CRICKET.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 December 1920, Page 1

CRICKET.

FIRST TEST ENDS. VICTORY FOR AUSTRALIA. BY 377 RUNS. fAUSTRALIAN & N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION] SYDNEY, Deo 22. The fifth day’s play in the Test Match opened in hot weather. The wicket was wearing excellently well. Flags were half-mast and the Australians were wearing black arm hands, in memory of Dr Tozer. - Hobbs and Hcnrne resumed, and settled down to cautious batting. They declined to touch everything except the loose deliveries. Mailey who was not utilised the previous afternoon, was now tried, hut he failed to terrify the batsmen. Hobbs lifted one from him over the fence to long-on. Armstrong then went on, and endeavoured to separate the pair. His first over was a maiden. In the following over Hobbs scored a. single off flic Australian skipper. This brought up the first century. Hobbs then stepped across the wicket to place Armstrong to the on, hut the bowler had sent down one of his famous straight leg-breaks, and it got Hobbs leg before the wicket.

Hendren followed. He opened his account by swooping Armstrong to square leg to the fence. He immediately slackened ,however. Again, when opposing Mailey, Hendren despatched the first ball to the boundary; but he played back for the remainder of the over. After luncheon Hearne and Hendren were again adopting cautious methods, until Gregory broke through Hearne’s defence with a splendidly pitched hall, which took liis off stump.

Woolley followed. He hit Mailey for three fours, hut then, in playing forward, ho missed the ball, with his foot raised up from the crease, and Oldfield effected a smart bit of stumping. The score then stood: 4 —16—170.

Th 0 advent of Douglas created more interest, in view of the English’ skipper’s discomfort in facing Mailey. He sprang on to the last ball of the latter’s over, which was delivered outside the leg stump. Armstrong was standing at short fine-leg, a few yards from the stumps, and he brilliantly accepted a remarkably hot catch. Douglas was the most surprised man on the ground and he remained in the crease until the umpire was officially appealed, to. When given out, the English captain pointed to the ground, as if indicating a hump, ball. The crowd ridiculed bis contention, as Douglas set out for the pavilion. Rhodes followed, and forced the pace when opposed to Mailey, hitting several boundaries off liis first couple of overs. The two hundred mark was reached in 211 minutes. Hendren. fust later registered his 50, as a. result of 104 minutes' patient hatting. On resuming after tea, Armstrong tried' Gregory and: Kellawny. The latter in the first over found Hendren’s middle peg; The score was then : G—s 6 Rhodes shaping confidently, executed several’fine strokes all round the-wicket but he exercised as much caution as if the match were still hanging in the balance.

Taylor, in the outfield, earned applause by cutting off boundaries. His work throughout the match was of the highest class.

Hitch daringly hit out to Gregory, lifting him safely to tile outfield for two. When nineteen, he stepped down the wjeket to Australia’s fast bowler, and hit him hard, the hall going to Taylor at extra mid-on. That playermade a fino catch. Armstrong then replaced Gregory with Mailey whose first ball was a full, toss. Rhodes hit it over the bowler’s head, and a catch was taken by Ryder., Parkin then hit Kellaway to Macartney at extra mid-off, but that' usually safe fieldsman dropped the catch. Two balls later, Kellaway bowled* Parkin’s middle peg, with England’s score at’2Bl. Australia thus won the match by 377 runs. Following are the scores:— AUSTRALIA—Ist INNINGS. McCartney, b Waddington 19 Collins, run out 70 Bardsley, c Strudwiek, b Hearne ... 22 Kellaway, run out* 33 Armstrong* st Strudwiek, b Woolley 12Gregory, c Strudwiek, b Woolley ... 8 Taylor, 1.b.w., b Hearne 24 Pellew 1 , c Hemlren, b Hearne 36 Ryder; run out 5 Oldfi’eld, c. Hofjbs, b. Parkin' 7 Mailey, (not out) 10 Sundries H Total 267AUSTRALIA—2nd INNINGS. Collins, e. Waddington, b. Douglas 104 Bardsley b. Hearne 37 Macartney, b. Douglas •••• 09 Taylor e. Woolley, b. Parkin 51 Pellew 1.b.w., b. Woolley 10 Kellaway, b. Woolley 78 Armstrong, b. Parkin 158 Ryder, run out 0 Gregory, run out 0 Oldfield, e. Strudwiek, b. Parkin 10 •Mailey; (not put) 0 Sundries 20

Total 581 ENGLAND—Ist INNINGS. Russell 1). Kellaway 0 Hobbs, b. Gregory 49 Hendren, e. Gregory, b. Ryder 21 Woolley, e. Mailey, b. Ryder •■■■ v 21 Hearne, c Gregoiy, b Mailey 14 Rhodes, c Gregory, b Mailey 3 Douglas, st Oldfield, b Mailey 21 Hitch, c. Kellaway, b. Gregory 3 Waddington (run out) ' Parkin (not out) Strudwiek, l.b.w. b Gregory 4 Sundries Total 190

ENGLAND. Second innings. Russell, e. Oldfield, b. Gregory 5 Hobbs, 1.b.w., b. Armstrong 59 Hearne, b. Gregory 57 Hendren, b. Kellaway 56 Woolley, stp. Oldfield, b. Mailey ... 16 Douglas, c. Armstrong, b. Mailey 7 Rhodes, c. Ryder, b. Mailey 45 Hitch, c. Taylor ,b. Gregory 19 Waddington, b. Kellaway 3 Parkin, b. Kellaway 4 Strudwiek, (not out) 1 Sundries 9 Total 281 Tho wickets fell as follows:—1 for 5, 2 for 105, 3 for 140, 4 for 170, 5 for 178, 6 for 231, 7 for 264, 8/for 271, 0 for 2<d, 10 for 281. Bowling analysis:—Gregory 3 for 70, Kellaway, 3 for 45, Mailey 3 for 105, Armstrong 1 for 12, Ryder 0 for 4, Macartney 0 for 7. Grand. Total—Australia 848 Grand Total—England 471 ENGLISH COMMENT. (Received This Day at 8.30 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 22.

Though the result of the match against New South Wales was regarded in England as showing that Australia’s cricket strength had been underrated, both in Australia and England, the play in the test match surprised and disappointed the followers of the game, but they are by no means dowiihearted. It is pointed out that the last team after losing tho first game won the re-, mainder.

Critics are especially struck by the Australians’ hatting consistency. They consider the team has quite eight dependable batsmen and though England comparatively tails off the side contains great batsmen who only need to strike form to give a very good account of themselves. Australia’s victory is accepted ungrudgingly. Many tributes are paid to the dogged patient batting, which is historic of the Australian game in matches without the time limit, and was thoroughly justified in this match. This feature is regarded as lessening the disappointment over the English howlers’ seeming weakness in the second innings, hut there is softie comment on missed chances. Armstrong’s display and Collins’ century, in liis first test match, are the subject of many eulogies. The progress of the match was watched with the greatest interest all over the country.