CRICKET.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 December 1920, Page 2

CRICKET.

FIRST TEST MATCH. ■ AUSTRALIAN & N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION] SYDNEY, Dec. 17. The hr.■it Test Match commenced in fine weather in the presence of ten thousand people. The wicket was not affected by the previous night’s_brief storm. Armstrong won the toss. He decided to hat, and sent McCartney and Collins in to oppose Hitch and Waddington. Both batsmen played cautiously for a number 'of overs, an occasional single alone breaking the montony of a series of maidens. ’ After thirty minutes, Hitch, who was punished to the extent of fourteen in one over, was replaced by Parkin. Waddington quickly found his length, and aided by a strong wind, he broke in awkwardly from the off. McCartney, when 19, pulled the ball on to his wicket. ~ • Biirdsley settled down to careful play. Yet he unhesitatingly dispatched any loose deliveries to the picket fence. He reached the twenties’ before Collins had emerged from them; but then, playing back to one of Hearne’s slows, he snicked the ball to Strudwick and was caught. After lunch, Collins, who at no stage was extra confident, • lifted Hearne straight to Waddington at outside midon, but to the surprise of everyone, and especially the batsman, the fieldman dropped the easiest of catches. Collins was then at 43. Next over the first century was registered. It took 104 minutes. "Six minutes later Collins reached his 50. •

Kellaway vied with Collins for, uninteresting batting. Tlie crowd now began to barrack, hut it was to no effect. After batting 55 minutes* for 15 runs, Kellaway was cheered for scoring a single. The crowd had grown impatient at the painfully slow run-getting. • When Collins was at 70, Kellaway squarely to Hitch, who, smartly fielding the ball, unerringly aimed at the wicket before Collins could make good.

Armstrong had a fine reception, and he, shaped like an artist straight away. But the brilliant fielding of the Englishmen kept his account down. Armstrong, full of promise, went forward to Woolley, but Strudwick lifted the bails before he regained his crease. The diminutive wicket-keeper (Strudwiek) dominated the picture for a while, in fact throughout the day he gave a capital display behind the stumps! Gregory was his next victim, he opening his shoulders to a straight drive off Woolley, but Australia’s fast bowler miss-hit the ball, and Strudwick brilliantly accepted the lightning shot. When Taylor and Pellew became associated, after the tea adjournment, the spectators were treated to the brightest batting of the innings, the' first-named player disconcerting the field by stealing* “cheeky’-’ runs. Both went at the .bowling in vigorous fashion, but smart work in the out-field, however, converted potential boundaries into singles, and incidentally was responsible for several hair-breadth escapes. , . . v

Douglas (the Euglish captain) curbed the batsmen’s enterprise by putting on Hitch" whose on-theory was severely left alone. Waddington’s left-hand liveries from the opposite end also commanded respect, to the detriment of prolific run-getting.

After adding G 8 at a critical juncture, the partnership was broken, Taylor stepping in front of his wicket to pull Henrne, and was out leg before. With ten minutes to play, Pellew endeavoured to force the pace, and lifted Hearne to the boundary, where Hendren made no mistake with the catch. Rider brought up 250 in the second last over, and with Oldfield played out,, the time. . The ba'tting was not up to the international stanard, the responsibility apparently weighing hpavily on the Australians’ shoulders. „ The English fielding was excellent, and saved innumerable runs. The attendance totalled 23,000. When stumps were drawn Australia had eight wickets down for 250 runs. The following are the scores AUSTRALIA—Ist INNINGS. McCartney, b Waddington .......... 19 Collins, run out 70 Bardsley, c Strudwick, b Hearne ... 22 Kellaway, run out 33 Armstrong, st Strudwick, b Woolley 12 Gregory, c Strudwick, b Woolley ... 8 Taylor, 1.b.w., b Hearne 24 Pellew,"c Hendren, b Hearne ....... 36 Ryder (not out) 5 Oldfield (not out) 0 Sundries. ...••• H Total for 8 wickets 250