CRICKET

Hokitika Guardian, 3 December 1928, Page 6

CRICKET

FIRST TEST MATCH.

ENCLAND 521.

I [END REN’S RIG SCORE

AUSTRALIANS COLLAPSE

(Australian Press Association). (United Service). BRISBANE, December 1. The weather-and the light were perfect for to-day’s test match, and tho ■ icket splendid in its lasting quality. The infield and outfield were last, promising high scoring. The attendance at noon was twentytwo thousand. Off the first ball from Gregory’s third over, Chapman, just alter compiling his fifty, in fifty-seven minutes, was caught by *Ke 1 leway at third slip. The English captain hit eight fours and played a forceful, if not altogether a first-rate innings. Gregory was now howling truly fast on the off, Oldfield in keeping standing back fifteen yards from the wickets, with the slips correspondingly deep. Tate came next, and put life into his game, but liis baiting was rathei erratic, although it pleased the specta-

tors, who cheered every stroke. The Australians’ fielding was brisker, and at times it was sparkling. PonsIford. in the loiigfield. once intercepted a ball with his foot when it was within inches of the fence.' Bradman was catand lie was constantly applauded. "fight from the start, up to luncheon Mend re n played steadily, every stroke ho made being judged, while ’late went for every kind of ball. He was aggressive always. However, when Griinmeit relieved Gregory, Tate was caught by Ryder at mid-off. from Grimmett’s fifth hall. His 20 runs look twenty minutes, and included two fours. The field was placed with such skill that the batsmen found openings rare. For Grimmett and Ironmonger, a stron„. off-field was arranged, in a hall moon, leaving no scope with balls planted nceiirately oil the off. It was a time only for pulls to the leg-side. Half an hour before luncheon, the game entered a singlos-getting phase, until Larwood cocked up a ball from Gregory _ over slips for four, and followed with similar shots. Three hundred and fifty runs took .‘Fid minutes to hoist. Hie hatting was brisker after luncheon, fifteen runs being added in nine minutes. There was a sensation when Gregory, oil' bis own ball to Larwood, who hi. it well, ran through, but extending himself full length with bis right hand just missed the hall. Gregory rolled over and over to stop on the other side ol the wicket, while several crowded round. Larwood was thirty-four at this stage. Gregory’s next over was exciting. Larwood was tied up with the first three. Then Bradman, like a streak', returned the hall I mm the slips, past Oldfield to Gregory, who jumped aside, and five runs came to Larwood, who later cooked one off Gregory over Bvdcr in the slips, slightly too high for a catch.

Grimmett, who relieved Gregory, was punished by* Larwood, who bittwo successive lours over the bowlci s bead, to the fence.

Four hundred runs came up at 2.50 and they took' 522 minutes. ! .otid and long-continued applause greeted Larwood’s hitting, and his (eftv. which took ninety-five minutes, 'flip barracking was quite unbiased and in good humour. Hcndren’s century came precisely at t!>reo o’clock. It was made in 200 minutes, and wa.s completed with a single to mid-off. The partnership between Hendrcn and Larwood lmd set up an. eight wicket record for England. Both of the batsmen were now playing soundly, and confidently, gathering runs from a variety ol strokes, culminating in a six by Larwood to long-on. ' Thence Larwood gave a stirring display, with Hendreii contributing brightly:, until slant ly ■before tea when Larwood, at seventy (including one five, seven lours, and one six) made in 118 minutes, 101 l«> victim to leg before to Hendry, who bad relieved Gregory.

ilcndren was now punching the bowling amid the wildest excitement. (If. scored thirteen runs off Ironmonger in Hour sterling stiokes. White, following Larwood, was very diffident ■ over Gregory’s rucketling balls, and while, at nine, be was dropped by Wood full in tlm slips off the fast bowler whose , deliveries caused the batsman trouble, but gave the spectators much fun. White went, nut leg before to Grimmett on the last ball before the tea adjournment. On resuming. Hendrcn skied a ball. Rons ford hesitating twice before taking the catch. Hondren’s total was IG9 runs. It included sixteen lours, and it took 293 minutes to compile. The Australians opened . their innings sensationally. Woodifull "as caught brilliantly in the slips bv Chanman, one hand, off Larwood's fourth ball on the first over. Chapman later <ravc an uncanny perlorinance in the same place. Then? was a further sensation when Larwood bowled Ponsford with a beautiful fast ball completely beating the batsman. It was the second ball of the third over. Briefly, the Australians collapsed, before nerve and clever tactics, apart from superior howling. Scoies. ENGLAND—First Innings. Hobbs, run out ... Sutcliffe, c Ponsford. b Gregory ... 3S Mead, l.b.w. b Grimmett S Hammond, c Woodfull. b Gregory 44 Jardine. c "Woodfull, b lionmonger Hendrcn, c Ponsford, b Iron--109 ! monger _ Chapman, e Kelleway, b Gregory 50

Tate, c Ryder, b Grimmett 2G Larwood, l.b.w. lb Hendry 70 White, l.b.w. 1> Grimmett 14 Duckworth, (not out) 5 Extras ••• ••• Total 521 Fall of the, wickets: Six for 291; 7 for 319: 8 for 443; 9 for 495. Rowling analysis:—Gregory 3 for 142; Kolloway 0 for 77; Grimmett 3 for lfiti; Ironmonger 2 lor 79; Hendry 1 for 21 ; Ryder 0 for 23. ATJ'STR ALT A—First Inm ngji Ponsford ,b Larwood ... 2 AVoodfull, c Chapman, h Larwood 0 Tvippax. c and b Tat© 1G Hendry, (not out) 14 Kellewav, b Larwood 8 Ryder, (not out) 4 Total for four wickets 44 ENGLISH COMMENT. LONDON. Dec. 1. "Woolley writing in thoi “Daily Chronicle.” soya: For 'two potent reasons, Chapman has justified his selection—firstly, lie won the toss and secondly, lie took a leading part in reviving the scoring prospects. The winning of the toss was most important, because the Brisbane ground is new and is '.unlikely to stand a rigorous non-slop game.” He think 5 -' eventual, a great partnership between I lendren and Chapman, and considers England’s position favourable, with a reasonable hope of success.

lion. Tennyson, in th.ei “Daily Chronicle” says: Accidents will happen, even in tests, but there is nothing to worry about, especially as Chapman was lucky enough to win the toss. Runs will take some getting in tin' fourth innings. The man on the spot must be the best judge hut 1 think England’s selectors were not unentirely well advised in tahino the field with only four bowlers, and those with no marked difference of pace from the wicket. It seems tempting Providence to leave out Freeman with his spinning leg breaks and googlies.” Hr P. E. "Warner writes of Kokhs’ dismissal: It was a stunning blow to England, but full credit must b< given to Bradman. With seemingly a casual flick of the wrist another splendid piece of fielding dismissed Sutcliffe. The Australians forget nothing. That is a matter of cricket history. Probably Gregory at Brisbane by set purpose, put up the same sort of fast, short-pitched hall, which tempted Sutcliffe at Melbourne it’ 1921-25. Sutcliffe is one of the besi hookers in the world, andl he could not resist the temptation. T am inclined to think 272 for 5 wickets b a good score for Brisbane. I woub 1 be unhappy over a similar score i’ firm weather at -Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide, but it is problematical if the Brisbane wicket will last. Anyway, the Australians must be f eel in" joyful, for they have a tremeudmehatting side down to number ton. Mr Warner also said: “England is so convinced that Australia is tin land of marathon cricket scores, tlisr it has almost been stunned by tin comnaratividy cheap dismissal of England's century makers.” The. “Evening Standard’s’ critb' says: “One can almost ho seen shaking one’s head in the sentence “nothing under four hundred—nothing like a good start.” He proceeds: “As for the experiment of playing only four howlers, the proof of the pudding i {he eating, but in so far as ibis ha c been done to strengthen the batting, we bare already bad a slice of tin pudding, and does not taste good.”

Warner beads bis comments in the “Morning Post” with Kipling’s verse, “'at the beginning” viz: “Thank God who made the British Isles, and taught me how to play.” He adds: “I can imagine his opponents’ delight when Hobbs, probablv on route for another century, dismissed himself.” ENGLISH CAPTAIN. MIS VISIT TO NEW ZEALAND. BRISBANE, Dee. 1. 'Chapman, captain of the English team, specially interviewed for tie New Zealand Press Association, stated that directly after the last test match lie would proceed to New Zealand for two months. Ho is keen on fishing, and is looking forward to a pleasant holiday in “those dream islands.” Tie says that the English team is in fine fettle, and that it expects a close struggle for the chief honours.

ENGLISH "WHOOPING. AT SATURDAY’S SUCCESS. i Received this day at, 8 a.in.) LONDON, Doc. 2. There were only two topics of conversation in England yesterday, the condition of the King and the dramatic collapse of Australia’s scoring machines in the first innings. Special editions of evening panors were rushed out. and posters proclaimed. •'The toast is TTendron and Larwood. 8.8. C. broadcast full description, following the King’s bulletin. Although snorting is usually relegated to tlie end of tlie new announcement, a Ritrnrb r, 'g amount of space was devoted to the match in the newspapers. For instance the “Evening Standard’’ published three thousau five hundred words specially cabled from Brisbane apart from a front page feature written t’-e-efrom, editorial and diary paragraphs. The same journal, besides a one void streamer “Skittled.” lias a large double column drawing of a smug grinning lion sitting on its haunches with its tail high in the air. Underneath the Lion arc t l '" words “And now our tails are up again, and waving like flags.”

This is an extract from the heading of an article which, however stresses the Australians still have batsmen equal' to the grim struggle. It reminds its readers that at Adelaide in 1925 when Collins, Taylor, Gregory, Ponsford, and Victor Richardson totalled forty-four, yet the innings reached 489, and continues, “Even now the tide of battle may turn, but nothing can change the fact that another golden page has been added to the history of cricket. Macartney’s cable says England started out to-day with less than an even money chance of success, and finished in such a position that only a miracle greater than those of today can rob her of victory. Ryder handled the material at his disposal with judgment, but a captain cannot prevent a howler sending loose deliveries nor a. batsman scoring runs bv goad cricket, such as Hendren’s.' Australia’s wretched position may have been due to the long spell in the field.

The “Observer” editorially says: The tail has an ill tradition hut for once the last five wickets produced more than the first. Hcrdrcn’s great display is the main factor and the chivalrous eulogies of Australian experts make pleasant reading. A. C. McLaren in the “Sundav Times” frankly cockasoop. says all the gush about Australia’s greatness is exploded. Ho does not see why England should not win every test. At the same time he points out that Australia is in the unenviable position of trying to ascertain if the young ones are good enough to rculace the old ones. “It will he a surprise to me,” lie says “if Macartney is not asked to play again, to gather with Andrews, while 11. H. Bettington is twice as likely to effect the downfall of the best English batsman as any howler now playing.” Some writers are speculating what Chapman will do if he is, say, two hundred ahead on the first innings. The “Sunday News” expresses the opinion that no leader will dare to ask a team to score runs "on such a wicket as Brisbane when the fourth innings is played. SHEFFIELD SHIELD MATCH. ADELAIDE. Dec. 2. In the Sheffield Shield match. South Australia in the first scored 582, or eight less than the record by South Australia in a (Sheffield Shield match in 1910. Hone made 137, and Whitfield <36. In the bowling Morton took 2 for 139, labeling 2 for 130, Mullett 4 for 174. and Lansdown 2 for 43. AGctoria in the first lost three foi 123, Onyons being not out fifty-three.