SECOND TEST MATCH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16451, 13 June 1921, Page 3

SECOND TEST MATCH.

AUSTRALIA’S GOOD LEAD. BATTING CONTRASTS. By Telegraph—Press Ass'»rir> , :ox— Copy right. Australian and N.2. Cable Association LONDON. June 11. The -weather for (lie second test was unsettled. overcast, with alternating sunshine. Tlie crowd was enormous. Douglas % won the toss. Ryder was twelfth man for tho Australians. Oldfield, Maynp. and Coffins not playing-. Haig:, Tennyson and Dipper took the place of Mead, .HearrJ and Fry in the English team. The Australians on taking the field received a great, reception. Gregory' opened from the nursery end Tn view of bis Bristol display. Dipper accompanied Knight to the wickets. Both started confidently, bitting briskly to both sides. Knight was cheered on gracefully hitting Gregory 1o leg! for Ibree. followed by splendid off-strokes off both bowlers. The crowd applauded Dipper, who, though not very graceful, executed telling shots, including tho first, boundary on the off side, off M’Dcnald. Armstrong soon relieved Gregory, who was not Ao fast as usual. A feature of the captain's final over was magnificent fielding by Andrews at cover. Twenty runs were made in' a quarter of an hour, with Dipper scoring twice as fast, as Knight. The ball dismissing him nipped quickly from the off. low down. Knight, as usual, was not confident facing Armstrong, and fell with a wretched stroke into first slip’s hands. Play then lied been proceeding* half an hour. Armstrong, who was bowling’ a fin©, length, had five men forming, a. semicircle. on the off side. At this stage plav was held up owing- to the arrival of the King. The crowd was disappointed because Hen* dren had a shori life. He walked across to an off ball which v.hipped in behind him and shattered his wicket. This was n. sensational opening in view of the circumstances. Woolley played very cautiously .against Armstrong, watching the ball all the wa’y. Armstrong had no slip fielder. Gregory was stationed at fine leg. Woolley broke a long! period of scoreless play, getting a pingle through, the Australians' steel leg-ride wall, a performance which was cheered as though i~ was a boundary. The new partnership realised four in a quarter of an hour. Gregory replaced McDonald at the pavilion end at 29. Later Armstrong bowled three successive maidens. Woolley hit, a beautiful slip boundary at Gregory’s expense, making the total 3+ for an hour’s play. The Australian fie Iding reached a high standard. The dullness of play mas partially relieved by the respect Douglas was showing Armstrong. He was merely blocking. Woolley was more aggressive facing Gregory, whom ho drove straight to the boundary. Amusement was caused when Armstrong placed Andrews at silly point for Douglas, and was renewed when Douglas returned the next ball along the pitch to the bowler. Douglas was

obviously knotted Woolley, who was getting most of Gregory’s bowling, presented a marked, contrast, makiug some graceful shots behind and in front of the wicket. After three-quarters of an Hour Douglas hit Gre- ! gory nicely to the square leg boundary, his second scoring stroke. Fifty appeared in eighty minutes. Douglas was cutting a sorry figure, patting the ball mostly. lie score! eight in an hour. When "Woolley was 22 a ball from Gregory whistled over the bails. Gregory was faster than in the opening l play, rising a foot above the stumps. Woolly having many narrow escapes. M’Donald relieved Gregory at 61, scored in a hundred minutes. Batting continued lifeless, the crowd finding relaxation and amusement in the Douglas-Armstrong duel. Just before lunch. Douglas decided to break the monotony, and drove M’Donald straight to the pavilion. Woolley followed and clipped a. beautiful four through the slips. Then Mailey relieved Armstrong at the nursery, end. Douglas signalised his approval by three off drives from successive balls, realising five. This variation from back-wall cricket was enjoyod. Douglas brought ux> the oenturv in 140 -minutes, cutting Mailey for two. He and Woolley were more confident, although Mailey was frequently turning the ball several inches from the off. Both Douglas was dismissed by n beautiful ball be attempted to drive, playing: across it. His careful innings ended a partnership which at this stage of the game was very valuable Woolley brought up fifty by a glorious square cut to the ropes off Mailey, his half-century being made in 1.10 minutes. Jv'-ans survived an sij.peal for caught behind the wickets, but knew nothing of the next ball, which shattered his stumps. M’Donald was preserving his length and keeping low. After Woolley had hit a somewhat flbkv boundary to the deop leg off Mailey, he. magnificently sqnnre-eut M’Donald io the ropes, the best stroke of t.he day. He was playing excellent cricket, bis driving being particularly attractive. Gregorv replaced M’Donald. at 139. Tennyson was never happy. He walked out to Mailey and was easilv stumped. Three wickers had fallen in an hour. After lunch Woolley was making use of his reach against Mailey, meeting the ball a , vard in front of the crease. Two beautiful ; cuts through cover raised the crowd to the highest, enthusiasm. Pellew. who was fielding grandlv. failed to hold a ball which Haig drove to the off just above, his head when Haig was two. Mailev wae the bowler. Haig went out the following over. The ball that dismissed Parkin v.-nt between his legs from the off. Strudwick’s life was short but happy. He twice pulled MaiJey to leg to the ropes, then hit. a soft catch to short leg, all in one over. After Durstor.’s appearance Woolley got four over the heads of slips off Gregory. Next ball ho gave a chance, to Hendry at first slip. He then was fi9. but had not shaped confidently during the last few overs o£ Gregory’s. Being anxious .to reach his c-eutury, he opened his shoulders with ihe stepping out, to oho from Mailey. He received a. great ovation for bis beautiful innings. Woolley batted 190 minutes, nud England’s innings lasted 210 minutes. AUSTRALIA AT THE WICKETS. Durston opened the bowling against Australia from the nursery end. Bardsley and Andrews both commenced batting brightly. Bardsl-ey with graceful cuts and leg shots.

while Andrews started by driving Douglas. Then after delightful square cuts off Durst on, who whs bowling off tho wicket, ho attempted to hit a ball which he should have ignored, and was easily caught, with the innings onlv ten minutes old. Bardsley and Macartney immediately settled down to brilliant cricket, treating both bowlers with scant, courtesy. Bardsley hit poetic boundaries through tlie slips, catting and driving beautifully. " Macartney hit- Douglas twice to the sqnarc-leg boundary in one over. These and perfect cuts were. loudly annlauded. Fifty appeared in twentv-nve minutes Parkin relieved Douglas at 36. Macatne; turned him to the ropes belv’nd the wicket and then drove him straight for four. There was no improvement in the bowling, the batsmen having no difficulty in placing the ball. Macartney’s chara-leristic innings closed in a manner simitar to that of Andrews after he bad batted twentv-ftve minutes. Play was not so bright after Macartney’s departure, Durston and Parkin oeginning to find their length. .'.'••511 Pellew made some nice shots on both sfttas, emulating nardslev in r> uni piling an v thing loose. Haig repriced Durston at- 99. Pellew sent up the century in fifty-six minutes with a; bit to th? deep leg* boundary. Bardsley now was. 40. end Pellew, getting into his stride, cut Haig to the ropes. Then Woolley relieved Parkin. The batting contrast provided bv the two teams w,. remarkable ' Whereas' England laboured, Australia went for the bowling. Bardsley bit crisp boundaries in all positions, while Pellew punched tin bail to the ropes with delightful vigour. Woolley sent clown the first maiden of the innings to Pellew, when the score was 116. Ip tho r ext. over of Woolley’s. Bardsley, with a glorious boundary behind the wicket and a straight drive, brought- his 50 up for seventy minutes’ play. The crowd, enjoying the fine exhibition, applauded Bardsley. The applease was renewed when Pellew, with a powerful drive, sent Haig past, cover-point to the ropes. The. fielding was fairly clean but the. batsmen’s placing- was irresistible, particularly that of Bardsley. who was playing one of his greatest innings Pellew’s scoring rate was one a minute. Both batsmen were completely masters of the situation. Pellew followed a perfect shot, to tho boundary behind *he wicket by j.laying over a ball breaking low. He gave a capital display lastin® fifty minutes Taylor joined Bardsley, and Durston ieplaced. Woolley. One hundred and fifty appeared in ninety-five minutes. Woolley was tried again at 161. Bardsley sending his second delivery to the boundary past third man. Then Durston was put on again at the nursery end. but the rapid changes did not affect Bardsley, who continued perfect shots all pound the wicket. Taylor, apart from one smashing drive past cover to the ropes played cautiously, getting in front of flu* wicket over much. Parkin telieved Woolley at 176. Ho, likj his predecessors, found Bardsley's defence impenetrable. The sun was becoming hotter as the afternoon advanced, and <he fieldsmen were working under Australian conditions. Taylor passed tho English total with a. beautiful drive to the on boundary off Parkin. ten minutes before time. After bo had been batting two hours, Bardsley was SB. He then gave a- difficult return to Parkin, and the crowd applauded the let-off. Scores; ENGLAND. First Innings. Dipper, h M. Donald . . .11

Bowling Analysis.—Gregory, one wicket for 51 runs; M’Donald, four for 58; Armstrong, one for 9; Mailey, four for 55. Mailey took four wickets for *2*2 in twentysix balls. He bowled one bye.

ENGLISH TEAM OUTCLASfcEO. LONDON. June 12. The newspapers declare that, England was outclass*! at Lord’s on r perfect wicket. Some critics regard the failure as worse than at Nottingham, where the wteket helped the bowlers. They contrast the slow, cramped English batting with the contefnptuous ease with which the Australians flogged the bowlLONDON, June 11. Those who paid for admission to the match numbered 22,378.

Knight, c Gregory b Armstrong 7 Ilendren, )> M’DonaJcT . . 0 Douglas, b McDonald Tennyson, sfc Carter b Mailer « Evans, b 'M’Don aid . .' . Haig, c Carter b Gregorv . 1'arkin, b Mailer . 3 Strudwick, c M’Don aid b Mailcv . .S Woolley, st. Carter b Mailer Durston, not out Extras Total .....

AUSTRALIA. First Jnninffs. Bardfelev, Txot out . Andrew?, c Strudvrick b Durston . . 9 Macartney, c Strudv.ick b Durston . . 31 Pcllcw. b Haig 43 Taylor, not out 15 Extras 5 Total for three wickets . . . 191