FIRST TEST MATCH.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1313, 16 December 1911, Page 5

FIRST TEST MATCH.

BEQUN AT SYDNEY. VICTOR TRUSPER AT HIS BEST. STILL UNBEATEN. AUSTRALIA'S CAPITAL START. By Telocraph—Prcas Aseaciation- -Copyright (Rcc. December 15, 7.20 p.m.) Sydney, December 15. The serious business of the English cricket tour vas inaugurated to-day with tho opening of tho First Test match, under perfect weather conditions, and beioro an attendatco numbering about seventeen thousand, Tho Australians woro black arm bands in memory of tho late It. A, Duff. llio teams aro as follow.— England. Australia. Douglas, J.W.H.T. Hill, C. (captain). (captain). Whitty, W. S. Foster, F. R. Trumper, V. T. Hobbs, J. B. Hordcrn, Dr. H. V. Mead, C. P. Cotter, A. Hearno, J. W. Carter, H. Woolley, F. E. Minnett, R. B. Barnes, S. F. Armstrong, W. W. S'trudwick, H. Bardsley, W. Gunn, G. lvelleway, C. Kinneir, S. P. Ranst'ord, V. S. Rhodes, W. 11, Hill won tho toss and decided to take advantage of a good wicket. Kelleway and Bardsley opened to Foster and Douglas. Both played cautious games, tho runs coming :in singles. At 20 Barnes relieved, Douglas, and the first four came from him, Bardsley late-cut-ting him beautifully and then snicking a fine leg boundary. After two overs Douglas again took the ball, Barnes taking the other end. When the total stood at 44 Bardsley, in attempting to cut a ball from Douglas, tipped tho ball to Strudwick,.who effected a brilliant catch. Hill opcued with a weak stroke, which . rose dangerously in the direction o! midoff, but passed tVic field, however, and reached tho boundary. Fifty appeared in 58 minutes. The captain quickly found his form, and started punishing the bowl-. crs, glancing and bitting to leg in his best style. He soon passed Kelleway, who lind been a hundred minutes at tho wickets, scoring only 19. Hearne and Woolley took up the bowling when the score stood at 7.G. Tho latter in his firsf ovc caught and bowled Kelleway, the stroke being a hard drive, which was returned straight to him. After lunqh Armstrong joined Hill, and at ojico cut Woolley for four on (he first ball, and on the next made two with a straight drive. Play then brightened considerably, and the century was hoisted in 92 minutes. Hearno bowled erratically and llto batsmen punished him. Hill played all the bowlers alike, scoring off practically everything with strokes to leg, and placing tho ball beautifully. With Armstrong, he put on 15, and then played a hard one from Foster to square.eg and ran. Rhodes brilliantly returned, and Hill was unable to get back, and was run out. He had batted 51 minutes and made six fours. The score was tliroo wickets for 121 runs when Trumper joined Armstrong. He hit Douglas's first ball for. foyr, nil run. At this stage Douglas was bowlin;; a wonderful length, and with Barnes at the other end, kept the runs down. Trumper was in for 25 minutes before further adding to tho score. Armstrong was almost as quiet. At IS Armstrong gave iv hot chance with a ball which ho returned hard to Douglas, who was unablo to hold it. Tho bowling was changed frequently, and play was agaii: dull. Tho 150 took 153 minutes to complete. One reason for the slow scoring was tho excellently placed field, and tho fact that-Trumper was not using his customary unorthodox strokes. Armstrong brought up his fifty by driving Hearne for four. lie had then been in for S5 minutes, and his total included seven fours. His chief scoring strokes wero powerful cuts and drives. On tho last ball before the toa adjournment he played for-, ward to a "googlie" from Hearne, missed it, and dragged his foot over tho line. He was smartly stumped by Strudwick. The partnership had added 7". After tho adjournment Trmnpor played mora like a champion batsman, and Hearno was particularly punished. His bowling was marked by a lot of "loose ones." Douglas and Foster again took chargo of the attack, and both kept a good leng+h. Ransford was uncomfortable, and played several weak strokes. Al-. though he did not give actual chances ho was often beaten by tho bowlers. When at 5G Trumper scooped a ball from Douglas high to the on to Kinneir, who was just nnable to roach it. This was a narrow escape and was his first bad stroke. A couple of balls later he pafied Armstrong's total, pulling a ball from the oft' stump to the square-leg boundary—a typical Trumper stroke. Tho 250 occupied 220 minutes. Eleven runs later Rhodes sont down his first ball in the match, Tcplacing Douglas. Hansford was a-n hour in scoring 17 runs, occasionally getting a single through tho slips—his best stroke. At 2G he cut Barnes high to Hearno' at point and was held. Tho partnership had yielded 80. Minnett, who was fourth man in, hit a fourcr off his first ball, and then coverdrove Barnes to the boundary. Trumper continued to show faultier cricket, his late cuts, and leg glances proving particularly remunwative. Three hundred appeared after 270 minutes. Minnett played with great freedom for a novice, and the pair played out time. Tho following: are tho scores:— Australia.—First Innings. Kelleway, o, and b. Woolley CO Bardsloy, c. Strudwick, b. Douglas ... ,10 llill, run out 40 Armstrong, st. Strudwick, b. Hearno IK) Trumper, not out 05 Ransford, c. Hearne, b. Barnes 20 Minnott, not ont »o Sundries jg Total for five wickets 317