234-Run Opening Stand, Then England Falters

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30953, 8 January 1966, Page 3

234-Run Opening Stand, Then England Falters

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY. After a magnificent innings of 185 by R. W. Barber and a firstwicket stand of 234, England faltered against the new-ball bowling of N. J. Hawke on the first day of the third test against Australia, at Sydney yesterday.

From 234 for no wicket, England slumped to 328 for five by the close.

The last four wickets fell for 14 runs —all four to Hawke in 28 balls at a personal cost of 10 runs.

England, which had won the toss for the first time in the series, was given a magnificent start by Barber and G. Boycott (84). The pair ground down the Australian bowling and were not separated until the last over before tea when Boycott gave a return catch to the legspinner. P. Philpott. Barber was Hawke's first victim with the new ball, which was taken at 284. HIT 19 FOUR Trying to cut a lifting ball outside his off stump, Barber dragged it into his wicket. His great innings, which included 19 fours, lasted 296 minutes and the 40,000 crowd gave him a tremendous ovation. Bowling well, Hawke went on to remove the cream of the England batting by dismissing K. F. Barrington for one and M. C. Cowdrey for a duck.

both at 309, and then having M. G. K. Smith brilliantly

caught by A. T. W. Grout at 317. The inspired bowling of Hawke brought a dramatic change over the game, but the day belonged to Barber. HIGHEST SCORE With superb strokes to all parts of the ground, he made his personal best score in first-class cricket, beating the 175 he scored when playing for Lancashire against Kent in 1961. His opening partner, Boycott played a secondary role, but did a first-class job in helping to compile England’s third highest opening stand against Australia and its third best for the first wicket against any country since the war. Boycott was the perfect foil for the magnificent Barber. He hit eight fours in his 84. giving only one chance when 12. D. Sincock failed to hold a difficult chance at leg slip. BROWN DROPPED The failure of the following batsmen, apart from J. H. Edrich, 40 not out, at the close, forced England to bring in a “night watchman,” and

D. Brown was given the | doubtful honour. ! He was immediately drop- • ped by R. M. Cowper at first I slip off McKenzie and the wisdom of sending him in with 25 minutes still to go was debatable. But Brown held out ' j until the close. ' Barber made a wonderful! I job of his first century. He I (looked like making it a double! I century until he dragged a! shall into his stumps. ! This was the highest test score in Australia by any England player since Wally Ham- | mond's 231 not out in Sydney, jin the 1936-37 series. j When Barber went, England | was in a position to go on Ito a mammoth score—two ! wickets down for 303 runs and • two experienced batsmen, Barj rington and Edrich, at the I wickets to cope with the sejcond new ball. But Hawke in J his fine spell, ruined these ■hopes of England. I Barber got his 185 runs ’from 255 balls bowled to I

him. The only stroke that; could be called a slog in his! innings of nearly three hours was a terrific straight drive! against Cowper when he was 130. Cowper made an attempt at I a catch over his head but ; the ball was oast him before

he could get his hands together. For the rest of the time Barber took runs as j they came. I He did not try to hit hard

at a ball he could not get his bat squarely behind, and he even treated some of Sincock’s rankest full tosses with a measure of suspicion. In Sincock’s first over he tossed two balls up so far they reached Barber at above shoulder height. ; Barber patted the first one down in the fashion of a tennis smash: he hit the next a bit harder in the same style and took a single.

Later, when Sincock overpitched flagrantly, Barber banged three balls through the off-side field to the fence. It was the good deliveries from Sincock that showed what an accomplished batsman Barber is. He moved into position to cover the pitch of the ball and always appeared to pick Sincock’s “wrong-uns.”