CRICKET.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 June 1921, Page 3

CRICKET.

AUSTRALIA v. MIDDLESEX. jEASY WIN FOR AUSTRALIA. COLLAPSE OF CHAMPION COUNTY. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, June 6. Tte weather was bright but windy, and the wicket was plumb after rolling, for the. second day’s play of the match between Australia and Middlesex. The attendance was 8000. When stumps were drawn on Saturday evening Australia had made 93 for six wickets in reply to Middlesex’s first innings of 111. Resuming Australia's innings, Armstrong accompanied Ryder, who was not out for 20, to the wicket. Haig and Lee led the attack. The batsmen began carefully, and the hundred, which had taken 105 minutes, was reached chiefly by singles. Armstrong then became busy, and tad reached 23 when he got a leg in front to Lee.—7 for 122. Oldfield soon went, succumbing to a yorker from Lee. Mailey came next. The fielding was not clean, and runs were lost thereby. Ryder. at 34, was dean bowled by Lee. He played ninety minutes, and was confident, this being his best performance of the tour. —9 for 143. McDonald was last man. At 156 Hearne relieved Haig. Malley punished the bowllnfi by powerful strokes. At 171 Tanner came on, vice Lee, and the change was effective, the new bowler scattering McDonald’s stumps, and the innings closed for Being sixty in arrears, Middlesex commenced its second innings after lunch with Lee and Crutchley. The bowlers Were Gregory and Hendry. The first wicket fell when the score was eight, Lee playing over one of Gregory’s. Hearne filled tte vacancy, and should have gone out first ball, Armstrong (in the slips) dropping a hot chance. Twenty appeared after twenty minutes’ play, including four boundaries off Hendry. Then. Gregory found Cruthcley's timbers. Hendren succeeded. Gregory, bowling his fastest, had the batsmen on the qui vive. Up to this stage his seven overs had cost six runs for two wickets. At 34 McDonald relieved Gregory. Hendren, when he had made 7, was dismissed by a clinker from McDonald. Bruce followed, and the same bowler Immediately bagged him with a yorker.—4 for 47. Haig joined Hearne. Armstrong relieved Hendry, and with his first delivery removed Haig’s bails, neither of the two batsmen having scored.

Mann was the newcomer and had a narrow escape, Armstrong barely missing the stumps. Scoring was slow. The half century was reached after seventy minutes. Mann drove Armstrong to the. rails, and then succumbed to die next ball.—6 for 56. Dales got his leg in front of the second ball from Armstrong without any alteration In the score. Armstrong, against tie wind, had bowled three overs, one being a maiden, for five runs .and three wickets. Kidd hit Armstrong to leg for four, thereby saving the innings defeat, and was loudly cheered. He went on to 11, when another of McDonald’s yorkers proved his undoing. Murrell succeeded him. and had his balls removed by' McDonald’s next ball.—9 for 73. Hearne and Tanner carried the total to ninety, when Hearn,e played McDonald into Armstrong's bands. He had butted ninety minutes, and was never In any difficulty over the bowling. The inning* produced 90.

Requiring 31 to w!.n, Andrews and Bardsley opened the Australians’ second Innings to tl:o bowling of Haig and Lee. With the total at sixteen Haig beat Andrews, and .Macartney succeeded him, only to get. his leg in front of Haig’s first boll, with the score unaltered. Bardsley and Pellew secured the necessary runs, and Australia thus won by eight wickets. Details are : MIDDLESEX. First Innings 11l Second Innings. Lee, b Gregory 5 Crutchley, b Gregory 8 Hearne, c Armstrong, b McDonald 45 Hendren, b McDonald 7 Bruce ! » McDonald 0 Haig Armstrong 0 Kidd, b McDonald 11 Murrell, b McDonald 0 Tanner, not out 6 Sundries 4 Total 90 Bowling analysis—Gregory took, two wickets for 6 runs, Hendry none for 30, McDonald five for 25, Armstrong three for 18. AUSTRALIA. First. Innings. Bardsley, c Tanher, b Haig 0 Andrews, e Murrell, b Lee 30 Macartney, c Murrell, b Haig .......... 20 Pellew, b Lee '.......................... 6 Ryder, b Lee 34 Gregory, c anti b Lee , 0 Hendry, lbw, b Haig 6 Armstrong, lbw, b Lee, 23 Oldfield, b Lee 6 Malley, not out 20 McDonald, b Tunner 7 Sundries .. . 19 Total 17.1 Bowling analysis—Haig took three wicked, for GO runs, Tanner one for 21, Lee six for 53, Hearne none for 18. Second Innings. Andrews, b Haig 10 Bardsley, not out ....•« 2 Macartney, lbw, b Haig ......... 0 Pellew, not out 14 Extras «•« 0 Total (for two wickets) 32 Bowling analysis—Haig took two wickets for 15, Lee none for 11. NOTES ON THE MATCH, AUSTRALIANS’ FINE BOWLING. REMARKABLE CRICKET. London, June 6. Tc-day’s sensational cricket at Lords will be discussed for many years to come. The manner in which the Australians skittled Middlesex as though they were schoolboys changed Saturday’s promJ.se qf an exciting finish in the most dramatic way. Armstrong bowled at the top of his form from the pavilion end, and McDonald from the opposite end, aided by the wind nipping in from the off in disconcerting fashion. The balls with which he dismissed Hendren and Bruce were unplayable.

■ A large crowd, anticipating a lively finish, were amazed at the ease with which tl:e •cl: ampion county wickets were falling, and cheered every stroke whether scoring or not. The applause following maiden overs was not for the bowlers, but the batsmen who managed to survive the ordeal. It was remarkable cricket, with tile Australian bowling and fielding triumphant throughout . Ma Hey's 20 is noteworthy. His cover driving was delightful and full of power. One to the off boundary was regarded as one of the best strokes of the match. Received June 7, 5.5 p.m. London, June 6.

Warner, writing In the Morning Post describing the extraordinary day’s cricket at Lords, says the wicket had quite recovered, but the bowlers mastered the batsmen. The Middlesex batting was unsound and unworthy of their reputation. The batsmen were beaten by the pace of the bowlers, and repeatedly played late. McDonald is a beautiful bowler; his action is perfect, and he makes the ball come back at a rare pace. His fastest ball is as fast as Gregory’s.—Aus.-N.Z. i Cable Assn. *

SECOND TEST MATCH. ENGLISH’ TEAM COMPLETED. FRY INCLUDED. London, June C>. Fry, A. J. Evans, Mead, Parkin and Strudwick complete the English test team. Holmes is -twelfth man. and N. Haig and Dipper are reserves. The medical specialist will not permit Hobbs to play. The English team will now comprise: Douglas (captain), Hearne, Hendren, Knight, Woolley, Durston, Fry, Evans, Mead, Parkin and Strudwlck. Received June 7, 8.10 p.m. London, June 6. Comment on the English second test team is not enthusiastic, though it is admitted the team is about as good as any other,. Regret Is expressed that the "tail” has The selectors announce that Fry plays by special request. This is interpreted to mean that he waives his seniority claim to the captaincy in favor of Douglas.—United Service. HOME COUNTY MATCHES. AUSTRALIA-SCOTTISH FIXTURES, London, June 6, Surrey iraade 480 (Ducat 290 not out) against Essex 104. Ducat, made the highest score this season. Cricket differences have been adjusted. Mr. 1 Smith's suggestion to play three twoday matches at Glasgow, Perth, and Edinburgh, instead of two three-da? matches, has been adopted. EMPIRE CONFERENCE. RECOMMENDATIONS TO M.C.C, : Received June 7, 5.5 p.m. London, June 6. The Imperial Cricket Conference held at Lords was attended by Smith, Ramsay, and Malley (Australia), Jackson, Harris and Hawke (England), and Warner and LeversonGower (representing South Africa), and a representative. of the West Indies. The conference agreed to reconnmend the following to the Marylebono Club:—(1) Rolling the/ wicket an extra ten minutes in the event, of rain before play on any day; (2) to legalise eight balls to an over In Australia ; (2) the English Board of Control to arrange programmes for future visits from Australia; (4) If possible an English team should visit Australia in 1923-24, and the Australians should return in 1925. Evans Just qualified for Kent. He scored 102 on his first appearance last .week againstNorth Hants. Parkin has been bowling, excellently in Lancashire league matches. He toojc six wickets for 31 on Saturday. Mead scored 103 against Somerset on Saturday. This is his eighth score over 50. - Dipper, who is batting cons'stently, stands second in the averages with 56.33. Douglas is first with 59.30.—Au5.-N.Z. Cable Assn.