AUSTRALIA MAKES LOWEST SCORE SO FAR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17865, 5 June 1926, Page 9

AUSTRALIA MAKES LOWEST SCORE SO FAR.

ROOT TAKES SEVEN FOR 42, AND NORTH ENGLAND TRY FOR VICTORY, Playing North of England, Australia made the lowest score nn the tour to date. Root, the Worcestershire leg-theory howler, captured seven for 42. and the whole eleven returned to the pavilion with only 105 to their credit. North of England declared in their second innings with one down for 77, but the Australians then made a better secondinnings stand, and the game was drawn.

By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Aus. and N.Z. Cable Association, i (Received Tune 5, noon.) LONDON. June 4. The weather was sunny and the Wicket was wearing well. Jupp and Larwood opened the attack. The latter started the shortest. He was hit for a two and a three and then Mailey received a ball on the pads in attempting to turn it to leg. Jupp was also short. He was replaced after one over by Root. The leg theory had Taylor in difficulties when the latter attempted to play the ball but more often Taylor elected to leave it alone. Larwood, on the harder wicket developed pace, probably a couple of yards faster than Gregory. Keeping a. good length he had Macartney beaten three times in succession. Taylor was never comfortable with Root. He attempted to drive the latter to the boundary and was held at mid-on. With an attendance of 7000 watching, Root continued his destructive way, completely beating Andrews with a ball which came back in contrast to the four leg breaks which preceded it. Ryder was shaky and several times sent the ball dangerously near fieldsmen. Macartney, following an excellent four off Geary through cover, snicked the same bowler into the hands of first slip. The total was then 73 tor seven. Gregory's first ball from Root was sent to the boundary. In the next over he was badly missed by Jupp. at deep cover, failing to judge a straight drive. Geary was bowling a good length and varying the pace. After several maidens, Gregory became impatient and hit out at Root, lie missed twice, and the third time skied the ball, which was held by Smith at the wicket. Still requiring ten to avert a followon, Ponsford and Richardson took no chances, but played judiciously, scoring mostly in singles, till Root sent down a no-ball, which Richardson leghit to the boundary. Having ob-

Gained the required ten, both batsmen settled down to make runs. Ponsford was trapped by Root in the same manner that Bardsley and Woodfull had been, cocking the ball to a fieldsman at short quarter leg. With Richardson he had carried the score from 80 to 104. Oldfield was magnificently taken at second slip by Carr in the first over from Geary. Root was the hero of the day, and was accorded a great ovation at the close of the innings. He relied largely on a leg-turn, for which he had four fielders close in, maxing an occasional off break which came in sharply off the pitch, and whose rarity constituted its deadliness. None of the batsmen was at home lacing him. Twelve minutes before lunch, Holmes end Whysall faced Gregory and Macartney. The opening was very quiet, both being content to keep the wickets intact. After lunch, runs continued to t ome slowly, mainly at the expense of Macartney, who, when Holmes was 9. induced him to hit out, but Mailey at square leg failed to accept the ball. Both batsmen continued stonewall tactics. One hour produced twentyeight runs. Then Whysall knocked eight off one over from Ryder. When he was 21, Whysall sent Richardson to Bardsley at leg, but the fieldsman dropped it. Richardson was unlucky, for in the next over Andrews let a catch pass through his hands. When the total was 54. Holmes made a hot return low to Richardson, who made no mistake with it. Holmes was rarely beaten, but failed to make the most of his opportunities. Richardson kept the batsmen on the •defensive, but more liberties were taken with ££ailey. The Australians were left eighty-five minutes to get 212. The quiet manner in which Bardsley and Woodfull opened showed that there was no desire to attain the impossible. Woodfull was beaten by Larwood’s pace, being inclined throughout to play him late. Taylor’s leg stump was rooted out first ball, and the board read ten for two. Bardsley and Andrews livened the game up. Andrews had a life at the wickets when 17, but scored boundaries off all the bowlers. Bardsley went out while attempting a quick single. Jupp at cover throwing down his wicket. Andrews continued forcing the game with Macartney, and batted freely till time. Andrews hit ten fours. Scores: NORTH OF ENGLAND. First Innings. H. Sutcliffe, retired hurt 35 P. Holmes, run out 43 C. Hallows, c Gregory b Macartney 34 A. W. Carr, stpd Oldfield b Macartney 14 TV. Whysall, b Macartney 0 F. Watson, b Richardson 20 V. W. Jupp. c Woodfull b Richardson 23 11. Smith, c Oldfield b Mailey .... 23 G. Geary, not out 39 C. F. Root, b Richardson ........ 1 H. Larwood, run out 0 Extras 7 Total 239 Bowling analysis.— Gregory, none for 55: Ryder, none for 40, Macartney, three for 72: Richardson, three for 31, Mailey, one for 34. Second Innings. P. Holmes, c and b Richardson .. 15 W. Whysall, not out 47 C. Hallows, not out 7 Extras .. 8 Total for cfcie wicket (declared) 77 Bowling analysis.—Gregory, none for 10: Macartney, none for 8; Rvder, none for 15: Richardson, one for 7; Mailey

AUSTRALIA. First Innings. W. Bardsley, c Carr b Root .... 11 W. M. Woodfull, c Larwood b Root 8 J. M. Taylor, c Whysall, b Root . . 22 A. Mallei’, lbw b Larwood 3 C. G. Macartney, c sub. b Geary .. 15 T. J. Andrews, b Root 5 J. S. Ryder, b Root 4 j. M. Gregory, c Smith b Root .. 6 W. H. Ponsford, c Carr b Root .. 14 A. Richardson, not out 13 W. A. Oldfield, c Carr b Geary .... 0 Extras 4 Total 105 Bowling analysis.—Larwood, one wicket for 29 runs; Root, seven for 42; Geary, two for 25; Jupp, none for 5. Second Innings. W. Bardsley, run out 10 W. M. Woodfull, b Larwood 7 J. M. Taylor, b Larwood 0 T. J. Andrews, not out 68 C. G. Macartney, not out 20 Extras 5 Total for three wickets .. 110 Bowling analysis.—Larwood, two wickets for 18 runs; Geary, none for 26; Jupp, none for 39; Watson, none for 22.

This Line of Attack Was New To Aussies,

By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright. Aur. and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received June 5,2 p.m.) LONDON, June 4. The Australians had not experienced Root before, and his line of attack was new to most of them. He is mediumfast, with a consistently good length and pitches the bails mostly on the leg stump. ITis legs breaks come in such a way that the batsmen must play him. There is always the risk of being bowled trying to drive and the tendency is to play rock and await a loose one. Root, who is no novice, knows that the batsmen are sure to try glances or let the ball hit the bat and risk cocking up easy catches. Therefore he has four fieldsmen close to the leg side, namely, one silly deep, one fine, one square, and one just outside leg square. Every now and then he sends a' ball off the stumps and then follows with a similar one with an offbreak. Thus the batsmen attempting to cut or drive often find th;£t the ball has whipped back and taken the leg stump, or else they put it up in the slips.

“ And It Did Not Pay to Hit Out.”

By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Aus. and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received June 5,2 p.m.) LONDON, June 4. “I have never seen Root bowl better though undoubtedly the wicket helped him,” says Colonel Trevor, in the “Dailj’’ Telegraph.” “Never have I seen any side, to say nothing of a great batting side, so powerless to deal with him. One after another, they waggled the bat at the ball, and were usually 'uncertain which way to waggle it. Gregory alone tried to hit him, but that did not pay either.”

NOTES ON THE PLAY.

The lowest score previously by the Australians on the present tour was 179 v Minor Counties. Fred Root’s great performance with the ball places him in the forefront of test match probabilities. Seven Australian wickets in one innings, taken at the low average cost of six runs, is a record for the present tour. Root is a medium paced right hander, who works the leg theory with great success. He does not rely on spin to any extent, but swings them from the off in a dangerous manner, especially with a new ball. Last year Root's bowling improved considerably, and he was one of the few to take 200 wickets in the season. Many leading English critics have mentioned him as being worthy of a place in the test match side. The Nottinghamshire fast bowler, H. Larwood, who came against the Australians for the first time in this match, must have bowled very steadily throughout, though he did not take many wickets. He, also, has been frequently spoken of as a player worthy of the test team.

TEAMS PICKED TO PLAY AUSTRALIA

Aus. and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received June 5. 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, June 4. The Yorkshire team against the Australians is as follows;—Lupton, Rhodes, Dolphin, Waddington, Leyland, Oldroyd. Robinson. Mitchell, Turner, Crawford, and Douglas. The Durham team against Australia is:—Brooks (captain), Feret, Kinch, Dobson, Nichol, Romaines, Webster Wright, Carr, Howell and Cook.

(Saved a follow-on.)