TE AWAMUTU COURIER. Printed on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. FRIDAY, 24th JUNE, 1938. TEST CRICKET AGAIN.

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 56, Issue 4064, 24 June 1938, Page 4

TE AWAMUTU COURIER. Printed on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. FRIDAY, 24th JUNE, 1938. TEST CRICKET AGAIN.

—— IN spite of the rapid growth in popularity of other sports cricket still commands universal attention -wherever the Union Jack flies, and the sec ond test match, which will commence on the historic Lord's to-day, will pro-

vide no exception to the accepted rule. The play will be closely followed throughout the English-speaking world and the interest rendered the keener, if that were possible, by the dramatic happenings in the first match which provided the maximum of thrills and threats with which it abounded. That match, be it observed, left its lessons. It proved the wisdom of the English decision to offer youth its day. It helped English talent to a swifter maturity, created confidence in the members of the English team, and thus enhanced the interest in to-day’s match and the other tests that lie ahead. At Lord’s this week-end much will depend on the weather conditions prevailing. If it is fine, another heavy scoring match can be expected. It is pretty certain that both sides will endeavour to include bowlers with a bit more pace than operated in the first test at Nottingham and Australian supporters will hope that FleetwoodSmith will have completely recovered from his recent dental operation to enable him to play as the Australians can ill afford to lose the services of this freak left-hand googly bowler. It is regrettable that the match is to extend over four days only, as the two great cricketing countries will start the match with honours easy as far as tests on. the historic Lord’s ground are concerned. The first test match

on this ground was played in the 1884 season, when England had an easy win by an innings and five runs, scoring 379 runs to Australia’s 229 and 145. In 1886, England again won with, an innings to spare, hitting up 353, and dismissed Australia for 68 and 149, the margin being an innings and 106 runs. Australia registered their first victory at Lord’s in .1888, in the lowest scoring match of the series. Australia totalled 116 and 60, and dismissed England for 53 and 62. From that time on, fortune has fluctuated until to-day both teams have won five matches, and five have been left drawn. The heaviest scoring ever seen at Lords’ was in 1930, when

Australia scored 729 for six wickets, declared, and England replied with 425 and 375. This left Australia with 71 runs to win, and they were hit off for the loss of three wickets, leaving Australia victorious by seven wickets England batted first in this match, and compiled the solid score of 425, K. S. Duleepsinhji hitting up 173. Australia replied with 729 for six wickets (Bradman 254, Woodfull 155, Kippax 83, Ponsford 81). This was the highest score ever registered by Australia in England, the highest score by Australia, and the highest score in the whole series of test matches. In England’s second innings of 375, A. P. F. Chapman, the English captain, hit up 121. England had their revenge in 1934, scoring 440, and dismissing Australia for 284 and 118, and winning by an innings and 38 runs. For England Ames scored 120, Leyland 109, and C. F. Walters 82. In Australia’s first innings, Brown reached 105. Verity, the Yorkshire slow left-hand spin bowler, played havoc with the Austrlians in their second innings, in which he captured eight wickets for 43. Verity had a great match, as he took seven for 61 in the first innings, which gave him 15 wickets for 104 runs. Whatever happens, it remains that from the start of the second test to-day sportsmen the world over will have their thoughts concentrated on historic Lord’s for the next few days.