland Times, Issue 19396, 10 November 1924, Page 6

ENGLISH CRICKETERS

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MATCH SATURDAY’S PLAY RICHARDSON’S BRILLIANCY. ENGLISHMEN ON A STICKY WICKET. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association). ADELAIDE, November 9. (Received November 9, 7.5 p.m.). For the resumption of play in the match, England v. South Australia, the weather was cloudy, while rain during the night made the wicket sticky and the outfield heavy. The attendance reached 16,000. South Australia batted 20 minutes to allow Arthur Richardson to reach 200 and then the innings was declared closed. The object was to get the Englishmen in on a wicket which, every minute, was becoming stickier. Richardson played a wonderful knock. He hit three sixes and 18 fours. He is looked upon as a certainty for the Australian cap. Gilligan and Tate made the ball bump shoulder high on a wicket evidently much more suited to their style of bowling. Hobbs and Sutcliffe were England’s opening. pair, and Hobbs delighted the spectators with free hitting. Sutcliffe was very steady. The former treated Whitty very cavalierly, banging his deliveries with wonderful placements to every part of the oval. When the Englishmen went on to the field after lunch, their appearance seemed to presage victory for the visitors. Hobbs opened and resumed scoring byhooking a ball from Wall to the boundary. In Whitty’s second over, Ambler had his eye split open by a rising ball and was assisted off the field, several stitches being inserted. Hobbs gave the lie to the statement that he has slowed down by cracking several fours. Sutcliffe, who is of the dogged type, was an ideal partner. A small telegraph boy held up play while he delivered a congratulatory telegram to Arthur Richardson. Then the Englishmen collared the bowling and pleased the crowd with spectacular running between the wickets. Hobbs got 50 in 82 minutes, including seven fours. The next ball he was cleaned bowled by Wall. He had a great reception on his return to the pavilion. It is evident that he will be as great a public favourite as ever. The scoring slowed right down after his dismissal, his successor (Hearne) occupying 30 minutes to make two runs. The batsmen had an experience of an Australian barracking crowd, who cheered each stroke ironically. He again was missed behind the wickets off Wall when he was 29 and the score 153. It had taken 161 minutes to make 150. Sutcliffe was bowled by Grimmett. He made his 75 in 195 minutes and hit seven fours.

Bowling analysis: Tate, 2 wickets for 56 runs; Gilligan, 2 for 51; Tyldesley, 0 for 60; Douglas, 0 for 56; Hearne, 0 for 62; Woolley 0 for 43; Chapman 0 for 2. ENGLAND.

Stumps were then drawn for the day. NOTES ON THE PLAY. BIG SCORING GAME. A. RICHARDSON’S DOUBLE CENTURY. (By “Omega”). After a series of holiday matches in Western Australia, the M.C.C. eleven opened its Australian tour against South Australia on Friday. The wicket at the Adelaide Oval is the best batsmen’s wicket in Australia, and some big scores have been put up on this ground. Good scores were only to be expected, but no one expected South Australia to open so well. After getting the opening batsmen cheap, the Richardson Brothers became associated, and simply made the bowling look ridiculously easy. Tate and Gilligan, the bowlers who skittled the South Africans, bowled well and divided the wickets between them. The other bowlers were of little use to Gilligan and were simply pasted, with the exception of Chapman, the brilliant player who toured New Zealand with McLaren’s English Eleven. V. and A. Richardson have been “knocking” at the door of the Australian eleven for sometime and Arthur’s innings of 200 (not out) should go a long way towards putting him in the test team of this season. The English players have the worst of the going, but the veteran Hobbs, assisted by Sutcliffe, gave the team a great start on a sticky wicket. Hobbs is one of the wonders of present-day cricket and never seems to lose his dash. Australian conditions have always suited this splendid opening batsman, and he should prove just as valuable ou this tour as on any previous occasions. South Australia, closing so early in the hope of getting the English side out on a sticky and failing wicket, has brought the match to an interesting stage with the odds in favour of the Englishmen. South Australia is weak in bowling and, should the wicket improve on Monday, the home side will probably have a difficult task in disposing of the Englishmen. Whitty, although long past his best, is still South Australia’s stock bowler, but this year he has the assistance of Wall and Grimmett, who are playing their first season for South Australia. The fielding of the visitors was much better than the local side, and in this department the Englishmen will save many runs, providing the enthusiasm is maintained. Some of the recent English teams have been slack in the field, but Gilligan’s men are evidently out to keep runs down and to assist, the bowlers as much as possible.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA. —First Innings.— Harris, b Tate 5 Murray, l.b.w., b Tate Arthur Richardson, not out 0 200 Vic. Richardson, hit wicket, b Gilligan 87 Pritchard, b Gilligan 4 Walsh, not out 30 Extras 20 Total (declared, 4 wickets) .. 346

—First Innings.— Hobbs, b Wall .. 50 Sutcliffe, b Grimmett Hearne, not out .. 58 Woolley, not out .. 25 Extras .. 22 Total two wickets for .. .. .. 230