Australia Set For Huge Score

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 28, 3 February 1937, Page 5

Australia Set For Huge Score

341 for Four Wickets BRADMAN’S EXPERT DISPLAY, United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. Received Tuesday, Midnignt. ADELAIDE, Feb. 2. There was fine weather for the fourth day of the Test. The wicket is still playing well, but England had no spin bowlers to exploit the slightly worn surface. Bradman and Brown showed at the outset that they would not throw their wickets away and were determined fo amass as many runs as possible. Australia produced the best cricket so far lor the match. In the pre-lunch session appeals for leg before were frequent early in the session but none was successful. Taking no risks and availing themselves of every opportunity to score Bradman and Brown reached 50 for their partnership in 79 minutes. Bradman is the greatest draw card in the world for a cricket crowd. For a holiday it was disappointing, but 25,000 saw him start to play to-day. There was only one reason for the interest. The crow 7 d did not attend to see Test cricket. They wanted to see Bradman bat.

Brown scored a patient 32 and then went to an excellent low catch behind the wickets by Ames oil Voce. Brown batted for 127 minutes and hit one lour. Bradman was sound during the morning session and was in control from the start. He did not release his grfp for an instant. McCabe started shakily, edging his shots. Strangely enough for him he took half-an-hour to roach double figures. Then he played many delightful shots, scoring boundaries from successive balls from Verity and Fames. Australia were fighting back well and a big score appeared imminent with two down for 150 at lunch. The English bowlers never appeared menacing except Voce, the fast lefthander, who bowled grandly. Fames, the hero of the first innings, lo»St his pace to-day. Allan restricted the morning attack to the pace men and Verity. The Englishmen seemed tired at lunch and their fielding was not as dashing as on the first day when they saved every possible run. During the morning session Bradman passed his brevious best Test aggregate in Australian Tests, 4CB in 1928-29. Then Bracfman took his season's aggregate to a thousand, the first Australian to accomplish the feat. Barnett and Hammond'registered four figures in the game against South Australia. Bradman has now scored a thousand in each of seven playing seasons.

Bright play was witnessed after lunch when the batsmen dominated the game. Bradman reached his century after batting for 196 minutes and hit four fours. This is his eleventh century in Tests against England, only one behind the record holder, Ilobbs. His century partnership with McCabe is his thirteenth in Tests and was scored in 85 minutes.

The batsmen raced tho clock throughout the pre-tea session and at one stage put on 100 runs in 90 minutes. Bradman was superb. He never gave anything like a chance until at 123 he flicked Hammond just out of reach of Verity at second slip. The crowd cheered every shot from Bradman as he neared the century. Bradman reached 150 in 274 minutes. Australia seemed set for a huge tally when the third century was hoisted with only four wickets down.

Gregory batted like a veteran, making an ideal partner for Bradman. The wicket showed signs of wearing in tho last hour and Verity kept the batsmen quiet bowling to a patch. Australia’s spin bowlers will gain greater assistance from the wicket when England bats. The attendance was the best so far for the game, being 35,700 and the takings £3921. AUSTRALIA. Second Innings. Fingleton, lbw, b Hammond .... 12 Brown, c Ames, b Voce 32 Bradman, not out 374 McCabe, c Wyatt, b Robins .. . • 55 Rigg, c Hammond, b Fames .... 7 Gregory, not out 36 Extras 25 Total for four wickets 341

Fall of the wickets: One for 21, two for 88, three for 197, four for 237. M.C.C.’s NEW ZEALAND TOUR. WILL NOT BE CANCELLED. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night. A report published in Wellington today that the M.C.C. tour of New Zealand this season may have to be cancelled owing to the American shipping strike as the team had planned to leave New Zealand by the Mariposa at the end of the tour in April was denied by Mr Arthur Donnelly, chairman of the New Zealand Cricket Council. Ho stfid the New Zealand Cricket Council had heard nothing of the cancellation of the tour.

Bowling Analys: 6. M. E. w. Fames 18 1 69 1 Hammond 0 37 1 Allen .. . 1 44 0 Voce .. . 2 59 1 Verity 12 54 0 Robins 0 38 1 Barnett . 0 15 0