FIRST TEST MATCH

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 81, 30 December 1920, Page 7

FIRST TEST MATCH

THOUGHTS ON THE PLAY

(By L. 0. S. Poideyin, in the "Sydney Morning Herald")

The margin of victory in the Test match was tremendous, measured by the mirnbor of runs, but ive must, not lose our sense of proportion ovor'the result. It might be taken hastily as prophetic of tip issuo of t'he remainder of the senos. But cricket is not liko that Ono team is in the ascendant to-day, and to-morrow tho position may bo exactly reversed. South Australia once beat New South Wales by an innings and many runs; a fow weeks later, whon the snmo teams ir.et in the return, under apparently tho some bonditions,, New South Wales won 'by an innings and 603 runs!

In 1909 the Australian team in England suffered a big rovesso in 'tho first Tost, at Birmingham, which incited tlio critics to exclaim, "The first of live"—but England did not win another Test in that series, touring tho last English tour in Australia the visitors wero beaten by 14G runs in the corresponding match to this one, but they won tho next four almost as decisively, and took away tho ashes. It would be well, therefore, to carefully analyse the essential facts of this match before forming too 6»nguine judgments as to the remainder. t

\ Missed Chances. Winning the toss gave Australia an Initial advantage which may be reasonably reckoned at about 100 runs. England cut away that advantage on the-first day, but the Australian bowling on the second day got it nil back again with interest. England lost Hie match on Saturday when their batting got into difficulties with Mailoy. Thence to the end of the game victory for Australia seemed assured: the match was\remarkable in this conncction for tho entiro abscnce of those fluctuations of fortune usually observed in Test cricket. To boiho extent the successful batting of Australia in Hie second inningß exceeded anticipation! l , though it must bo admitted fhat avoidable errors in tho field contributed largely to that success. The scores of Collins, Macartney, and Kelleway. for instance, n>i"ht liavo been reduced by over 50 per cent, had the chances offered been accepted, and that must have made a deal of difference. As It wa«,, England was left to battle through tho fourth innings of the match as an entirely forlorn hope. Tho display given, oven in such circumstances, had its point-a of interest. It zavo us another glimpse of the superlotive excellence of the batsmanship of "Jack" Hobbs.

Hobbs as a Batsman. From whatever standpoint you view his batting, Whether in respect of the sitan<lard of style or of perforinance, it must take rank with the very best He is an England batsman of tho highest class, worthy to be catalogued amoipt tlic groatest players ojLth&Jißst. 1 him at the present day as second to■ nan. in the game. The influence of- -loin Hayward is not so.apparent in h«> stjdo as it used to bj. It waa due to the pressure of Hayward mat lie threw in his lot with Surrey in 1905. He maxlo the transition, from second-rajsto:ttrst-class cricket very easily, and established himself immediately in tho Surrey eleven. 'He and Hayward set up a groat succession of remarkable ot ' , part j. nerships, and he assimilated much ot Hayward's soundness in defence and elegant stroke play. Ho is, however, a much more versatile batsman than . H y ward waa in his prime. He has all tho strokes of tho game at his command, drives on both sides of the «>okct square and late cuts, a great vanety of one side strokes from tho v delicate y touched leg glance to tho powerful puU to tho square-leg boundary. All strokes are made with a charmmK grace .and ease, suggesting the touch of the hue batting artist. Ho played Mailey-with fine judgment, watching tho ball very closely in defence, but when he> undipped his bat there was generally a. mttlo on the boundary fence. One full toss he hit aver the pickots at long on, the ono-and only "sixer' of the match. His scores in this match, 47 and 59, have been for him comparatively modest, for it must be remembered that of those having much experience in test cricket he stands easily, first. Including this match, he has made li2G runs at 55.8 Tuns per innings; the merit of this, perhaps, may bo better appreciated by remembering that no Australian batsman averages better than 38 runs per innings in test cricket. Ho has mado four centuries in test matches, and may this campaign equal Victor Trumper 8 record of six—Hobbs has had only 29 innings to the 74 of our champion. The mention of these performances sufficiently establishes the ascendancy of Hobbs, but it also carries prospective interest for the fothcoming tests.

Hearno in Defence. , • Hear no playoil a very impressive innings. His dei'cncu was solid, lis pulled freely whenever tho chanco offered, • and his nearly square with tlio wicket- was very choice and full of pace. This drive of his is exceptional -in that it is made with haTdly any carry through, yet it gathers surprising speed along the turf, and it takes an unusual track to tho boundary. It is interesting to note that in driving this ball—slightly overtossed, or mado so by tho footwork of the batsman-rHobbs places it between extra cover and mid-off, whoreas Hearno plays it between cover anjl point, practically square with the wic- ' ket—a very sweet stroke. There is neatness in every batting movement of Hearno, and his partnership with Hobbs, which yielded exactly 100 "runs, was, from the viewpoint of style, perhaps tjjo most attractive of the match.

Rhodes and Hendren. The partnership of "Patsy" Hendren . and Wilfrid' Rhodes, a, littlo Inter in the innings, which vielded SO runs, nfforded some very interesting contrasts. Hendren is short, thick-sot. and inclined a bit towards rotundity, a man junior to his partner by no fewer than twelve summers. There is no bekerknown figure in English flannels than -Rhodes.. He is slow and rather deliberate in his movements, ns if reserving himself at the bidding of experience. ITendren is all springs and alacrity, an impulsive, anxious to "get at 'em" type of batsman with a pair of "twinkline" feet. Rhodes takes his time and inakas his "shots" with studious caro and measured accuracy. Hendren, on Ihv other hand, never spares himself at all; ho is just a bundle of energetic endeavour, always ready to go out of his way to find something to do in the field, and always playing the game with tho bat ru> if ho thoroughly onjoyed every minuto of it. Rhodes is uf the quiet, gentl«. retiring disposition, whilst llendren is the personification of "duality anil good nature, as bright and happy in «i«iiosltion as in countenauco. Tho contrast is well sustained in batting stylo and piethocfa. Rhodes, in comparison, appeared rathor cramped in stylo, and for tho most part entirely defensive in methods. TuKing guard outsid'e tho Irg stump, and thus standing well away from tho wicket, 'his first care appeared to "be to get his legs.into position between the coiftso of the bait" thid the wicked tin; actual playing of fyo hall with the bat being regarded apparently of secondary importance. It might bo said- of him with oertainty, on very short acquaintance with his batting, that it. was never learned nor developed in Australia, whereas Hondrcn's comparatively forward stylo beam every resemblance >.o the Australian product. Hendren holds his bat well down tlio handle, and sometime. 1 ) makes a stab rather than'a free, swinging stroke at l:h'o ball, especially when on the defonsivo. ne is a busy batsman, 6trong on the drive, and severe on any thing short-pitched, watching tho ball with cat-like intent, ready to spring into aggression at opportunity, and a

most highly succcssful performer. His scores of 23 and 5G represent a vary satisfactory commencement in Test cricket. Rhodes was playing his 57th innings in Test cricket, in which ho has made IU7 runs, made at an average of 33.G per innings, better in the matter of average than all but two Australians (Vcrnnu Ransford and Frank l'redalo), and steadily approaching tho aggregates of Hill. Trumper, aud Darling.

Batting Ordor. One ha 6 emphasised tlio English batting, ospicially in respect of past performance, ibccauso there is a disposition to disparage its genial quality somewhat as a result of tho play in Sydney. Such performances arid others—those of Woollsy,. for instance, might be mentioned—betoken skill which may or may noi bccome assertive in the future in happier circumstances, and it is well to tako that into account when lookins ahead. In my opinion Rhodes has been placed altogether too late in tho batting order. His runs are more valuable to his side when made as an optning batsman than anywhere else; he was a great success as an opening partner for Hohlis last tour. The running between wickets of the Englishmen was marked by better judgment than ours. Tho Hearne-Hobhi combination was particularly good in this respect, making ono think of some of our good pairs—Trumper and Duff, or Gregory and Graham. It was not " matter of fleetness of foot that led to their success, but judgment, adherence to principle, and mutual confidence. What treasures are released from the storehouse of remembrance by the mention of these matters. A Long Tail. Aa pn previous occasions, the secon(l_ half of the English batting created anything but a favourable impression, not so mueli by its failuro to get runs, aa by tTie absenco of any suggestion of latent talent; tlio length of this "tail" thrown a heavy burden on the head and shoulders of tho team. The Out Cricket. In tTie matter of our out-cricket on tho last day of the match them are some feafuros of special interest. Tho evenness with which ths wickts were divided was as notlceablo ns in. tho first innings. Gregory and Mailey got six wickets each in tho match, and were, of comae, tho principals in our scheme of attack. They offer a fine bowling contrast in pace aud methods, and bo far tho subjugation of batting is largely the result' of their work. If they can maintain their success they will threaten to go dpwn to cricket posterity in the same category as.such renowned pairs as Turner and ftrris, Spofforth and Boyle, amongst Australians, and Barnes and Foster «imongst English players. They are of course, only on tho threshold of their career. Australian bowlers have repeatedly hunted in pairs in tho past, and it will be interesting to watch the development of the Gregory-Mai Icy combmo. Kelloway and Ryder picked up a few,trifles m tho way of wickets; of tho two the Sydney bowler seemed to civo most pauso to the batsmen. Kellowav in each innings had the honour or privilege of first uso of tho new ball, whioh shows his captain's estimate of his ability to 'Jlight" or "swerve" it. Armstrong got the most valuable wicket on tho last day when ho got a etraii'ht ono to cut through quickly, making pacei from the pitch, and catching Hobbs on the pads. Armstrong kept a good length, as usual, but seemed to develop much loss B pin and "turn" than one has seen him do on tho wicket inclined to Ihi 'lusty. Tho wicket this match has been played on has boon ono of tho Vest deopito its hurried and harassed preparation—a credit to its maker, and a tribute to tho character of tho soil. But it showed signs of wear at tho end of tho match and tho inevitable "turning" kill happened along witlh some frequency. It gave tho bowlers a chance, and that must be remembered in any review of the batting. Our fielding, was not specially impressive, as ono has seen it, for instance, in the past. Truth to tell, there was not a great doal to try tho mettle of the iioluamen during tho liobbs-lloarno partnership, except for the outfields; tnc.y placed their Shots 100 well. Taylor shone in the outfield, showing good speed, quick anticipation, and certainty iu picking up, with a strong return to tho wicket. Tayloi added to his reputation. In somo instances tho fielding was only moderate, but, of course tho match was won, and extri exertion unnecessary. Oldfield bohind the "sticks" added to his growing reputation. Ho did particularly well throughout without ostentation or iiiineccssnry flourish. Hia work was very clean, free from "mannerisms,, and full of concentrated effort all t'he time. It is not to bo expected, of course, that ho would display tho polish and finish of somo of his rtnowned predecessors, but consider that ho playod his 'part well, and that, having tho essentials and a good heart, and boiug a genuine trier, ho wit' improve still more with experience. There is but ono other observation to be made now, and that is that collectively and individually Australia has clearly out-played England this time.