DISASTROUS START IN SECOND TEST

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5278, 14 December 1946, Page 5

DISASTROUS START IN SECOND TEST

(Press A.ssn

ENGLAND . BATS POORLY SPIN BOWLERS SUCCEED ON PERFECT WICKET

. — Rec. 9.80 p.m.)

SYDNEY, Dec. 13. Australia has every reason to be satisfied with the first Tlay's play in the second Test. The English batsmen showed up very badly against Australia's spin attacks. Forty- . five minutes after lunch Aus- , tralia gained ascendency. In that time England lost three of her best batsmen for the addition of 11 runs. McCool and Johnson were the heroes of the day. They bowled splendidly throughout and always had the batsmen guessirg. A crowd of 41,716 saw the play. Winning the toss, Hammond had no hesitation in electing to bat on a "shirt-front" wicket. P. Smith was chosen to play in place of Voce, who played in the first Test, gnd Hardstaff was again 12th man. Muelleman was made 12th man for Australia. The weather was brilliantly fine when Hutton and Washbrook opened to Miller and* Freer. The first ball of the match went for four byes ahd eight canie from Miller's first over. There was an early shock for England when Freer, with the sixth ball of his first over, knoeked back Washbrook's rniddle stump. It was ,a good length ball. In Freer's second over Edrich survived an appeal for a catch at the wickets. (j. r This early setbaek resulted in the batsmen being somewhat Subdued, but Hutton scored two fours with two drives. Despite a few bumpers from Miller and the steady bowling of 1 Freer, Toshack and Tribe, Hutton and Edrich defended confidently and scored from anything loose. Toshack was a inodel of aecuracy and only a few runs came from his pre-lunch spell of seven overs, of which two were maidens. Hutton at 31 survived a most confident appeal for a catch at the wicket off Miller. Play After Lunch Interval At lunch, after 90 minutes of play, England's score was one for 66. Upon resuming, Hutton and Edrich scored freely from Miller and Tribe, so Johnson was brought on. He had immediate success and Hutton was caught behind on the leg side from the sixth ball. Hutton batted 112 minutes. McCool replaced T£fibe and in his second over Compton was out in an extraordinary manner. The batsman essayed a drive, but edged the ball to Johnson, who, .fielding as the only slip, fumbled the ball and knoeked it back towards the keeper, Tallon, who dived, and in falling, held the ball one-handed, close to the ground. Hammond came in and after a few uneertain strokes fell a victim to the McCool-Tallpn combination. Three wickets had fallen for 11 runs and McCool had two for five. Ikin opened his account with a single, making the total 100 after 145 minutes. Edrich, meanwhile, had been batting solidly if slowly, and made his fifty with a delightful cover-drive to the fenee after 166 minutes. * Johnson and McCool completely dominated play for the next hour. Edrich and Ikin found it almost impossible to score off Johnson. Ikin was very uneertain and survived three leg-before appeals. It took him an hour to reaeh (double figures. In the 105 minutes between lunch and te£\, 67 runs were added. Johnson and McCool continued the attack after tea, and finally Edrich missed a straight one from McCool and was out, leg-before-wicket. He batted 202 minutes and hit six fours. Ikin -and Yardley treated the bowling with great rfcspect. Ikin was very trc-ubled and once a ball brushed against his stumps without dislodging the bails. Yardley, after being in all sorts of trouble, slipped one to the keeper, and was out. Smith was next and was out in Johnson's next over. Ikin, who was 36, was dropped in the same over. A total c-f 200 was raised after 275 minutes, and then Johnson bowled Evans. Details: — ENGLAND, First Innings Hutton, e. Tallon b. Johnson „ 39 Washbrook, b. Freer .. 1. Edrich, l.b.w. b. McCoo-l .. .... 71 Compton, c. Tallon b. McCool „ 5 Hammond, c. Tallon b. McCool 1 Yardley, c. Tallon b. Johnson - 25 Ikin, not out _ .. .. 52 Smith, l.b.w. b. Johnson .. _ 4 Evans, b. Johnson 5' Bedser, not out .. 1 Extras - 15

Total, for 8 wickets .. 219 Fall c-f wickets: One for 10, 2-88, 3-97, 4-99, 5-148, 6-187, 7-197, 8-205. Bowling: Miller, none for 24; Freer, 1 for 25; Toshack, none for six; Tribe, none for 62; Johnson, 4 for 31; McCool, 3 for 56.