PLAY IN FOURTH TEST.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18629, 26 July 1930, Page 17

PLAY IN FOURTH TEST.

Australians Win Toss. NEW BOWLER BAGS BRADMAN. United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received July 25, midnight). LONDON, July 25. Though still overcast an hour before the start, the weather looked promising for the momentous test at Old Trafford, which Australia must either win or draw to have a hope of regaining the ashes, for if the rubber ends all square, the symbol of supremacy remains in England. Old Trafford is the best equipped ground in England, and is popular with the Australians. It has a billiard table outfield. Woodfull inspected the wicket alone at 10.30. Chapman, Hobbs and Leve-son-Gower and Mann (the En«=Jlsh selectors), held a conference on pitch at eleven, presumably with the object of deciding if the weather conditions suit them. Goddard, a few minutes later, announced that he was replacing Robins. Fairfax resumed his place in the Australian side. Australia won the toss and decided to bat. The teams are as under :- England. A. P. F. Chapman (Kent, captain). J. B. Hobbs (Surrey). H. Sutcliffe (Yorkshire). W. R. Hammond (Gloucestershire). K. S. Duleepsinhji (Sussex). M. Leyland (Yorkshire). M. W. Tate (Sussex). I. A. R. Peebles (Middlesex). G. Goddard (Gloucestershire). M. S. Nichols (Essex). G. Duckworth (Lancashire).

Twelfth Man: E. P. Hendren (Middlesex). Australia. W. M. Woodfull (Victoria, captain). W. H. Ponsford (Victoria). D. Bradman (New South Wales). V. Y. Richardson (South Australia). A. Kippax (New South Wales}. A. J. Fairfax (New South Wales). S. McCabe (New South Wales). T. M. Wall (South Australia). W. A. Oldfield (New South Wales). C. V. Grimmett (South Australia). P. M. Hornibrook (Queensland). Twelfth Man. A. Jackson (New South Wales). The English selectors’ surprising decision to leave out Robbins, was a demonstration of their great faith in Peebles, who is a better length bowler. Australia Bats. Fifteen thousand saw Australia win the toss. It was strongly rumoured that neither was anxious to win the toss, for they were uncertain how the wicket would play. The crowd increased to 20,000 before the commencement of play. A light breeze went across the ground. Nichols, who takes a longer run than Larwood, commenced bowling. He used sawdust freely. Two singles came off the first over. Tate was warmly cheered at the other end. Ponsford made six in twos off his first over, the wicket justified the predictions that it would be slow and easy. Nichols developed considerable pace in this third over, but neither he nor Tate was able to make the ball kick. Woodfull let 6ome fly harmlessly past the off stump, and cautiously played the others. Ponsford, however, played the fast bowler confidently. Rapid Bowling Changes. The first half hour produced only 13 runs, but the batsmen were completely confident. Goddard, a heavily built professional, took Tate’s end. He bowls without slips. He is medium paced and bowls over the wicket, pitching on the leg stump. Tate then displaced Nichols. Goddard bowled well. The batsmen refused to take risks while their style was cramped by eager leg traps. Peebles was called on at thirty and was thU6 the third bowler to appear for England for the first time within an hour. England’s Fine Fielding. Peebles, in the second over, tied up Woodfull. But the cautious Victorian pursued the same tactics as at Lords, where a record score built up on the foundation of their steadiness. An hour realised 32.

Delightful fielding by Chapman, Peebles and Leyland kept down runs, and the slow outfield was an important factor in this. Goddard was taken off after eleven overs, yielding eleven runs. The wicket was clearly suitable for a slower bowler. Leyland was next tried, and fifty came on the board in eighty-five minutes.

COMMENT ON THE PLAY. BY RADIO. The A.B.C. broadcast, compiled in Sydney from messages sent by its special representative at Old Trafford, Manchester, opened with references to the views of English writers on the selection of the home team. It was considered that the side was the best chosen during the present Test series, it being claimed that the necessity for spin bowlers had been filled by Peebles and Robbins, who were held to be more dangerous than the Geary-Tyldesley type. Peebles was described as a bowler w’ho could send up tripe and suddenly become dangerous. The dropping of Larwood for Nichols, the AB.C. man considered did not weaken the team. Nichols not so fast as Larwood, but bowls with .his head, and was a better bat than Larwood, willing to have a go and

punish tired bowling. The strengthening of the attack was held to have made the English side more formidable. English admiration for Grimmett was referred to, some Home writers believing that in the adulation of Bradman, the bowler had been neglected. It had been pointed out that Grimmett in Tests had taken more wickets than all the other Australians combined.

The Australian view was that winning the toss at Manchester would be worth 100 runs. It had rained continuously for eight days, but the rain ceased on Thursday, and there had been none for 24 hours before the match. It was expected that the wicket would roll out dead easy, but might play up later. The A. 8.0. man expressed the view that the Australian bowlers had shown no ability to take advantage of a snaky wicket, on which the English bowlers were more dangerous.

The weather was cloudy on Friday morning, and it was not expected that there would be any sun to make the wicket kick. It was mentioned that Trafford had not been a good Test ground for Australia in the past Two wins had been gained at Manchester—one by three runs, and the other by three wickets (“rabbits”).

Woodfull won the toss, and Chapman led his field in at 11.30. Surprise was expressed when Goddard, a young Gloucester fast bowler, replaced Robbins. Woodfull and Ponsford opened, Nichols being the first bowler. In Tate’s first over, Ponsford scored three twos in succession. The wicket had rolled out easy and was playing well. Runs came slowly, and Duckworth was cheered for good work. Thirty minutes brought up 12 runs, then Goddard replaced Tate. One of his fast ones went for 4 byes. Play was very slow, and the next 5 runs took 15 minutes to get. Goddard and Tate were very correct, and the batsmen dug in. Woodfull was nearly run out by Hobbs. Peebles replaced Tate at the end of an hour. The first 50 took 90 minutes to compile, Woodfull being 16 and Ponsford 27. Leyland relieved Goddard, who had bowled 6 maidens in 11 overs for 11 runs. At 66 Ponsford made an uppish stroke, but Goddard could not reach it. At lunch, after two hours’ play, the total was 75 for no wickets (Woodfull 30, Ponsford 37). Static was heavy when these scores were picked up from the B. grade station 3UZ, Melbourne, and the individual scores may be inaccurate, but the total is correct. It was clearly stated, however, that the new bowler had Bradman. Following are the scores:AUSTRALIA. First Innings. Woodfull, b Tate 54 Ponsford, not out 67 Bradman, c Duleepsinhji, b Goddard 14 Total for two wickets 138 MEMORABLE STRUGGLES RECORDED. TEST MATCHES ON OLD TRAFFORD. The present tour of the Australian cricket team has reached another important stage now that the fourth Test with England has commenced. The game is being played at Manchester, where there have been thirteen previous engagements between England and Australia, one of which was not fulfilled owing to bad weather. The last four Tests there have been drawn, but in 1905 England won by an innings. The 1902 Test at Manchester was intensely exciting, Australia winning by three runs. The results of previous Test matches between England and Australia played on the Manchester ground are:— 1884 —England 95, and 180 for nine wickets; Australia, 182; match drawn. 1886 —England 223, and 107 for six wickets; Australia, 205, and 123; England won by four wickets. 1888 —England 172; Australia, 81 and 70; England won by an innings and 21 runs. 1893 —England, 243, and 118 for four wickets; Australia, 204, and 236; match drawn. 1896 —England, 231, and 305; Australia 412, and 125 for seven wickets; Australia won by three wickets. 1899—England, 372, and 94 for three wickets; Australia, 196, and 346 for seven wickets (innings declared closed); match drawn. 1902 —England 262, and 120; Australia 299 and 86; Australia won by three runs. 1905 —England 446; Australia, 197, and 169; England won by an innings and 80 runs. 1909 —England 119, and 108 for three wickets; Australia, 147, and 279 for nine wickets (innings declared closed); match drawn. 1912—England 203; Australia 14 for no wickets; match drawn. 1921—England 362 for four wickets (in-

nings declared closed), and 44 for one wicket; Australia, 175; match drawn. 1926—England 305 for five wickets; Australia 335; match drawn. Results of all Tests played at Manchester:—Tests played, 12; England won, 3; Australia won, 2; drawn, 7. Owing to raffiy the match at Manchester in 1890 was abandoned without a ball being bowled. From those results it wall be seen that the record total for an innings in a Test at Manchester is 446 by England in 1905, the next best being 412 by Australia in 1896. Moderate scoring for Tests has been the rule at Manchester. It was on this ground, however, that the famous K. S. Ranjitsinhji made a century on his first appearance for England in a Test. That was in 1896, when he carried his bat for 154. Ranjitsinhji’s score has not been exceeded in a Test at Manchester, so that here is another record which D. G. Bradman will have an opportunity of attacking. The highest score made by an Australian in Tests at Manchester is 117, made by W. M. Woodfull in 1926. The following is a list of centuries scored in Manchester Tests:— 154, not out—By K. S. Ranjitsinhji (England), 1896. 130—By T. Hayward (England), 1899. 128—By Hon. F. S. Jackson (England), 1902. 117—By W. M. Woodfull * (Australia), 1920. 113—By Hon. F. S. Jackson (England), 1905. 109—By C. G. Macartney (Australia). 1928. 108—By F. A. Iredale (Australia'*, 1896. 104—By V. Trumper (Australia), 1902. 102, not out—By W. Gunn (England), 1893. 101—By A. C. Russell (England), 1921.