AUSTRALIA 3 FOR 39.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20363, 21 July 1934, Page 1

AUSTRALIA 3 FOR 39.

England’s Deplorable Batting in Fourth Test.

BOWLERS IN DEADLY FORM. Wicket Never Difficult at any Stage of First Day. (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph. r *'*nyright.) (Received Julv 21, 11.30 am.) LONDON, July 20. ENGLAND made a total of 200 in their first innings against Australia when the fourth Test opened to-day. At stumps Australia had lost three wickets for 39, Woodful, Oldfield and Brown being out. Ponsford was not out 22. England’s innings showed deplorable lack of batsmanship after a promising start. -The pitch was never difficult. Ponsford was struck on the. back when trying to dodge a bumper from Bowes. The Test crowd, for Yorkshire, was unusually stolid. The parsimonious failure to provide a sight screen when the new stand was built caused frequent appeals from the umpire to the spectators in the stand behind the bowler s arm, to resume their seats. The umpire once left the field and asked that the spectators be redistributed.

England, having the luck of the ; toss, opened brightly. After scoring j briskly oft the fast bowlers, the bats- | men were soon having a certain amount of difficulty with the spin men who were put on, and the rate of scoring j became slow. At lunch England had lost two wickets for 96 runs. O'Reilly, who got Keeton after a i merry knock, bowled excellently, and i Chipperfield’s dismissal of \\ alters was the equal of his surprises in previous : matches. . j The weather was fine and warm and there was a light breeze. There were 25,000 spectators present at the start, when Wyatt won the toss, ■ Woodfull losing for the third time in succession. Sutcliffe’s inclusion in England s team was left in doubt until the last minute, when the selectors decided not to take the risk of his strained leg. Walters and Keeton opened on a wicket which still contained a good deal of moisture due to rain overnight, following the earlier heavy falls. Wall and M’Cabe opened the bowling. Roth batsmen played the former with confidence, Walters scoring three fours off his first two overs. M’Cabe was respected. The wicket looked easy. . Grimmett and O’Reilly took over when half an hour had produced 30 runs. O’Reilly Gets Going. Twenty minutes later Keeton played too late for O'Reilly’s faster ball, Oldfield taking a sharp catch on the off side. Fifty was raised in sixty-five minutes. The fielding was good, in spite of the rough ground, Bradman and Darling being applauded. The batting remained uneventful until a quarter of an hour before lunch, when Chipperfield, who had replaced Grimmett,. brought Walters forward to a floating ball. Walters was

easily caught and bowled. Hammond and Hendren continued a quiet, even morning’s play until the adjournment. The weather, was sultry after lunch. Thirty thousand were present. Grimmett and O’Reilly resumed. The wickpt was still dead easy. The batting was restrained until Grimmett offered a high, full toss, which Hendren swung to the fence. He also on-drove O’Reilly to the boundary. Wall bowled with only Chipperfield in slips, emphasising the deterioration of his pace, but he

threw all his energy into one which swung i n and bowled Hammond, ; who was beginning to look formidable. Without addition to the score, the : first ball of Chipperfield’s next over, apparently a wrongun, completely beat and bowled Hendren. Four for 135. Leyland, who

was celebrating his birthday, was cheered. Wyatt and Leyland were unable to get Chipperfield and O’Reilly away and the scoring became tedious, 150 taking 205 minutes. Then both batsmen collected a couple of fours. Woodfull was displaced at 160. Wyatt off-drove and square-cut him for consecutive boundaries.

Mere Wickets Fall.

O’Reilly, in his next over, sent down a faster ball which slipped through Levland’s defence and he was out legbefore. The removal of this obstacle to Australia’s hope was quickly followed by the dismissal of Wyatt, whom Grimmett coaxed out to a ball which was dropping quickly and he was easily stumped. Six for 170. Ames and Ilopwood played until the afternoon tea adjournment against bowling which was keyed up by the unexpected success on such an unhelpful wicket. Only ten runs were added after tea when Ames stepped out to drive and

snicked the ball to Oldfield, who to make doubly *sure removed the bails. Without. addition to the score Hopwood was out leg-before. Oldfield missed a chance of stumping Verity, but when the -total was 200, after 285 minutes, Oldfield atoned b3 r .brilliantly stumping Mitchell. Bowes was out in the same over, caught in the outfield. Australians Go In. Fifty minutes remained when Brawn and Ponsford opened to Bowes and Hammond. The batsmen were confident and runs were coming at a steady pace, but Hammond twice consecutively beat Brown.

In trying to dodge a bumper from Bowes Ponsford was struck on the back. Mitchell displaced Bowes at 26 and nearly had Brown stumped. Bowes relieved Hammond at 37 and clean-bowled Brown. Oldfield got a cheer intended for Bradman when he came in at 6.20. In Bowes’s next over Oldfield snicked one to Ames, who took an excellent low catch on the off side. The fieldsmen clustered around Woodfull, who came in at 6.25. Woodfull missed the first ball and played on the second.

“BOWES NO JOKE.” With Great Height He Was Deadly. (Received July 21. 1 p.m.) LONDON, July 20. Commending on play in the Test, the Australian Press Association “ Taking three for none in ten balls in the sensational last ten minutes, Bowes brought a different aspect to a game which until that point had dis-

tinctly favoured Australia. England's collapse was in nowise due to the wicket, which was true and easy and should again be so to-morrow. Bowes may be regarded as a joke in Australia, but unquestionably he is useful on English wickets, from which his great height enables him to extract nip. “ The Australian bowling was certainly not better than in the previous Tests. Chipperfield, whose sojourn in hospital does not seem to have affected his knack of giant-killing, obtained two most valuable wickets. His bowling performances in the Tests are astonishing, considering his lack of experience. Chipperfield to-day spun the ball much more than Grimmett. “ O’Reilly, as usual, was full of life and bowled splendidly. Wall seems to

be tiring. The fielding was crisp. Bradman and Darling electrified the crowd with magnificent stopping and throwing. Oldfield had a grand day. He claimed four wickets and did not allow a bye.”

J. B. Hobbs expresses the opinion that England’s collapse was due to good, steady bowling and first-class fielding. C. B. Fry says: “ O'Reilly ranks with the greatest Australian bowlers.” ‘‘Anaemic batting completely explains England’s inexcusably sorry show,” says the “ Sketch.” “ The batsmen got themselves out to bowling which was merely good length.” The “ Daily Mail ” says that the honours were undoubtedly Australia’s. Australia Has a Good Chance. The fourth Test promises to be perhaps the most interesting of the series. It is cabled that the pitch on the first day was easy, and that makes the situation all the more premising. Only the other day Jardine was quoted as saying that all would be well if the Englishmen could master O’Reilly as they had mastered Grimmett. And now Grimmett takes four wickets for 57 runs. Truly the game is full of surprises.

Even though Australia have lost three wickets for only 39 runs, they have a golden chance. It just needs one of the crack batsmen to get going, and England’s score will be passed assuredly. Ponsford is still in, and M’Cabe, Bradman, Chipperfield Darrlin* have yet to come in. On the other hand, Bowes, the tall Yorkshireman, is obviously on form, and when he gets that way anything might happen. New Zealanders remember him only too well. It was Bowes who, in the second Test match in Auckland; made such a complete task of disposing of the New Zealanders, gaining the wonderful figures of six wickets for 34 runs, Dempster alone making a good showing against him. Bowes is six feet fdur inches in height, has a very high delivery, and can make the ball kick on almost an}* wicket.

Chipperfield again came to light as a bowler, taking two good wickets for 35' runs, while O’Reilly, apparently, was as dangerous as ever. Ihougfi the collapse of the Englishmen was unexpected on a good wicket, especially after their mammoth score in the third Test, it is quite apparent that the Australian spin bowling combination is a most effective attacking machine. Wall, however, is below expectations, and judging from a distance it is hard to see why Ebeling has not been given a trial.

Oldfield had a hand in the dismissal of four of England’s batsmen, and only two extras stood against his name. Truly he is the prince of wfeketkeepers. A lot will depend on the weather and on the way the pitch wears over the week-end. The placing of Oldfield at first wicket down in the batting list would indicate that the pitch was not quite as easy as the description would impl} r , and that Woodfull wants to keep his scoring men till it has had a chance to improve.