CRICKET

Hokitika Guardian, 13 June 1921, Page 4

CRICKET

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. LONDON, June 11. j Tlie weather for the second test was unsettled, being overcast with alteina- | ting sunshine. The crowd was an enormous one. I Douglas won the toss. Ryder was t twelfth man for Australia, and Oldfield, Mayne and Collins are not playing. | Haig, Tennyson and Dipper are tak- j ing the place of Mead, Hearne and Fry j in the English team. The Australians, on taking field, received a great reception. Gregoij opened the bowling from the Nurser.y end. In view of his Bristol display, Dipper accompanied Knight to the wickets. Roth men started confidently, hitting briskly to both sides. Knight was cheered on his gracefully hitting Gregory to leg for three. He followed this by making splendid off strokes off both bowlers. The crowd also applauded Dipper, .who, though not very graoeful, executed some telling shots, including the first boundary on the offside, of McDonald. Armstrong, however, soon relieved Gregory who was not so fast as usual. A feature of the Australian captain's first over was some magnificent fielding by Andrews •at cover. Twenty runs were made in a quarter of am hour, with Dipper scoring twice as fast as Knight. • Then McDonald sent down a ball that dismissed Dipper. IT nipped in quickly from the off, low down. Knight, as usual, was not confident in facing Armstrong. He fell to him with a wretched stroke into first slip’s hands. Flay had then been proceeding for half an hour. Armstrong, who was bowling with a fine length, had five men forming a semi-circle on the off 1 side. At this stage the play was held up owing to the arrival of the King, The crowd was disappointed because Hendren had a short life. He walked across to play an off ball, which whipped in behind him, and shattered ! the wicket. 1 'This was a sensational opening, and in view of these circumstances, Woolley played very cautiously against Armstrong, watching the ball all the way. Armstrong had no slip-fielder. Gregory was stationed at fine leg. Woolley broke a long period of scoreless play by getting a single through the Australians’ steel leg-side wall, which was cheered as though it were a boundary. The new partnership only realised four runs in a quarter of an hour. Gregory replaced McDonald at the pavilion end at 20. Later Armstrong bowled three successive maidens. Woolley tiicn hit a beautiful slip boundary at Gregory’s expense, making the total 34 for an hour’s play. The Australian fielding was reaching a high standard. The dullness of the play was partially relieved by the respect which Douglas was showing Armstrong. He was mere ly blocking. Woolley was more aggressive in facing Gregory, whom he drove straight to the boundary. Some amusement was caused when Armstrong placed Andrews at silly point, for Douglas, and it was renewed when Douglas returned the next ball along the pitch to the howler. Douglas was obviously knotted. Woolley, wlro was getting most of Gregory’s howling, presented a marked contrast, making some graceful shots behind and in front of the wicket. After ho was in threequarters of an hour. Douglas hit Gregory nicely to the square leg boundary. This was his second scoring stroke. Fifty runs appeared in 80 minutes. Douglas was cutting a sorry figure. TTe was patting the ball mostly. Ho scored only eight runs in nn hour. When Woolley was 22, a hall from Gregory whistled over his bails. Gregory was now bowling faster than in the opening play, rising a. foot above the stumps. Woolley was having many narrow escapes. McDonald relieved Gregory at 61, which were scored in 100 minutes. The hatting continued lifeless. Tho crowd, however, were finding relaxation and amusement in the Douglas-Armstrong duel. Just before lunch Douglas decided to break the monotony, and he drove McDonald straight to the pavilion. Woolley followed this by clipping a beautiful four through the slips. Then Mailey relieved McDonald at the Nursery end. Doifglas signalised his approval by three off-drives with successive halls, realising five. This variation from his baek-to-the-wnll cricket, was enjoyed. Douglas brought up the century n 140 minutes by cutting Mailey for two. He and Woolley were now more confident, although Mailey was (frequently turning the (hall several inches from the off and both batsmen were driving vigorously. Dougins was dismissed by a beautiful ball from McDonald. He attempted to drive it, but played across it. His careful innings ended a. partnership which at that stage of the game was very valuable. Woolley broilgh up 50 by a glorious square cut to the ropes off Mailey, made in 150 minutes.

Evans survived an appeal for caught behind the wickets, but ho knew nothing of the next ball from McDonald, which shattered his stumps. McDonald was preserving a good length and keeping low. After ‘Woolley hit a somewhat fluky boundary to deep leg, off Mailey. he magnificently square-cut McDonald to the ropes. This was the best stroke of the day. He was playing excellent cricket, his driving being particularly attractive.

Gregory replaced McDonald at 137. Tennyson was never happy, lie walked out to Mailey, and was easily stumped. The last three wickets had fallen in an hour. After lunch Woolley was making use of his reach against Mailey, and meeting the ball a yard in front of the crease. Two beautiful cuts through the covers raised tip, crowd to the highest enthusiasm. Tel lew, who „wns fielding grandly, failed to hold a ball which Haig drove to the off just above his head when Haig was two. Mailey was the bowler. Haig went out off Gregory, the following over. The ball from Mailey that dismissed Parkin went between his legs from the off. Strudwick’s life was short but happy,

He twice pulled Mailey to leg to the -j ropes. He then hit a soft catch to short leg. All these were in one over. After Durston’s appearance, Woolley i got four over the heads of the slips j 1 off Gregory. Next ball he gave a chance , , to Hendry at first slip. He was then 1 80, but he had not shaped confidently , 1 during the last few overs of Gregory’s; j but being anxious to reach the century j he opened his shoulders with the last | man in, and lost his wicket through stepping out to one from Mailey. He received a great ovation for a beautiful innings. Woolley batted 190 minutes, | j and England’s innings only lasted 210 i miutes. j Durston opened the bowling against ! Australia from the Nursery end. Bardsley and Andrews both commenced batting briskly; Bandsley with graceful 1 cuts and leg shots, while Andrews started by driving Douglas. Then, after i delightful square cuts off Durston, who ! was bowling off the wicket, lie attempted to hit a ball which should have been ignored, and was easily caught, with the innings only ten minutes old. I Then Bardsley and .Macartney immediately settled down to brilliant cricket. : They were treating both the bowlers with scant courtesy. Bardsley hit , poetic boundaries through the slips, cutting and driving beautifully. Mn--1 cartney hit Douglas twice to the square : leg boundary in one over. These and. other perfect cuts were loudly applauded Fifty appeared in 25 minutes. Parkin relieved Douglas at 56. Macartney turned him to tile ropes behind the- wicket. -He then drove him ' straight for four. There was no improvement in the bowling, the batsmen having no difficulty in placing the l-1 Macartney’s characteristic innings * closed for 31, in a. manner similar to ’ | Andrews, after he bad batted 25 minu- ’ i tes. The play was not so bright after Macartney’s departure. Durston and Parkin were beginning to find a. length. ’ Still Pellew made some nice shots on both sides. He emulated Bardsley in punishing anything loose. Haig leplae- ! ed Durston at 99. Pellew sent up the 1 century in 56 minutes with a hit to the deep leg boundary. Bardsley was now fortt’ and Pellew getting into his ' stride cut Haig to the ropes in the ’ same over with a beautiful hit. Then Woolley relieved Parkin. The batting contrast provided by the 1 two teams was remarkable. Whereas England were laboured, Australia went for the bowling. Bardsley was like the ' rock of Gibraltar, and bis crisp boun- ’ daries were got in all positions, while | Pellew punched the ball to the ropes with delightful vigour. Woolley sent I down the first maiden of the innings to Pellew .when the score was 116. In the next over of \\ oolley’s Bardsley, with II a glorious boundary behind the wicket ' and a straight drive, brought his 50 up j for 70 minutes’ play. The crowd were enjoying the fine exhibition, and ap--1 plauded Bardsley. The applause was renewed when Pellew, with a powerful drive, sent Haig past cover-point to th e ropes. The flckling was fairly clean Imt the batsmen’s placing was jrres- ’ istible, particularly that of Bardsley, who was playing one of his greatest innings. Pellew’s scoring was at the J rate of one per minute. Both bats- ■ men were completely masters of the I situation. Peilew followed a perfect shot to the boundary behind the wicket | bv playing over a ball from Haig that broke low. He gave a capital display, lasting 50 minutes. Taylor then joined Bardsley, and Durston replaced Woolley, whose batting effort resulted in stingless bowling. After 95 minutes play, 150 runs appeared. Woolley was again tried at 1.61, but ' Bardsley sent bis second delivery to the boundary, past third man. Then Dur--1 ston was put on again at the Nursery end, but these rapid changes did not effect Bardsley, who continued perfect shots all round the wicket. Taylor, apart from one smashing drive past ’ cover to the ropes played cautiously getting in front of the wicket over much. 1 Parkin relieved Woolley at 176. He, * like his predecessors, found Bardsley’s ’ defence impenetrable. ■ The sun was becoming hotter as the * afternoon advanced, and the fieldsmen were working under Australian conditions. Taylor passed the English total with ' a beautiful drive to the on boundary, off Parkin. ‘ Ten minutes before time, after he s had been hatting two hours, Bardsley was 88. TTc then gave a difficult return to Parkin. The crowd applauded tho lot off. The following are the scores; — ENGLAND—First Innings. Dipper, b. McDonald, H 1 Knight, c. Gregory, b. Armstrong 7 TTendren, b. McDonald 9 1 Douglas, 1). McDonald 34 Tennyson, st. Carter, b. Mailey ... 5 I Evans, 1). McDonald, 4 > Haig, c. Carter, b. Gregory 3 * Parkin, b. Mailey 9 t Strudwick, o. McDonald, b. Mailey 8 Woolley, st. Carter, b. Mailey ... 95 Durston (not out) • 9 5 Sundries 44 Total .. 487 t Bowling analysis.—Gregory 1 for 51, - McDonald 4 for 58, Armstrong 1 for 9, * Mailey 4 for 55. 1 Mailey took four wickets for 22 in 26 - balls, and bowled one wide.

AUSTRALIA—First Innings. Bardsley (not out) 88 Andrews, c. Strudwick, b. Durston 9 j Macartney, e Strudwick, b Durston 31 Pellew, b. Haig 43 Taylor (not out) 15 ! Extras 5 ! Total for 3 wickets 191 /Deceived this (lav at 8 a.m.) LONDON, June 12. The newspapers declare England was outclassed at Lords on a perfect wicket. Rome critics regard the failure as worm than at Nottingham where the wicket helped the bowlers. They contrast the slow cramped English batting with th? contentptuious cash with which the Australians flogged the bowling. Tit ere were 22,378 paid for admission to the test match.