VICTORY FOR AUSTRALIA

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20330, 13 June 1934, Page 1

VICTORY FOR AUSTRALIA

England Defeated With Only Ten Minutes to Spare. O’REILLY TAKES SEVEN WICKETS. Large Crowd Watches Final Stages in Hushed Silence. (United Press Association.— By Electric Telegraph.— Copyright.; (Received June 13, 12.30 p.m.)

LONDON, June 12. Australia won the first Test by 238 runs, with ten minutes to spare. England were dismissed in their second innings for 141, O’Reilly taking seven wickets for 54 runs and Grimmett three for 39. In hushed silence the large crowd watched England’s struggle to secure a draw. Leyland withstood the attack for nearly two hours, but was caught brilliantly at the wicket. Occasionally the batsmen patted down worn spots on the wicket. Grimmett bowled for three hours unchanged.

The weather was cooler and the conditions fine for the last day of the match. The curious habit of Englisn cricket crowds of ignoring the last day’s play was again in evidence to-day, when despite the prospect of an exciting finish only 4000 saw Fames and Geary reopen against M’Cabe and Brown. No time was lost, M’Cabe attacking the bowling. Eight runs came off the first two overs, and the partnershipraised 100 in ninety minutes.

The pair continued to force the pace and this meant M’Cabe’s undoing. In attempting to drive he snicked Hammond a smart catch at first slip. M’Cabe played a brilliant, chanceless innings which included one six and fifteen fours. It was all the more admirable because he took risks in the interest of his side, thereby sacrificing his prospects of a third century in successive matches. What Australia Needed. Verity, in his first over, should have got Brown at 46, Walters dropping an easy catch at cover point. Darling started briskly, answering the demand for quick runs at all costs. Fifty-one was added in half an hour, which was precisely what Australia needed. In the second over, with a new ball. Fames dismissed Darling, who attempted a big hit, the ball falling to the safe Hammond at first slip. Five for 219. Australia were now 325 ahead. Chipperfield was next. The crowd were applauding Australia’s race for runs. Fames and Geary, however, were too accurate to be treated over-recklessly. England was fighting to keep down the runs, despite which Brown and Chipperfield. within limitations, took as many risks as possible. Then Fames captured his third wicket to-day, Chipperfield failing to connect with a good length outswinger, Hammond completing his hat-trick of catches. Fames bowled for seventy minutes unchanged and Verity replaced him. At 244 he got Brown in his first over, the batsman chopping the ball to Ames’s foot. It rebounded smartly and he was caught at the wicket. His innings took 235 minutes and he hit three fours. O'Reilly should have been out first ball from Verity, Fames dropping an easy catch. In the next over O’Reilly hit Verity for a four, a six and a two off successive balls. O’Reilly was in a hectic mood, and in seven minutes he was easily caught in attempting to hit Geary for six. Grimmett and Oldfield added a few more, then Woodfull declared at 12.30 p.m., leaving England to get 380 to After the lightest possible roller had been used Sutcliffe and Walters Opened at 12.45. Both opened their accounts with fours. Grimmett relieved M’Cabe after two overs. A confident first halfhour produced 24 runs, and then O’Reilly displaced Wall and the scoring quietened, Grimmett bowling four successive maidens. Ten thousand spectators were present after lunch. Grimmett and O’Reilly resumed. The batsmen were sedate and intent on keeping their wickets intact, but occasionally they swung loose deliveries O the leg fence. Sutcliffe was brilliantly caught by C-hipperfield at first slip, the Australian diving and taking the ball very low. Grimmett repeatedly beat Walters and Hammond, but the latter made some glorious drives to the boundary', and the partnership held out hopes of saving England, as only three hours remained to dismiss the .line batsmen. England were playing steadfastly for a draw. Hammond was a model of patience until he lunged forward to play a short ball from Grimmett, which came straight through anrl he was easily stumped. Two for 83 Walters drove two sizzling fours from O’Reilly and was then clean-bowled by the next ball, which turned from the off. Three for 91. Australia’s hopes °f a victory were revived. Walters played a real captain's innings. He batted for 135 minutes. Though the wicket wa s doing less than -was expected, the batsmen occasionally patted the worn spots Keyed up by their success, Grimmett and O’Reilly bowled finely, the former, who was unchanged for three hours, r turning the ball tremendously from leg. The Nawab of Pataudi and Hendren

were uncomfortable, and Pataudi, in attempting to lift Grimmett, was easily caught at long off. The total was then four for 103, with 125 minutes left. Before the afternoon tea adjournment Hendren reached forward to O’Reilly and was deceived by a faster ball rising quickly. He was well caught by Chipperfield low at fine slip. Grimmett’s figures at the tea adjournment were 32 overs, 17 maidens, 32 runs, 2 wickets, and O’Reilly’s 26 overs, 12 maidens, 46 runs, 3 wickets.

One hundred and five minutes remained when the slow bowlers resumed, Leyland and Ames defending stubbornly. Wall at 124 gave Grimmett a rest after he had bowled unchanged for thirty-eight overs, and Chipperfield replaced O’Reilly. Grimmett, however, returned at 134.

Blocking ball after ball, Leyland and Ames held the fort for over an hour, and with only one hour left to plav it seemed that only a complete collapse would now win the game for Australia. Then in O’Reilly’s third over Ames played back and was cleanbowled. The total then was six for 134 and forty-five minutes remained.

There was a tense atmosphere as Geary entered on his second attempt to save England, but in the first over from Grimmett he reached forward, barely snicked a ball, and Chipperfield took his third magnificent catch low in slips. The fieldsmen clustered round Leyland and Verity. Both negotiated two maidens apiece, and then Leyland played too late to O’Reilly’s fast ball and was brilliantly caught at the wicket. He had batted for 105 minutes.

Twenty minutes were left and the crowd was completely hushed as the fate of the last two wickets hung in the balance. Then came the second ball in the next over from O’Reilly. Fames tipped it and Oldfield took a smart catch. The total was nine for 137, and fifteen minutes were left. The fieldsmen swarmed around Mitchell, who survived a leg appeal and scored an accidental four, but in the same over he was out leg before and Australia had won with ten minutes to spare. O’Reilly’s figures after tea were 13 overs, 12 maidens, 8 runs, 4 wickets, and Grimmett’s 15 overs, 11 maidens, 7 runs, 1 wicket. England’s innings lasted 275 minutes. Scores: AUSTRALIA r First Innings Woodfull, c Verity b Fames 26 Ponsford. c Ames b Fames 53 Brown, lbw b Geary 22 Bradman, c Hammond b Geary . . 29 M’Cabe, c Leyland b Fames .... 65 Darling, b Verity 4 Chipperfield. c Ames b Fames . . 99 Oldfield, b Mitchell 20 Grimmett. b Geary 39 O’Reilly, b Fames 7 Wall, not out 0 Extras 10 Total 374 Bowling Analysis. O. M. R. W. Fames .... 40.2 10 102 5 Geary 43 8 101 3 Hammond . . 13 4 29 0 Verity 34 9 65 1 Mitchell 21 4 62 1 Leyland .. 1 Q, 5 0 Second Innings. Woodfull, b F'arnes 2 Ponsford, b Hammond 5 Brown, c Ames b Verity 73 Bradman, c Ames b Fames ... 25 M’Cabe, c Hammond b Fames .... 88 Darling, c Hammond b Fames .... 14 Chipperfield, c Hammond b Fames 1 Oldfield, not out 10 O’Reilly, c Verity b Geary IS Grimmett, not out 3 Extras 31 Total for 8 wickets (dec.) 273 Fall of the wickets—One for 2, two for 32. three for 69, four for 181, five for 219, six for 231, seven for 234, eight for 267. Bowling Analysis. O. M. R. W. Fames 25 3 77 5 Geary 23 4 46 1 Hammond .. 12 5 25 1 Verity 17 8 48 1 Mitchell 13 2 46 0

ENGLAND. First Innings. Walters, lbw b Grimmett 17

Total 141 Fall of the wickets—One for 51, two for 83, three for 91. four for 103, five for 110, six for 134, seven for 135, eight for 137, nine for 137, ten for 141. Bowling Aaalysis. O. M. R. W. O’Reilly 42 24 54 7 Grimmett .. 44 26 39 3 Wall 13 2 27 0 M’Cabe ,2 0 7 0 Chipperfield .. 4 1 6 0

Sutcliffe, c Chipperfield b Grim62 Hammond, c M’Cabe b O’Reilly .. *25 Nawab of Pataudi, c M’Cabe b'Wall 12 Leyland, c and b Grimmett 6 Hendren, b O’Reillv 79 Ames, c Wall, b O’Reilly 7 Geary, st Oldfield, b Grimmett .. 53 Verity, b O’Reillv 0 Fames, b Grimmett 1 Mitchell, not out 1 Extras 5

Ifotal 268 Bowling Analysis. O. M. R. W Wall 33 7 82 1 M'Cabe 7 2 7 0 Grimmett ... 58.3 24 81 5 O'Reilly 37 16 75 4 Chipperfield .. 3 0 IS 0 Second Innings. Sutcliffe, c Chipperfield b O'Reilly 24 Walters, b O’Reilly 46 Hammond, st Oldfield b Grimmett 16 Pataudi, c Ponsford b Grimmett .. 10 Hendren, c Chipperfield b O’Reilly 3 Levland, c Oldfield b O’Reilly — . IS Ames, b O’Reilly 12 Geary, c Chipperfield b Grimmett 0 \ erity, not out Fames, c Oldfield b O’Reilly .... 0 Mitchell, lbw b O'Reilly 4 8