THE FOURTH TEST

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 121, 15 February 1921, Page 5

THE FOURTH TEST

AUSTRALIANS MAKE 389

ARMSTRONG GETS ANOTHER CENTURY

ENGLAND LOSES ONE WICKET FOR 123

By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright,

(Rec. February 14, 10.30 p.m.) Melbourne, February 14.

The weather was fine for the continuaHion of tho Test match, and the wicket was good. There was an attendance during the day of 20,000, and the. gate receipts amounted to .£l7OO.

Armstrong and Gregory resumed to the bowling of Parkin and Howell. Armstrong opened with a two to leg. Gregory sent Howell to the fence and followed with a stroke to leg for two. Armstrong then got a nice one through the slips, for which he ran three, passing England’s score in 262 minutes. Howell, who was a little erratic, bowled a wide, but the fielding was very keen, and many runs were saved. Armstrong then drove Parkin to the boundary, completing his thousand runs in first-class' cricket this season. Gregory was smartly caught behind the wickets off Parkin,- and tho crowd, recognising his splendid effort, gave him a tremendous ovation. Kelleway followed and began cautiously with a single off Parkin, which brought up 300 on the board in 284 minutes. Armstrong then drove a hard tne, and in trying to stop it the ball jumped and hit Parkin on the face. Kelleway dropped down to stubborn tactics against Parkins’s wonderful length. Fender was also bowling well. Armstrjng hit one high ball, which just fell short of Hendren, and immediately after Kelleway" liad a narrow escape, hitting one back towards, the bowler, the ball falling just out of his reach. The following ball bowled Kelleway. and Fender had his revenge. Seven for 335. Carter joined Armstrong, but had a short life, also falling a victim to Fender. Eight for 335. Mailey followed. Armstrong, playing for his hundred, took the last over before lunch, and scored 3,4, 2, and 2, off Fender, and reached his century amidst great cheering, after 183 minutes' bat-

ting. Resuming after lunch, Mailey and M'Donald were contented to let Armstrong do the scoring, the innings closing for 389. Armstrong opened the attack with Gregory and M'Donald. The batsmen were disposed to take no risks, and with the score at 32 Mailey’ replaced Gregory and got Hobbs leg-before ihe first ball. Makepeace followed, and Rhodes, who was scoring freely, swept Mailey to the boundary for four. M'Donald, whose average 'was. no wickets for 24 runs, was given a spell, and Gregory changed ends. At the tea adjournment the score was one wicket for 56. After tea, Makepeace, who was batting brilliantly, hit Mailey rto leg for tour. The laittor’s average was now one wicket for 17. Play then became slow, but. was brightened by occasional flashes . by Makepeace. Kelleway replaced Gregory’s attack, but R hodes refused to take risks in his anxiety to wipe out. the deficit. The 100 was reached in 105 minutes. Just previously Armstrong had retired unwell. Great disappointment and were expressed all round the ground when the news spread that he had been compelled by medical advice to proceed home. Armstrong is stated to be suffering from a slight, attack of malaria, but he is expected to play tomorrow. His generalship was greatly missed in the field. The Englishmen wiped out the deficit, the hoard showing one wicket tor 109. Taylor who was fielding remarkably well, was loudly applauded tor knocking down the wicket with a boundary return, but it was ton late. The batsmen, realising their responsibility through Hobbs’s p ec°iid failure, took no risks. Play tor the last half hour was deadly slow. Rhoi.es was mostly getting singles and walking between the wickets, satisfied with' endeavouring to play out time. Makepeace was stubborn in his defence, without a forcing effort. The batsmen played 'out time Following are the detailed scores:--AUSTRALIA. First Innings. Collins, c. Rhodes, b. Woolley 59 Bardsley, b. Fender Ryder, 1.b.w., b. A) oolley . ' Taylor, hit wicker, b. Fender 2 Pellew, b. Fender Gregory, c. Dolphin, b. Darkm Armstrong, not out Kelleway, b. Fender Carter, b. Fender « Mailey, run out M'Donald. b. Woolley « Extras 1 Total« The wickets fell as follow-.-One for 117 two for 123, three for 128, four tor 133’, five for 153, six for 298. seven for 335, eight for 335, nine for 3<6, ten for Averages.—Howell, no wickets for 86 runs; Douglas, none tor 1< 5 « addington, none for 31; Parkin, one for 64, Fender, five for 122; Woolley, three for 56 ' ENGLAND oe.< First innings Second Innings. Hobbs, 1.b.w., b. Mailey 13 Rhodes, not out 06 Makepeace, not out *0 Extras 4 Total for one wicket 123 NOTES ON THE PLAY. The present English team probably has the biggest tail of any which has touted tho Commonwealth. The side has ceitainlv had hard luck through Vhe illness of Hearne and Russell. Australia had to plav without C. G. Macartney, but one of the advantages of the Side playing on its own ground is that it can more easily fill the place of man who is ill or who has lost form. Ihe Lancashire professional has followed up his good score at Adelaide with a century, and a three-figure, score goes a long way to compensate for previous disappointments. The colonials again made a good start and for the third rime during the preseriTseries. sent up a century before ’the first wicket fell. Collins can claim to be-if figures go for anythmg-one , of the best opening batsmen Australia ' has ever possessed. His aggregate is now 483. whilst Armstrong has made 464. It will be remembered that the Victorian scored 158 at Sydney and 121 at Adelaide. His present, century is therefore his third of the series. Only two others ’ can claim this feat in three eoiito. s

viz.. Darling and Hobbs. The South Australian notched I'B, 160, and 101 during the 1897-98 contests, and the Englishman 187, 178, and 126 not out m the course of his last visit to Australia. Mailev is in great buckle, for he has ; secured 26 wickets in the Sheffield Shield games and 211 in the Test fixtures J. Ryder. who has the fine aggregate ot .(7ft for Victoria against the other States, has only made 78 runs in the test matches. REMARKABLE DEMONSTRATION OVER ARMSTRONG Sydney, February 14. The “Herald” says: “The feature of the day was the demonstration over Armstrong, which was as spontaneous as it was remarkable. It left no doubt as to t'he sympathy of the public. The “Telegraph” says: “At one stage four wickete had been lost for an additional 46 runs, but Armstrong and Gre- <

gory were the saviours, the former playing such another game as he did at Adelaide. It would have been a tragedy if he did not, so greatly is he idolised by the crowd. When going in to bat ho was 'hailed as never a cricketer has been before. He was compelled to lose no time in reaching the pavilion at stumps to escape the demonstrative enthusiasts.”—Press Assn. Melbourne, February 14. The Armstrong Protest Committee is convening a public meeting on Tuesday to request' the resignations of the Vic torisn selectors. —Press Assn.