PLAY IN SWEATERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 960, 1 May 1930, Page 9

PLAY IN SWEATERS

CRICKETERS FEEL KEEN ENGLISH BREEZE

FIRST MATCH IN PROGRESS United P.A.—By Telegraph—Copyright Reed. 9.5 a.m. LONDON, Wed. The Australian cricketers commenced the first match o£ their tour this morning against Worcestershire at Worcester. The ■weather was fine and the wicket soft. A stiff breeze was blowing across the pitch. The teams were:— Australia. Woodfull, Richardson, Bradman. Fairfax, Grimmett, Hornibrook. Jackson. McCabe, Oldfield, A'Beckett and Wall. Worcester.—Jewell. W T right, Nichol, Gibbons, V. Fox, Walters, Root, Brook. Styler, Gilbert, Jackson. Jewell captained the local side owing to the indisposition of the Hon. J. B. Coventry, who was to have done so. Jewell won the toss and elected to bat. Woodfull led the Australians on to j the field punctually at noon in the face of a battery of newspaper and , cinema cameras. Jewell, one of the opening batsmen, , scored three runs of Wall’s first . over. A’Beckett, at the other end, bowled more slowly than usual. The wicket was true and the balls ’ did not rise high. The batsmen ap- , peared to be comfortable against ■ A’Beckett, who was pitching the bail outside the stumps. Wall also caused them no anxiety. When Jewell had made 7 runs he was caught by Fairfax off Grimmett. Nichol was run out for 8. Wright and Fox fell leg-before-wicket to Grimmett for 2S and 0 respectively. Grimmett displaced Wall and dismissed Jewell with his third ball, the . full toss being hit hard and straight to Fairfax, who took the ball kneel- ! ing. All the Australians played in sweaters, the bowlers even replacing • them between the overs owing to the keen breeze. Grimmett and Hornibrook were an . effective combination in keeping down i runs, but Nichol hit the first four of the match off the Queenslander after 45 minutes’ play. A splendid running pick-up by Woodfull at mid-off dismissed Nichol, Grim- . mett whipping off the bails in the • nick of time. , An hour’s play produced 45 runs. Gibbons, a young professional who i headed the Worcestershire averages last year, was shaky against Grimmett, but faced Hornibrook with confidence, bringing the total up to 50. SLOW BATTING Grimmett, after an hour's bowling, got Wright and Fox off successive | balls leg before wicket. After lunch Walters and Gibbons j improved the rate of scoring. Wall , | was taken off after another brief in- , effectual spell in favour of Fairfax. The hundred appeared for 130 minutes’ play. , Two smart pieces of work by Oldfield dismissed Walters and Root. After , a period of slow, shaky batting Fairfax beat Brooks, shattering his . wicket. Grimmett, despite two and a-quar- , ter hours’ bowling, was accurate and persistent. Oldfield gained his third victim when Styler attempted a foolish run. Fairfax rooted up the middle stump again when he dismissed Gilbert, and two balls later he got Jackson. In the innings of 165 minutes, the Australians did not miss a chance. Woodfull and Jackson opened the visitors’ innings at 3.50, both batsmen refusing to nibble at leg theory bowling. Twenty runs were scored in as many minutes, the batsmen repeatedly sending Root and Jackson to the boundary. WOODFULL CONFIDENT Woodfull's batting was full of confidence. There was little venom in the Worcester attack, and when Root was taken off the scoring rate was one a minute. Jackson was well caught at square leg by Walters. Woodfull and Bradman were cautious after tea against the accurate bowling of Root and Brooks. Woodfull reached 50 in 90 minutes. Worcester's fielding was poor. Bradman, gathering confidence, hit harder and obtained 50 in an hour. When" stumps were drawn Woodfull had been at the crease 145 minutes, having scored seven boundaries. Bradman had batted 90 minutes, securing eight fours. WORCESTER First Innings JEWELL, c Fairfax, b Grimmett .- 7 WRIGHT, lb\v, b Grimmett 28 XIGHOL. run cnit 8 GIBBONS, not out 31 FOX. lnw. b Grimmett n WALTERS, st Oldfield, b Grimmett ROOT, st Oldfield, b Fairfax 0 BROOKS, l» Fairfax 2 STYLER. run out 12 GILBERT, b Fairfax . . 0 JACKSON*, lbw, b Fairfax O Extras .. 12 Total 121 Bowling: Wall, 0-21: .VBeokett, 0-2: Grimmett, 4-3 S; Hornibr :>ok, 0-22. Fair fax, 4-36. AUSTRALIA First Innings WOODFULL, not out u:-, JACKSON, e Walters, b Brook .. 24 BRADMAN, not out 75 Extras - - .. .. .. .. 5 i One wicket for •• 123