STOLID BATTING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 54, 6 March 1939, Page 8

STOLID BATTING

SOUTH AFRICA IN TEST VAN DER BYL 105 NOT OUT TWO WICKETS FALL (By Telegraph—Press Association Copyright) DURBAN, March 3. The fifth and final cricket Test between South Africa and England, which is to be played to a finish, was commenced on a perfect wicket today. The third Test, which was won outright by England, was the only one of the series to be completed. For the first time Hammond lost the toss in a Test match and Melville gave his batsmen first use of the wicket, the captain opening the innings with van der Byl. Fifty runs were scored before lunch and. when stumps were drawn early on account of poor light, the home team’s score was 229 for two wickets (van der By! not out 105). The teams are: - England.—Hammond, Gibb, Hutton, Paynter, Ames, Valentine, Verity, Edrich, Fames, Perks and Wright. South Africa.—Melville, Mitchell, Nourse, Viljoen, Rowan, van der Byl, Dalton. Gordon. Newson and Grieveson. The Soulh African team is the same as that which played in the fourth Test, while Perks and Wright have replaced Goddard and Wilkinson in the English team. Wearing Down Attack Determined to wear down the bowling the opening batsmen took 111 minutes in raising 50 runs, van der Byl batting for 45 minutes before scoring. Verity bowled nine consecutive maidens. The first boundary of the match came after 130 minutes off a no ball. Van der By!, who took 210 minutes to make 50, then scored 22 from one over from Wright. He also lifted the same bow ler on .to the pavilion roof. Van der Byl's century occupied 287 minutes. South Africa reached the total of 423 runs for six wickets in its first innings w hen a bad light stopped play. Van der Byl was several times struck on the body by Fames and retired to pul o.n additional padding. The crowd roared w hen he was struck on the unprotected thigh. The score at lunch was 271 runs fnr three wickets. Perks, with a late in-swinger, rooted out van der Byl, who was at the wickets for 438 minutes. He hit one six and eleven fours. Viljoen fatally flicked off the hall before he was set and was caught behind the wickets. Nourse and Dalton hit very freely but the former became painfully slow and 284 minutes witnessed only four boundaries. Details: South Africa First Innings Melxille, hit wicket, b Wright 78 Van der Byl, h Perks . 125 Rowan, lbw, b Perks 33 Mitchell, b Wright 11 Viljoen, c Ames, b Perks 0 Nourse. not out 77 Dalton, c Ames, h Fames 57 Grieveson. not out 26 Extras 16 Total, for six wickets 423 Bowling: Fames, one wicket for 91 runs; Perks, three for 83; Wright, two for 113; Verity, none for 67; Hammond, none for 30; Edrich. none for 23.