BRADMAN DECLARES WITH RECORD SCORE

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5282, 19 December 1946, Page 5

BRADMAN DECLARES WITH RECORD SCORE

(Press Assn-

EIGHT DOWN' FOR 659 ENGUND HAS CHANCE; THREE. FOR 247

- Rec . 9.30 p.m.)

SYDNEY, Dec. 18. The end of the fifth day's play in the second Test saw England fighting gallantly to avert defeat. The Englishmen need 158 ^*uns to wipe out their first inning's deficit and there are seven wickets in hand. ■ The match ends tomorrow. They batted freely to-day on a wicket which is wearing well but slowly becoming dusty. Edrich and Compton, in adding 102 runs for the third wicket, did a grand job for England. Edrich, top-scorer in the first innings, is approaching a well-deserved century. The -attendance to-day was 20,102, making an aggregate for the five days of 186,945. This is a record attendance • for a Sydney Test. It was a glorious day when McCool and Tallon resumed Australia's inn„ings. The intention to force t'he pace was apparent from the start, and 24 runs were added in a quarter of an hour before McGool drove Hammond an easy catch in the slips. A grand sweep to the leg fence by Tallon raised 600 in 689 minutes, and in Wright's next over, Freer pulled him oVer the leg fence for the first six of the day. Taking a catch from Tallon off his own howling, Wright took his first wicket of the match. Freer and, Tribe, swung lustily at almost every^ ball, 18 coming from one of Wright's overs, and the next '50 oceupied only 23 minutes. The innings was declared closed at eight for 659, iftade in 705 minutes, and England was set 404 to avert an innings defeat. Australia's score is the ' highest Test score made ini Australia. The fielding of the Englishmen. was good, Washbrook being brilliant. Special mention must be made of the wieket-keeper, Evans, who did not allow a single bye in the total. England's second innings began at 1.5 p.m., and the 25 minutes before lunch was a sensational period. Compton batted in magnificent style, scoring 30 runs in 14 minutes. With the aid of six fours, -Hutton, with beautiful drives all round the wicket, reached 37 when in the last over before lunch, he drove the ball forcefully to mid-on and at the top of his stroke, the bat slipped from It'is hands, disturbing his wicket. This was a grave blow to England, as Hutton was in brilliant forni. « After lunch, the slow bowlers, McCool and Jo-hnson, took up the attack. Washbrook and Edrich continued to treat the Bowling with scant respect. In the eighties, however, the s-pin-bowlers fell into -good length, Johnson bowling three maidens in succession. England's second 50 took 53 minutes. Fighteen more had been added when McCool dived to hold a catch close to forward leg, to dismiss Washbrook for 41. The hatsmen had been contmually attending to the wicket with their bats, and the ball which dismissed Washbrook topped sharply. By the tea adjo-urnment England had reduced her defiicit to 251 runs, Edrich having reached his 50 in 99 minutes. Joh'nson and McCool carried the brunt of the attack, although Bradman made many changes, seven bowlers being tried by the time the score was two for 180. Edrich and Compton were very watc'hful, but lost no opportunity to score from anything loose. Two 'hunidred came up in the good time of 167 minutes. Miller and Freer operated with a new ball, but the batsmen went steadily on. Edrich passed his 72, previous top score, and Compton reached 50' in 100 minutes, the partnership being worth 100. Thereafter Compton was caught in the slips. He had batted for two hours, and hit five fours. Hammond's opening score came from a lofted shot over the bowler's head,-and in the next over, he lifted Johnson into the members' staiud; for six. At stumps, Edrich had been -batting 209 minutes, and had hit fiye fours. Details: —

Bowling: Bedser, one for 153; Edrich, 3 for 79 ; Wright, 1 for 169 ; Smith 2 for- 172; Ikin, none for 15; Compton, none for 38; Yardley, 1 for 23.

S. G. Barnes, c. Ikin b. Bedser 234 A. Morris, b. Edrich __ „ 5 I. Johnson, c. Washbrook b. Edrich 7 A. L. Hassett, c. COmptoh b. Edrich 34 K. Miller, c. Evans b. Smith „ 40 D. G. Bradman, l.b.w. b. Yardley 234 C. V.^McCool, c. Hammond b. Smith _ _ _ 42 D. Tallon, e. and b. Wright _ 30 F. Freer, not out ~ 28 G. Tribe, not out „ .. .. 25 Extras _ - .. -i .. _ 10 Total for 8 wickets (decl.) 659

AUSTRALIA — First Innings

. Second Innings / L. Hutton, h-it wicket b. Miller - 37 C, Washbrook, c. McCo-oI b. Johnson .. _ — .. __ 41 D. C. Compton, c. Bradman h. Freer - _ „ _ .. 54 W. J. Edrich, not out _ .. .. 86 W. R. Hammond, not out _ _ 15 Extras - _ _ „ „ _ 14 Total for 3 wickets 247

ENGLAND — First Innings — 255