THE SECOND TEST.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 535, 16 June 1909, Page 7

THE SECOND TEST.

ENGLAND 269. j NOBLE PUTS HIS OPPONENTS IN. \ A DRYING WICKET. (BY TELEdEArH—PRES3 ASSOCIATION—COrYRIGHT.) London, Juno 14. Tho Second Test "Match between England and Australia began to-day at Lord's. At drawing of stumps England wore all out tor 269, and Australia had scored 17 without losing a wicket. Over 19,000 spectators were present. Less Treacherous Than Expected. The woathcr was hot, drying the wicknt, whioh was difficult at tho outset, but less treacherous than had been expected. Tho English team was composed as followe: — MacLaren, Jones, Hirst, Lilley, Relf, King, Ilaigh, Hobbs, G. Gunn, Tyldesley, and llayward. i Hopkins, Carkeek, Whitty, Hartigan, and O'Connor were omitted. from the Australian team. Tho scores ore:— ENGLAND. FIUST Inninob. Hayward, st. Carter, b. Laver 16 Hobbs, o. Carter, b. Laver ... ... 19 Tykicsley, 1.b.w., b. Laver 46 Gunn, 1.b.w.) b. Cotter 1 King, o. Macartney, b. Cotter 00 MacLaren, o. Armstrong,' b. Noble ... 7 Hirst, b. Cotter ... . 31 Jones, b. Cotter : ... ... 8 Rolf, c. Armstrong, b. Noble ... ... 17 Lilley, c. Bardsley, b. Noble ... ... 41 Haigh, not out '... ... ... 1 . Extras ; ■. 16

Total ... ... ... 269 Bowlinq Analysis. Laver, three wickets for 75 runs; Macartney, none for 10; Cotter, four for 80; Noble, three for 42; Armstrong, none for 46. AUSTRALIA. First Innings. M'Alister, not out , ... 4 Laver, not out ' ... 13 Noblo won tho toss, and sent tho English eleven in first. ; , ' Dismissal of tho Surroy Pair. Macartncy and Laver opened the lxiwliug, Hayward and Hobbs. batting resolutely. At 21 Cotter relieved Macartncy, aud in Lavur's next over Hobbs, who had been at tho wickets half an hour, Was'taken at the wickets liy Carter. One for 23. At 34 Noblo took tho placo of Laver. Hayward hit a couplo of fourers'in one over oft Cotter; then ho played forward to Laver, who Had resumed bowling, and was finely stumped on the leg side. He had batted soundly for fifty-five minutes. Two for 41. Tyldesley and Gunn were now together, but tho latter got leg before to Cotter after scoring d singlo. Tbreo for 44. Tyldes'oy. was playing steadily, but King, who had joined him, was rather uneven. Tyldcsloy's sound Innings. . Tho field was' admirably placed, and the ■bowling steady.. At lunch-time, throe wickets were down for 82, Tyldesley having' 26 to nis credit, for eighty-five minutes' play. On resuming, King commenced with two fouters 'off . Laver's first over. Cotter registered a oouplo of wides. , Tyldesloy scored with more freedom, but at 46 ho got leg boforq,-t0.,Lay0r,.. ; after, a watchful, sound innings, lasting 115 minutes, during which ho hit threo fourors. Four for 123. His partnership with King had lasted 75 minutes. . ■' King's Creditable Debut.

After Tyldesloy's departure, King, played cautiously. His partner, MacLaren, had an adventurous half-hour, being nearly bowled, and later he nearly trod on his wicket. Noble and Laver were bowling steadily. King got hiV: half-ccntury in 125 minutes, without giving a''' chance. MacLaren, in attempting a drive off Noble, put the ball up in the" slips to Armstrong. His seven runs were the result of two hits, and his innings occupied forty minutes. Five for 149. Hirst sucoeeded, the'batsmen waiting for ohances. The fielding was smart, especially on the part of Macartney, jvhile Carter ?ras wicket-keeping; finely. King was taken brilliantly at . point by Macartney from .a full pitcher sent down by Cotter. 'Ho had . been at the wickets 160 minutes', and his scoro included Bix fourers. Six for 175.

Cottor Among the Wlckots. Just before the teaadjournment Jones sucoumbed-to a fine ball from Cotter. Seven for 199. y On resuming, Hirst, in trying to turn a straight one from : Cottor, lost., his wickct, after a good "innings lasting 76 minutes. Eight for 205. 1 Relf and Lilley were , partnered. The latter scored smartly, but Relf gave Armstrong a catoh off Noble. Nino for 248Haigh, the last man, added a singlo, and then Lilley sent one up to Bardsley and the innings terminated. Lllley's Useful Hitting at the Finish. (Rec. Juno 15, 6 p.m.) • Runs came fast in the concluding moments of the innings. Lilley hit 11 in one over off Cotter and 10 in his next "over. : Lilley s partnership;with Relf occupied 50 minutes.'. The former showed fino driving; and his score of 47 included five fourers.

TJio innings Inst'ed 320 minutes. Tho official figures show that 19,964 pcoplri paid for Edmission. M'Alister and Lavor opened tho Australian innings, and at the close of play 17. rtuiß had been scored without the loss of a wicket. WEAK ENGLISH BOWLING. The eighty-third Test between England and Australia, and tho second of the present tour, is now in progress at Lords, where a large number-of spectators watched the varying fortunes of the Home players during tho play on tho first day. Fry, Thompson, Jessop, Blythe, and Rhodes, who took part' iu tho Birmingham Test, have been substituted by Hay ward, Haigh, OJunn, Relf, and King. The heavy rain which fell in London last Saturday no doubt influenced Noble to send his opponents to bat. The Australian skipper expected that ho would bo ablo to turn his opponents out for a smaller, scoro, thus allowing his colleagues to. bat on a wicket which was past tho "drying" stago. As tho afternoon wore on the pitch was an asset to the late incomers on the-English side. The fact that IfacLaren and Hayward wero so long at tho crease proves that tho pitch was assisting the bowlers. -

It is to bo doubted whether, in the history of Test matches on English wickets, tho English bowling has ever been so weak as on tho present occasion. This department has to rely •in Hirst, Haigh, Rolf, and for a sccond change, J. H, King. This quartet can hardly be termed reprosontnt'.vr, of England's strength at tho present juncture, and, provu.rsd fine weather prospects govern tin remainder of tho match, the Australian batsmen should not have much difficulty in passing,tho total of 2(19 recorded by their opponents, This aggregato .has been obtained nn two previous occasions in tho first innings of a Test match. At 'Sydney, in the month of March, IBBii, England scored 2G.1 (Bates HJ:, Barnes SO, .1, 11. Read 47. Shrewsbury 4(1). and at Lords, in .Inly of 169;), Australia totalled 209 (IT. Graham 107, and S. E; Gregory 57). Of the individual efforts in tho nropont Tut; J. H. King haa soared hit sooond tally of

60 when facing the Australian bowlera. Can ho also get wickets? J. T. Tyldesley was as sound as usual, and appeared well set when he was forced to retire to that annoying decision for a batsman—l.b.w. Hirst can" generally ob» tain runs when his side require them, 1 and the Yorkshireman has not belied his many admirers in this respect. A. A. Lilley is extremely nervous when batting during the first over or so, which is remarkable for a player of his calibre, who is continually, 6aving fast stuff on the leg side. The "Keeper's' production of 47 pulled the innings out of mediocrity, and illustrated, tlw oft-repeated argument quoted in connection with the game that a team is never out until the last wicket falls. Of the Australian bowlers, Cotter has repeated his Essex figures—4 for 80, Laver in this innings'.has taken his fortieth wicket of the tour. The, manager is to be congratulated at playing himself into the Test team. His three wickets were taken early in the innings, which is another arguement that , the wicket was difficult for the batsmen to : cope with. M. A. Noble is also credited "with a trio, which looks as if Macartney has been spelled in favour of his captain. Carter was in form with the gloves, and # as usual was ably assisted by good out-fieilding. The match points to a.draw, unless a rot sets in on either side. This should'not happen to the Australians.