WEATHER WILL NOW BE DECIDING FACTOR

Chronicle (Levin), 3 December 1946, Page 5

WEATHER WILL NOW BE DECIDING FACTOR

(Sner.ia.1 To N.Z. Press Assn.)

(By W. J. O'Reilly) Received Monday, 10 a.m. BRISBANE, Dec. 3. ' The match is now in an mteresting position. Australia must jray for sufficient'rain to make- the "vicket favour the bowlers. There is not likely to be enough time to dismiss England twiGe if the wicket remains in its present condition, or merely deteriorates at the rate which can be normally expected without the help of heavy rain. England wants either no more rain at all, or failing that plenty of rain — three days of it. Her one prospect is a draw. Hence the Brisbane weather man will be an important Test match personality during the next. twelve hours. 1 advise him to disconnect his telephone. The amount of rain which fell today will haye no bad effect on ^the wicket;, from the English point of view— quite the reverse in fact. But the sky is so overcast with black storm, clouds that it may oe idle to hope, along with the i Englishmen, that the wicket will not be damaged. Lindwail and Miller opened the Australian attack with plenty of speed. Lindwall had several deliveries bounce over Hutton's head. Hutton did not appear to relish the high kicking b'all — few batsmen do — and Lindwall went very close to his stumps with one which Hut:on had tried to play carefully. In Miller's second over Hutton was I oowled — the ball hitting the middle stump. I thought Hutton had tried to play the ball slowly into .he covers. The pace from the wicket beat him. He may havb edged the ball slightly before it hit :he wicket. Hutton's dismissal was i heart breaking' blow for England. Chief responsibility of the batting .ask lay on his shoulders. Had Hutton stayed another five minutes until the rain started to make 'un of (the -.game, he would probibly still be there. Cyril Washbrook and Bill Edrich, iromoted as a consequence of the jood form he found in the match igainst Qu'eensland, played safely hrough a couple of sessions, one of vhich lasted only so long as it took Lindwall to bowl one ball. The little rain which fell on Suniay night had no effect whatever tn the Woolloongabba wicket. Don Bradman did not call for any oller, light or heavy, to be used on t before play' started. There yppeared to be a fair growth of grass on it, too. Evidently Brad-

rman thought it better to dispense with the roller, hoping thac the grass coming through would help the wicket crumble quicker. Douglas Wright succeeded in jrapping both Johnson and McCool into leg before wicket dismissals. Ian Johnson played forward carefully to a well-pitched leg . break, which must have floated in sufficiently to beat his bat, and Colin McCool obviously fell to a googly which was slightly short. This was a great performance for Wright, as these two batsmen had big scores on the board and must have been commeneing the day with plenty of confidence. Wright had benefited by the day's spell on Sunday. He xept a consistent lengch, and varied his pace and spin admirably. Johnson especially was tricked several times by the change of pace before the end came. I think that Wright's bag of five wickets on this wicket was a • better individual performance -than that of any 'other player on either side. Hammond did not spare Wright in any way; when he was not bowling he generally fielded in the outfield, and did a prodigious amount of work. The capiain will soon realise that Wright's energy must not be spent wantonly on this tour. He is the English destroy er who must be hidden away from the fough fielding spots. Bill Edrich finished with three wickets. It was cricket justice that he should get wickets today. No one tried harder than he in the field or with the ball. As senior professional, putting his whole heart and soul into his varipus tasks, he gave an exemplary exhibition of Dulldog courage. It was a pity that Colin McCool could not bat his way to Test cricket immortality by taking five more runs for his century in his first Test against England. However, the opportunity was there for him ta.grasp on Saturday afternoon., Ray Lindwall made a great impression with his intelligent and aggressive batting. He hit two magnificent sixers off Wright, and one drive between mid-off and extra cover, both fielding very deep left the fieldsmen no chance of saving the four. I believe that Lindwall has just as much ,batting ability as any other player* in the side after the five recognised batsImen. It would be a wise move to j put him in as No. 6 so that a fairly long innings from him would Inot interfere with his opening j bowling.