"WENT TO SLEEP AT CRICKET MATCH.”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18937, 6 December 1929, Page 3

"WENT TO SLEEP AT CRICKET MATCH.”

[SYDNEY CROWD ASKS I WHY GILLIGAN'S MEN HAD SO BAD A TIME. r Evidently the match, M.C.C. v. New South Wales, last week, was a patchy affair, exciting one minute and dull the next. , It was tiresome yesterday at the Syd!ney Cricket Ground (says the “ Daily [Guardian” of November 27). All the sparkle and pep of the three previous days were missing. This was due chiefly to the absolute mastery of the [batsmen over the bowlers in each team, j Injuries and physical strain had made such inroads upon the Englishmen that their attack was not even [strong enough to afford our batsmen [decent batting practice. It is significant that the Englishmen [tried only five bowlers yesterday, but [that was merely due to the fact that [nobody else appeared reasonably fit to [bowl. Which is a none too flattering [tribute to the durability of the English[men’s physical powers. I Why they should have so easily I “ cracked up ” it is difficult to deter- [ mine. Other teams that have visited us have had a much more gruelling experience than this M.C.C. team, and have finished up a long and arduI ous tour with colours flying. r Yet this team has played only four matches, and half the side is already disabled with bruises, lumbago, rheumatism, and a score of other such ailments that appear on almost any patent medicine bottle. The Australian public, of course, heartily sympathises with the players concerned, and hopes they will arrive in Brisbane on Thursday fully recovered and refreshed, ready for their game against Queensland. Our English visitors have proved themselves to be “ jolly good fellows ” to a man, led by a real sportsman in Gilligan. There is little that one can say regarding yesterday’s play—that is, from a cricket point of view. Jackson made a century, Allsopp remained unconquered, Kippax, Andrews and Jackson had a bowl. Apart from this, nothing occurred to ruffle the even tenor of the barrackers’ snore. The game was drawn.