FIFTH TEST.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 130, 25 February 1908, Page 7

FIFTH TEST.

ENGLAND'S FIRST INNINGS TOTALS 281. CENTURY BY CUNN. ALLEGED ".THROW-AWAY " TACTICS. BY TELEGRAM—PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT. (Itec. Feb. 24, 7.47 p.m.) Sydney, February 24. Frequent rain squalls prevented play in tho fifth Test Hatch being resigned till 3.30 p.m. Considering the soaking the wicket had got, it played fairly well., ; , . Gunn and. Hardstaff, the not out batsmbh of Saturday, resumed their inniugs, tho score being 187. for tlireo wickots (Gunn 77, Hard:stall 17), or 50. runs ahead of, Australia's first innings' total -(137). Hardstaff was caught by O'Connor,. off Saunders, without• increasing his score. j Gunn (who in tho first Test Match scored 119) maintained iris place at tho wickets rightthrougli for/122,, but' there were; evidences that tho English team wcr'o anxious to got their opponents' on tho heavy wicket,before'it recovorod. , , - f . . . Barnos really threw his wicket away, making; no attempt to got back after starting on a second run.

The crowd 'wore not too. woll pleased with - tiieso tactics,; and iuvitod tho Englishmen to ■ play tho game.. / Tho innings closed for 281 without any. interesting feature from; tho, .cricket point of view. h ■ Noble and O'Connor .opened Australia's innings, , and held the wicket till the- drawing of stumps,, getting .16 runs. without'tho, loss of. a-wicket. , ... . ... * O'Connor . gavo a chanco to Braund shortly after'starting, but it was not taken. ;Both batsmon wero. out to play .out'time in tho hopo that a . better wicket would'be theirs to-morrow. . .-■ . .. . Tho weather is overcast, but there are 'indications that it is clearing. / The 'attendance' was very small. • Rhodes,'Crawford, 1 and Barnes • were tried iri;:quick : succession, with a view to upsetting the' Australian skipper's tactics. - Noble's bat then, broke, and a fow moro miniltes'-were. thus .consumed. ENGLAND. FIRST INNINGS Fane, 1 ' - ... ; , .... ' 0 Hobbs,»b. 'Saunders - .... • .... • . ... -72; Gunn, not out: • ..: ;.; :■ ..'.122; Hutchirigs, run out ... •.13. -Hardstaff,;c, O'Connor, b.-Saunders -17 Crawford,::c. Hill, b. Saunders ... 6 Braund; st. Carter, b. Macartney-:.. 31 Rhodes, c. Noble, b.. Armstrong.;. .... 10 Young, st. Carter; b. Macartney - 0 Jones, b. Macartncy : ... ... .... .0 : Barnes, run out ... . ... ... ... -1 ■ Sundries ... v.. , ; 9;. - • T6tal -. 281I BOWLING ANALYSIS. : Noble, 1 wicket"'for .62. .■' .Saunders, 3"wickets'for 114. O'Connor, none for 23. ' ; Macartney, 3 wickots for 44. ■ . : ■ ' ' /'Armstrong, 1 wicket for 29. ; . AUSTRALIA. 'First.. Innings ... • ... ...137 ■' '' ' J SECOND INNINGS. ■ Noble,-; riot. Out ... . ... 11; O'Connoi:,;'not ..out'• ... ' ..., 4 Sundries .... :... 1 ■ Total' for 110. wickot ...V ' ; ,16