CRICKET.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 July 1926, Page 1

CRICKET.

CRITICS ON PLAY. [Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.! LONDON, July 12. Colonel Tevor, writing in the “Daily Telegraph” states: “The Australians did not enhance their reputation, either as players, or as judges of cricket, during the morning’s play. Their innings should have been called at noon, at the latest. Macartney's extremely brilliant and exceptionally effective innings put them in a winning position. There was a gross waste of time when play began on Afouday. The Australians were hatting for two and a half hours, and their effort only produced 128 runs. It looked like propaganda hatting. The Australians seemed to say: ‘We are going to prove that three days are not. enough time in which to finish a test match.’ A captain like Af. A. Noble would not have countenanced this sort of thing. It took Richardson an hour and a half to make another thirty runs. He thus played away his reputation, hut joined the select hand of century makers in test matches.”

Mr;Faulkner writes: “England could not have wished for better conditions The wicket was true and the sun shone. Irresolution was the main factor of their failure. The Australian spin howlers wisely played up to it. The Australians never fail to malic the most of their opportunities, while England allows chance after chance to slip.” * LONDON, July 13. The “Daily Express” critic says: “The Australians have the third test match more than half won. England’s hatting broke down badly. It was a triumph for the Australains’ spin-howl-ers, Orimmott and Alailey, over irresolute hatting. The patience of the record crowd was sorely tried when they saw the old firm of Hobbs and Sutcliffe make a. good start, and in less than an hour saw the best men out. Thereafter it was a fight for life, and no longer a. comfortable journey towards a draw.”

Another critic says: “Nothing perturbed Richardson, whose playing on the leg side wns very dainty, hut Taylor proved still unsuccessful. Gregory was again as lively as a schoolboy in a merry mood until Geary’s catch simultaneously delighted and grieved the sporting crowd, who rejoiced in his aggressiveness. Hendren never settled down. He sent a cannon hall out to Andrews who amazed the crowd betaking the catch: without a flinch. Bardsley intended declaring the innings closed at lunch, hut Tate’s and Geary’s accurate howling, both for an hour each, removed the necessity.