ENGLAND’S TEST VICTORY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19836, 27 June 1934, Page 9

ENGLAND’S TEST VICTORY

COMMENT ON DEFEAT OF AUSTRALIA

DUE TO THE WEATHER AND VERITY

United Press Association-By Electric T lermpta— Copyright (Rceived June 6, 7.0 p.m.) LONDON, June 6. “I am naturally delighted to be captain of England on the occasion of the first victory at Lords since 1896.” says R. E. S. Wyatt. “Rain undoubtedly helped. I am thankful we had a bowler who was able to take advantage of the conditions to such a marvellous extent. I cannot fully express my gratitude to Verity. W. M. Woodful (captain of Australia) says: “I congratulate England most heartily and sincerely on the fine victory. They saw the chance and seized it. Rain and the state of the wicket are all in the day’s work. It might just as easily have come to us.” H. Verity in an interview said: “I am proud to have helped my team to win, but could not help thinking of my old skipper Jardine. How delighted he would have been to have led England to such a victory.” Through Australian Eyes. Commenting on the test match the Australian Press says: “England with weather in her favour was on top from the start of the third day. Everything went awry for Australia. The wicket ideally suited Verity, and the Australians, never having had to bat on anything worse than slightly worn wickets, they received in this test a shocking reminder of their comparative ignorance of a pitch on which normally moderate spin bowling becomes venemous. Nevertheless, Australia’s failure to save following on was really deplorable, for the wicket was scarcely as bad as the batting represented it to be. Those seven runs would have made a world of difference. Bradman went out with such a foolish stroke in the second innings that everyone asked what was the matter with him. The weather and toss played for England this time, but unless the balance of fortune again tips sharply, the visitors’ prospects of winning “The Ashes” are still good under level conditions.” Views of Former Cricketers. J. B. Hobbs, writing in “The Evening Star,” expresses the opinion that England was fortunate that Verity found the wicket to his liking. Without rain Australia would have made a big score. “The Sketch” says: “The cricket gods sent Verity a pitch of which a spin bowler dreams.” Neville Cardus, writing in “The Manchester Guardian,” says: “England was not a great side when Verity was not bowling. Chipperfield must give his team mates lessons on how to bat on a bad wicket.” D. R. Jardine in “The Evening Standard and P. F. Warner in “The Daily Telegraph both hold that the winning of the toss meant the winning of the match. D. R. Jardine adds that Leyland’s benefit match is to be played this week against Notts. One may be quite sure to quote a Yorkshireman’s words, that there will be no walking off the field or nonsense of that sort up north. Press Comment. Editorials in the London Press concede that the rain played a vital part in the Test. Several emphasise that Grimmett would probably have been as deadly had the positions been reversed. “The Times” pays a tribute to Verity and comments on the friendly spirit in which the game was played. “There is no taint of acrimony in the game, which was a model for all matches, with the winners paying the losers the compliment of showing no quarter and the losers taking the landslide with imperturbable pluck.” “The Daily Mail” says: “The Australians had the best of the luck at Nottingham and we had it at Lords. It looks as if the sides are so evenly matched that the destiny of the Ashes depends on who wins the toss.” Returns for Fourth Day. “The Daily Mail” points out that about £6OOO, including entertainment tax, has been taken for the fourth day of the Test. No money can be returned. Must Marylebone pay entertainment tax when there was no entertainment, or will they attend for the Australians’ benefit? It is a piquant situation. VERITY’S WONDERFUL BOWLING. ANOTHER RECORD FEAT. Hedley Verity, of Yorkshire, has brought himself into the “records” of Test cricket by his capture of 15 wickets in the match, at a cost of 104 runs. Only once before has a bowler taken so many wickets in a Test match between England and Australia, and the cost then was greater. In one of the 1903-04 Tests Wilfred Rhodes took 15 wickets for 124 runs on a sticky wicket at Melbourne—seven for 56 and eight for 68. Verity is Rhodes’s successor as lefthand slow bowler for Yorkshire and England, and it was on Rhodes’s bowling that he modelled his own. The taking of eight wickets —or, as in one instance, nine—in an innings of Test cricket has now been accomplished 14 times, but only thrice have more than 13 wickets been taken by one bowler in a match. Spofforth, the “Demon,” took 14 wickets in a match once. ' It is to be N noted that Verity took 14 or his 15 wickets in one day’s play, and while he was taking these 14 only 80 runs were hit off him.

RESULTS OF TOUR. Up to and including the second test, the Australians had played 14 matches, seven of which were won, one lost and six drawn. Detailed results are:— v. Worcestershire.—Worcester 112 and 95. Australia 504. Won by an innings and 297 runs. v. Leicestershire.—Leicester 152 and 9 for 263. Australia 5 for 368 (dec.). Drawn owing to rain. v. Cambridge.—Cambridge 158 and 160. Australia 5 for 481 (dec.). Won by an innings and 163 runs. v. M.C.C.—M.C.C. 362 and 8 for 182. Australia 6 for 559 (dec.). Match drawn. v. Essex.—Essex 220 and 125. Australia 438. Won by an innings and 93 runs. v. Oxford.—Oxford 70 and 210. Australia 310. Won by an innings and 33 runs. v. Hampshire.—Hampshire 420 and 7 and 169 (dec.). Australia 433 and 1 for 10. The match was drawn. v. Middlesex.—Middlesex 258 and 114. Australia 345 and none for 10. Australia won by 10 wickets. v. Surrey.—Surrey 475 for 7 (dec.) and 162 for 2. Australia 629. The match was drawn. v. Lancashire.—Lancashire 285. Australia 367 and 3 for 338. The match was drawn. v. England (First Test) —England 268 and 141. Australia 374 and 8 for 273 (dec.). Won by 238 runs. v. Northants.—Northants 187 and 9 for 133. Australia 284 and 234. The match was drawn. v. Gentlemen. —Gentlemen 177 and 287. Australia 230 and 2 for 235. Won by eight wickets. v. England (Second Test). —England 440. Australia 284 and 118. Lost by an innings and 38 runs. Centuries For. v. Worcestershire.—D. G. Bradman 206. v. Leicestershire. —S. J. McCabe 108*. v. Cambridge.—W. H. Ponsford 229*, W. A. Brown 105. v. M.C.Q.—W. H. Fbnsford 281*, S. J. McCabe 192. v. Essex. —A. G. Chipperfield 175. v. Oxford.—L. S. Darling 100. v. Hampshire—A. G. Chipperfield 116*. v. Middlesex. —D. G. Bradman 160. v. Surrey.—S. J. McCabe 240, W. H. Ponsford 125. v. Lancashire.—S, J. McCabe 142, W. M. Woodfull 172*, W. A. Brown 119. v. Northants.—W. A. Brown 113. v. Gentlemen.—S. J. McCabe 105*. v. England.—W. A. Brown 105. ♦Denotes not out. Centuries Against. M.C.C.—Hendren 135, Wyatt 102. Oxford.—De Saram 128. Hampshire.—Mead 139, Lowndes 140. Middlessex. —Hendren 115, Arnold 106 not out. Surrey.—Sandham 219, Gregory 116. Lancashire.—Tyldesley 107. Northants. —Snowden 105. England.—M. Leyland 120, L. E. G. Ames 120. Bowling. Australian performances of five wickets or over include:— C. V. Grimmett. —v. Worcestershire, 5 for 55 and 5 for 27. W. J. O’Reilly.—v. Leicestershire, 7 for 39. C. V. Grimmett. —V. Cambridge, 9 for 74. T. Wall.—V. M.C.C., 6 for 74. C. V. Grimmett.—v. Essex, 5 for 54. W. J. O’Reilly.—v. Essex, 6 for 79. C. V. Grimmett, —v. Oxford, 7 for 109. C. V. Grimmett.—v. Middlesex, 5 for 27. L. Fleetwood-Smith.—v. Lancashire, 5 for 107. C. V. Grimmett.—v. England, 5 for 81. W. J. O’Reilly.—v. England, 7 for 54. L. Fleetwood-Smith.—v. Northants, 5 for 63. Test Match Statistics. England’s victory in the Second Test makes honours even again, each having now won 52. Of those played in England, Australia has won 14 and England 20, while in Australia, England has won 32 and Australia 38. The number of tests drawn is 27. Coming Matches. June 27.—v. Somerset. June 30.—v. Surrey. July 4 and 5. —Free. July 6.—v. England (Third Test) at r Manchester.