Australia Is In An Almost Unassailable Position In Second Cricket Test At Lords

Wanganui Chronicle, 28 June 1948, Page 5

Australia Is In An Almost Unassailable Position In Second Cricket Test At Lords

Four Wickets Down And Already 478 Ahead Of England

(N.Z.P.A.—Copyright.) Received 5.30 p.m. LONDON, June 26 Australia, with 343 on the board for the second innings and only four wickets down, ended the third day of the second test, in an almost unassailable position. England has already got 478 runs to chase.

Bradman is likely to bat well into the fourth day and wait for the traditionally short-lived Lords wicket to start to give the batsmen some trouble. It stayed almost perfect today, while Barnes completed a magnificent 141. Morris gave the side a

great start and seemed set for his second century in the match when Wright bowled him with a bad length googly. which he swung at, just touched, but did not deflect.

. Bradman regained his norma, precision as he neared 50 and continued to place his strokes firmly through gaps all round the wicket until Edrich snapped up a hard low cut off Bedser’s bowling.

Australia began the second knock soon after mid-dav. when Lindwall ended England’s innings at 215 The opening partnership of 122 took 119 minutes, but the rate slackened when Morris departed. The 200 took 207 minutes and the Bradman-Barnes partnership of 174 took 154 minutes. The weather was sunnv and warm. A crowd of more than 30,000 packed the ground.

Barnes and Morris opened Australia’s second innings on a firm pitch

that still was taking only a moderate amount of spin. Runs came easily at a run-a-mlnute speed from firmly hit strokes. Morris was aggressive. but Barnes, intent on discounting his first innings failure, was grimly watchful. Morris was trying to establish a new record for test history books. No batsman in tests between England and Australia so far has twice made a century in eacli innings of a test. He was 62 when he turned to hook a short ball from Wright to the leg and seemed to sweep it on to the leg stump. Morris hit eight fours and one six. Bradman got smartly off the mark with his customary single, but Would not be enticed by the Bedser-Hutton leg trap. Bradman reached 50 in 98 minutes. A straight drive to the boundary off Laker gave Barnes his first test century in England, the second ot his career against England. He batted 275 minutes and hit 14 fours and two sixes before he was caught by Washbrook a foot inside the line. The first ball from Yardley to Hassett knocked off the stump, hut the hat-trick was spoiled by Miller. After the first few overs Miller seemed more assured and hit a mighty hook high into the public stand. Bradman seemed assured ot a century, but was caught by Edrich at 83. In spite of devastating fast bowling by Lindwall, Australia just failed to force England to follow on. England, at stumps, was nine for 207

in reply to Australia's first innings total of 350. Lindwall showed no signs of his recent injury and in two inspired spells he blasted his way through the top half ot England's batting structure. He bowled with beautiful control, precision and speed. Two spells of six and eight overs gave him figures of 14 overs, 6 maidens. 28 runs, 3 wickets. His third spell of nine overs cost 38 runs for Yardley's wicket. Lindwall bowled as well as ne had done in any previous match of the tour, but the shock attack lost some ' of its sting because Miller could not complement his speed.