ENGLISHMEN MAKE GOOD RECOVERY

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5293, 4 January 1947, Page 5

ENGLISHMEN MAKE GOOD RECOVERY

(Press Assn

BATTING GIANTS FA'IL innings ends only 14 runs behind

. — Rec. 9.30 p.m.)

MELBOURNE, Jan. 3. The Englishmen made a good recovery in the Test match against Australia to-day and when their last wicket fell, they were only 14 behind Australia's first innings total. Australia made a bright opening in their second innings with Bames 19, not out, and Morris 14, not out. Bowling for Australia, Doolan'd madeva fine impression, taking four of England's wickets for only 5'9 runs. Hammond, Hutton and Compton, the three accepted battiug giants of the English tearn, contrihuted only 22 runs to England's total. This for England must .surely rank as a disaster of the first magnitude, hut with the high .and mighty humbled in the English dressing-room, the poor relations, so to speak, batted their way into prominence with such good effect that !Englah'd finished only a hare 14 . runs behind Australia's first innings' total of 365. ; After suffering sickening sethacks in the first period of play to-day, when the wickets of E'drieh, Compton, Washhrook and Hammond fell with the addition of only 46 runs, it must be regarded as a magnificent

achieVement for England to creep so closely to Australia's total. With only one wicket down oyernight for 147, England was in a glorious position with a chance of speeding well ahead of Australia in this vital third Test. Compton was out leg before to a bad piece -of wicket judgment. ' Hammond looked more like making a century than in any other game on this tour. He hegan sweepingly, hut was soon after caught magnificently by the alert .Dooland. The ball skimmed only two or three inches along the ground, and Dooland did a grand job to catch it. Yardley and Ikin cannot be praised too much. They not only scored runs at the rate of one a-minute, hut they hatted solidly, never seemingly hothered hy thq Australian attack. Ikin played his best innings of the tour. The wicket is still perfect, with no rain likely. ENGLAND — first innings, Hutton l.h.w. Lindwall • . . . . 89 Compton l.h.w. Toshack . . . . 11 Hammond c and b Dooland . . 9 Ikin c Miller b Dooland . . . . 48 Yardley b McCool 61 Evans h McCool • 17 Voce l.h.w., h Dooland .... 0 Bedser not out, . . 27 Wright b Johnson 10 Extras 15 Total • 351 Bowling: Lindwall two for 64; Miller none for 34; Toshack one for 88; McCool two for 53; Dooland four for 59; Johnson one for 28. AUSTRALIA — First innings 365 Second Innings. — Barnes not out, 19 Morris not out, 14 Total for no wickets . . . . 33 Bowling: Bedser none for 17; Edrieh none for 16.