England Recover After Poor Start

Chronicle (Levin), 27 June 1949, Page 5

England Recover After Poor Start

1 • W • ^ Received Sunday, 7 p.m. LONPON, June,25. An indifferent start by England Vlucky h'gani\with the Wss, followed bya Scintillating Compton-Bailey sixth wicket partnei'j ship of 189 in 3 honrs l5 minutes, with Compton maldng .116 and ■ Bailey 93, a . declaration for the first time 6il the; first day m a Test match, and 20 runs by Sutcliffe and Scott in 15' minutes, tpacked the# first day of the second Test full of ineidents. England 's total was 313 for nine, giving them a lead of 293. .

The Lord's pitch which is noted for its initial liveliness, and good bowling by Cowie and Burtt, put England in the unpleasant poSition of 4 for ,83 at lunch. Bailey, who batted with majestic ease, and Compton, \ who is always briglit and attractive, gave the England score a respeetable air. The pitch beeame slower and slower as the day wore on but the New Zealand bowlling always commanded eoncentration. Cowie in particular excelled before lunch. It was a day of great cricket and (it was watehed in the morning by tue Duke of Edinbnrgh and Mr Attlee. Oapacity Crowa The gates closed three minutes after 11 o'elock and as 28,300 had paid, there were some 30,930 present, including members — a capacity crowTd. Every stand was packed with women in sum mer dresses and men and boys in shirt sleeves. Their eliatter was a quiet, restless mutter like the sound of a wave brushing up a beach. Indeed, the boundary line resembled a beach with people squatting on their haunches 10 deep, on three sides of the ground. The fourth, of course, was hallowed by members. The sun had not yet pierced through the haze and thi s'ky was grey. While the people were still streaming into their seats, Hadlee and Manu sauntered aeross the wicket where they were shortly joined by the Duke of Ldiuburgli, to the delight of the photographers. Alann spun the coin an.d Hadlee ealled tails. The coin stood up on edge and then slowly toppled over to show the head. Hadlee was quite disappointed to lose for the second time for there was a general feeling that there were 450 run> to-djyy in tlie pitch. Nobody, eertainly not the New Zealanders, imagined that England would be four for 83 after two hours, at lunch. There was perliaps a hint of_ things to come in the first hour. Only 30 were scored by Hutton and Eobertson. Cowie, though he had a slight cold, began bowling beautifully and in his second over rapped Robertson three titnes on the pads. Once he appealed with a good deal of conviction. He was making ther hall rise sharply and a little later it struck Robertson painfully in the groin. Cave took rather longer to settle „d.9wi\(and;his first, ,^all, a full toss, Robertson drovj_ squa,r,e, to the boundary. The New Zealand •fielding was really excellent. Once when Hutton took a short single, Wallace broke the wicket smartly and the bail struck Mooney abov.e the right eye. Rabone relieved Cave and bowled four maidens at a medium fast paee. He, kept a good leiigth and did well. When Cave went to Cowie 's end, Hutton lofted. hinx to mid-wicket for two and square droye him for another ccuple. One for 48 in 77 minutes was good reading for New Zealand hut better was to come. Edrich began lustily smiting Cowie past the wicket to boundary and pulling a.full toss from Burtt for another four. Cowie put. an end to this nonsense when he returned for an immaculate second spell. Akain he made the ball rise sharply. Once it jumped almost straight up, hit the shoulder of Edrich's bat and flew to safe Donnelly in the gully — two for 59.

' Scores: — ENGLAND 1 First Innings Robertson, c Mooney,- ,b Cowie . . 26 Hutton, b Burtt . . • • • • •• 23 Edrich, c Doimelly, b Cowie .. .» 9 Compton, c Sutcliffe, b BuiTt . . . 116 Watkins, c Wallace, b Burtt . . .. 6 Mann, b Cave ... .. Bailey,.. c Sutcliffe, b Rabone .. .. 93 Evans, b Burtt . 5 Gladwin, run out • • • ^ Young, not out ...... ...... 4 Ex-tras . . . • • . B Total for nine ■ wickets dec.~ .. 313 Bowling: Cowie 2 • for 64, Cave •1 for 79, Rabone 1 for 56, Burtt 4 for 102, Sutcliffe 0 for 1. *■ NEW ZEALAND ' First Innings • Sutcliffq, not out .. .. ,.1Scott, not out .............. 8" 4 ' Total for no wickets ........ 20