INNINGS VICTORY TO ENGLAND Australia Surrendered Without A Fight

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30956, 12 January 1966, Page 3

INNINGS VICTORY TO ENGLAND Australia Surrendered Without A Fight

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY. England sent Australia reeling to an innings and 93 runs defeat in the third test at Sydney yesterday to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Losing its last seven wickets during the day for 89 runs, Australia was 174 all out 11 minutes after lunch. Australia had followed on 267 runs behind after being dismissed for 221 in its first innings in reply to England’s 488.

Yesterday, Australia lost B. C. Booth and W. M. Lawry with only one run added to the over-night score of 85 for three, and from then on had no chance of saving the match.

The England off-spinners, D. A. Allen and F. J. Titmus, cut through Australia’s ranks with some superb bowling, and on a pitch which was never acutely difficult, the batting was mediocre. Defiant Sincock K. D. Walters, who made a century in each of the two earlier tests, both of which were drawn, was unbeaten with a dour 35, his team’s top score. D. Sincock clouted 27 defiant runs, with five boundaries, in 37 minutes. The other batsmen never looked like making a stand. Allen took four wickets for 40 in 16 overs yesterday, finishing with figures of four for 47, and Titmus ended with four wickets for 40, taking two of them yesterday for 19 runs.

England’s victory by such a margin with more than a day and a half to spare stressed how strongly it had dominated the match. Although it was always fighting an uphill battle after England had amassed 488 in its first innings, Australia surrendered with little of the fighting quality which usually marks its test cricketers. Never Vicious Most of the batsmen yesterday were pegged down on a pitch which they clearly distrusted. Although it took some spin, and the fast bowlers got the ball to carry through at varying heights, it was never vicious, and the extent of the Australian collapse was surprising.

The only exception among the recognised batsmen was Walters. He took 121 minutes over his 35 runs, but it was a cultured and mature innings.

Lawry was the next highest scorer with 33 runs, while Booth made 27.

Yesterday’s victory, England’s first against Australia since the second test in the 1962-63 series, gives M. J. K. Smith’s underrated team a tremendous opportunity to regain the Ashes. At present England is clearly the superior team in all departments of the game, not least in determination and team spirit. Battle Ahead The fourth and fifth tests are to be played at Adelaide (January 28) and Melbourne (February 11) respectively, on surfaces which already this season have been shown to be a batsman’s paradise. Australia clearly faces a tremendous battle to regain the initiative.

Smith hardly put a foot wrong in his captaincy throughout this game, and any debateable moves were eventually shown to be right. His suicidally close fielding at backward short leg was again a great inspiration to the England side as the Australian batsmen attempted to combat the off-spinners yesterday. Booth Bowled England virtually assured itself of victory when it dismissed Booth and Lawry in the first 12 minutes of the morning’s play.

Booth was first to go, beaten and bowled by a sharply-turn-ing ball in Allen’s first over, to which he played a forward defensive stroke.

Lawry was out attempting a half-drive at a rising ball from D. Brown. His bat seemed to hit the ground first, and the ball flew from the edge to M. C. Cowdrey at

second slip. Australia was 86 for five.

Sincock and Walters were now together. Sincock lofted Allen over mid-on to the boundary, and quickly hit four more boundaries. He turned Brown through the short legs for four twice in one over, then in Alien’s following over hit two more boundaries, lofting a drive over the bowler’s head and then pulling him to the midwicket fence. Diving Catch A great catch by Smith ended his aggressive innings. Sincock turned Allen around the corner, and Smith, fielding no more than three yards from the bat, dived to his right and held the catch tumbling over. Now it was 119 for six.

Surprisingly, P. I. Philpott was next at the wicket. It had been thought he might not bat because of the possibility of aggravating his finger injury, a chipped bone. Surrounded by nine fielders, he' square cut I. J. Jones for two to open his score. His game resistance ended after 37 minutes when he was dismissed l.b.w. by Allen’s quicker ball. Australia was 131 for seven, and four runs later A. T. W. Grout, having cut three off Titmus, prodded defensively to a delivery from Allen and gave Smith a catch at leg slip. Nine minutes later N. J. Hawke was snapped up by Smith when playing fonvard defensively. Nine wickets were down for 140.

Walters hit his first boundary after 110 minutes at the wicket, sweeping Titmus wide of mid-on. G. D. McKenzie, his last partner, swung Allen to square leg for four, and at lunch Australia was 158 for nine.

After the interval Walters pulled Allen for six, but England’s triumph was clinched when McKenzie mistimed a drive off Titmus and was held by Barber at mid-wicket.