SLOW SCORING AT ADELAIDE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20640, 1 February 1937, Page 8

SLOW SCORING AT ADELAIDE

ENGLAND AHEAD IN TEST CRITICS SURPRISED BY ALLEN’S MOVE HAMMOND OUT FOR TWENTY United Press Association—Rv Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received January 31, 6.30 p.m.) ADELAIDE, January 31 The weather conditions were again perfect yesterday for the resumption of play in the fourth test, England v. Australia. There are still hundreds of runs in the wicket, but not for Australia in the first innings. Australia’s Weak Tail Chipperfield was the only Australian player left in the morning, with any batting ability. He attempted to keep the tail enders away from the strike, but failed, the last three wickets adding only 21 runs. The Australian total of 288 was not in keeping with the perfect wicket, and there should have been a much larger score on the board at the fall of the last wicket. Voce was not fielding for the English side in the morning. He is receiving medical treatment for neuritis. He will be fit to play on Monday. Chipperfield gave a fine display. He was at the wickets for 103 minutes, and hit four fours. Australia’s innings lasted 335 minutes. England’s New Opening Pair The English captain caused surprise by opening with Verity and Barnett. Verity emulates the feat of Rhodes, last man in 1908 series, and he opened with Hobbs in 1912. Both were Yorkshire left handers. Both opening batsmen should have been out early. Barnett gave the easiest of caught and bowled chances to McCormick. The ball struck the fast bowler on the finger, necessitating attention in the dressing room. Verity gave a run out chance. He was yards out of the crease, but O’Reilly did not field the ball cleanly. Barnett was then 13. Verity was not the least impressive, and more through good luck than good management, stayed in. In 101 minutes the opening partnership had yielded 53 runs, the best for England in the tests this season. The previous best was 29 compiled by Worthington and Barnett in the second innings of the third test. Slow But Steady Scoring Australia jeopardised her chances through missed chances. The bright spot came when Bradman set an obvious trap and Verity walked in with his eyes open. With the leg trap. O’Reilly sent down an inviting long hop which Verity swung into Bradman’s hands. Hammond had a life when at three. He snicked a ball from Fleet-wood-Smith to Chipperfield in the slips. The end of Hammond’s innings came when he attempted to sweep a short rising ball from O’Reilly. McCormick took a good catch. The scoring at times was very slow. At one period Verity and Barnett took 22 minutes to add three runs. The fielding of the Australians was slovenly at times, Bradman and Fingleton were noticeable exceptions. The total reached 50 in 79 minutes, and the century

went up in 152 minutes. Barnett reached 50 in 148 minutes. One shot was a beautiful pull for six to the square leg off Fleetwood-Smith. Leyland survived an appeal for leg before off Chipperfield when 14. An amusing interlude came an hour before stumps. Seven seagulls attempted to settle on the ground. Play was held up while the players waved their arms and threw their caps. Ultimately they drove the birds away, but their coming may be the forerunner of rain. Clouds thickened as the afternoon wore on, and rain is probable during the weekend. If so, England may not be in a good position on the resumption of play, with the last use of the wicket. They need at least 500 on the board to gve them a bright chance. The score reached 150 in 215 minutes. Then England was only two wickets down, and is in a good position. The attendance reached 33,000 with the takings approximately £3706. Following are the scores:— AUSTRALIA First Innings. ringleton, run out 10 Brown, c Allen, b Fames 42 Rigg, c Ames, b Fames 20 Bradman, b Allen 26 McCabe, c Allen, b Robins ...... 88 Gregory, lbw. b Hammond 23 Chipperfield not out 57 Oldfield, run out 5 O’Reilly, c Ames, b Allen .... 7 McCormick, c Ames, b Hammond 4 Fleetwood-Smith, b Fames 1 Extras 5

LONDON PRESS COMMENT

LUCK AND PLUCK HELP ENGLAND (Received January 31, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, January 29. “Luck and Pluck Helped England” is the “Star’s” headline. English cricket writers, with their eyes on the Ashes, are generally confident that England has established a grip on the test. E. H. Sewell writing in “The Sunday Graphic” says that Bradman must regret the selectors’ blunder in not including Grimmett, who, with O’Reilly in form, would have been invaluable on Saturday. Barnett now obviously will open England’s innings for the next ten years. Mr H. A. H. Carson, in the “Evening News,” says: “Bradman’s dismissal is fortunate beyond England’s wildest dreams. It has put the team’s tail wc’l up. Allen skippered the side very well. Everything he tried came off.” P.E. H. Fender, in a broadcast on the cricket Test, said: “I am not prepared to prophesy the result. I think

England needs at least four hundred before I will feel comfortable.” Should the Toss Decide? Correspondents to “The Morning Post” suggest that for the sake of fairness the visitors be given choice of innings without toss in the first and third cricket tests, the home side in the secorfci and fourth, leaving the fifth to be decided by the toss. ENGLAND’S STRONG POSITION TRIBUTE TO BOWLING OF FARNES United Press Association—Bv Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received January 31, 9.30 p.m.) ADELAIDE, January 31 C. G. Macartney, writing for “The Sydney Morning Herald” says: “At the end of play England occupied a strong ! position mainly due to dogged batting j against accurate bowling and first-rate feilding. McCormick’s blunder changed the complexion of the game, and the fortunate Barnett is still unconquered. It was a triumph for Allen and his men to dismiss such a fine array of batsmen as Australia possessed for such a moderate total. Faroes is a real menace to Australia. No other bowler on the English side compared with him. Allen’s object in opening with Verity instead of Wyatt was to keep the latter away from the new ball, and it would have been too risky to open with Hammond. Verity acted as a good foil for Barnett, thus the policy of opening with a mixture of defence and aggression, as represented by Verity and Barnett proved most successful. Hammond was not in his usual good form. He lost his wicket through playing one of those round-the-comer leg-side strokes when a full-blooded pull would have been safer. Barnett was always sound in defence. He made some powerful drives, but found it difficult to penetrate the well-placed field, nor could he afford to take liberties with the bowling. Leyland played more aggressively than any of the others. Fleetwood-Smith beat Barnett badly twice. He appeared to bowl just as well as O’Reilly without O’Reilly’s luck. McCormick bowled well with considerable pace at the start, but faded appreciably.”

GOOD DAY’S WORK

x *iAISE FOR ENGLAND’S BOWLING United Press Association—By Wlectrlo Telegraph—Copyright (By J. B. Hobbs. Copyright In all countries. Reproduction in whole or in part forbidden.) (Received January 31, 6.30 p.m.) ADELAIDE, January 30. When Australia had scored 72 at lunch with only one man out I thought England were in for a bad day in the fourth test, but gathering three wickets between lunch and tea they accomplished a splendid performance, and at that time, perhaps, had the better of the position. It was fitting that McCabe should save one of his best innings for yesterday. He arrived at a critical time, and after playing himself in his batting scintillated with beautiful shots. Gregory looked very young to be playing in a test, but nursed by McCabe he played carefully and helped his partners in useful stands. Voce, apart from not getting wickets, did not look so dangerous. Perhaps he is feeling his back. Allen was a great trier, but the injury to his leg asserted itself as the day progressed. Faroes was always g'od and kept a beautiful length. If Ames’s back is bad he showed no signs of it, for he kept wickets brilliantly. Australia should have done considerably better on this lovely wicket, and England can congratulate themselves

on a good day’s work. Nobody can estimate what those two run-outs means to us. Faroes Causes Sensation Before lunch England had gained a somewhat lucky run out, but sensations came in the first over after lunch when Fames, who was playing in his first test in Australia, dismissed Brown and Rigg. That was the outcome of an inspired bit of captaincy by Allen, whose luck would make an apt title for a story of these tests if England wins the ashes. Faroes’s big feat was the direct outcome of the change of ends. The boundary was abnormally narrow on one side, and it spoke volumes for the bowling that only one four was registered before lunch. Very few if any loose balls were delivered, and the batsmen seldom went all out for shots. Faroes bowled well before lunch, but was even better after he had tasted blood, having dismissed Brown and Rigg in one over with balls which he made nip quickly off the pitch. After that Bradman and McCabe set out to put Australia on top again, and a terrific duel between bat and ball ensued. Bradman was out when he made a rather wild hook at a ball which was scarcely short enough to warrant a hook. McC.abe was playing very well, and he was the only man Verity could not keep quiet. Coming in when things were going wrong, his was a magnificent innings in every way. Allen’s Strategy Succeeds Another of Allen’s moves came just after the 200 appeared, and things were looking bad for England. Robins was made to change ends, and Allen placed himself skilfully at wide mid-on for a catch which came to him. Chipperfield was always ready to make strokes and he scored quickly. The power he gets into his leg strokes is remarkable.

Total .. .. 2: i Bowling Analysis O. M. R. w. 12 0 49 0 Allen .. .. • .. 16 0 60 2 Fames 20.6 1 71 3 Hammond .. .. 6 0 30 2 Verity 16 4 47 0 Robins - - -. . - 7 1 26 1 ENGLAND. First Innings. .Verity, c. Bradman, b O’Reilly .. 19 Barnett, not out . 92 Hammond, c McCormick, b O’Reilly 20 Leyland, not out . . 35 Extras .. . 8 Total for two wickets .. 174 Fall of wickets: One for 53, two for 108. Bowling Analysis O. M. R. W. McCormick .. .. 12 1 39 0 McCabe 7 2 13 0 Fleetwood-Smith 21 4 65 0 O’Reilly 14 5 18 2 Chipperfield . .. 6 1 17 0 Gregory 3 0 14 0