England Batting

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1053, 18 August 1930, Page 9

England Batting

FIVE WICKETS FOR 316 Play in Final Test SUTCLIFFE KNOCKS UP 138 NOT OUT United P.M. —By Telegraph—Copyright wnvll 10,5 , B '.™’ LONDON, Sunday. *■ lhi nxth and final Test cricket match, Australia v. England r was begun yesterday at Hie Oval. The weather was line and the wicket in good order. England won the toss and when stumps were drawn had

made 316 runs for live wickets. Wyatt, the new captain, who received an ovation, lias made 39 not out, and Sutcliffe has scored 138 not out.

The-teams are: England Australia R. K. S. Wyatt W. M. Woodful] (eaptaln) (captain) K. S. Duleepsinhji I). G. Bradman •T. U. Hobbs A. Fairfax H. Sutcliffe A. Jackson w. W. Whysall A. F. Kippax W. R. Hammond W. A. Oldfield M. Lryland W. H. Ponsford M. W. Tate C. V. Grimmett H. Larwood T. Wall G. Duckworth P. M. Hornlbrook I. A. R. Peebles S. McCabe E. Henclren is 12tli man for England and V. Y. Richardson for Australia. There was a buzz of excitement hours before the commencement of the match, which is to be played to a finish. The morning was crisp and pleasant and 20,000 spectators were present an hour before the start. In addition hundreds of people were seated in temporary stands outside the grounds erected by the owners of properties commanding a view of the playing area, for which high prices are being charged. Occupants of humble flats alongside the Oval also reaped a harvest from balcony seats. BATTING SOLIDITY

The crowd inside wandered freely over the ground except the roped-off wicket and thronged round Woodfull as he stopped to consult the groundsman as he returned to the pavilion with Ponsford and McCabe from practice. It was not surprising that Parker was left out of England’s team because the conditions are not likely to favour his type of bowling. The Australian captain made a last minute decision, preferring Jackson to Richardson. The selectors aimed at solidity in batting at all costs. Ten runs in half an hour indicated the batsmen’s carefulness. Wall’s first six overs cost only four runs, but Hobbs hit four off his seventh. Bradman’s fine fielding twice cut off boundary hits. Fairfax took Wall’s end at 19, he and Grimmett each sending down successive maidens to the batsmen, who only scored 20 in an hour. Plainly they were trying to wear down the bowling. McCabe came on at 24, Hobbs driving his first ball for four and reaching his 20. Sutcliffe was then only eight. Play was unexciting but satisfactory from the English point of view, the bowlers seeming to make little impression on the rock-like defence. The ball barely reached- the outfield, where sparrows hopped peacefully about. McCabe puzzled Hobbs with two successive balls, but Grimmett did not seem to worry the batsmen. Hobbs square cut Grimmett to the boundary and raised 50 after 100 minutes’ play. HOBBS CAUGHT

Jackson fell among the spectators in trying to save a four. Hobbs beau- | tifully hooked a long hop from Wall i to the boundary, but off the next ball, in attempting to repeat the stroke, he put the easiest possible catch into the hands of Kippax. The veteran had played a good Innings of 115 minutes for 47 and had hit four fours. Whysall started uncomfortably against Grimmett, and had not scored at the luncheon interval, when the total ‘was 71, of which Sutcliffe had made 21. Thirty-two thousand spectators were present when play was resumed in cool, cloudless weather. Sutcliffe and Whysall batted brightly against Wall and Grimmett, procuring singles through carefullychosen gaps. Sutcliffe, after batting 135 minutes, hit his first four by lifting one from Grimmett to the on boundary. Whysall was looking like making runs when he became Wall’s second victim through getting in front of a full toss. FREE BATTING Duleepsinhji mis-hit Wall’s first delivery for a single, then quickly got into his stride with a two to cover point off Grimmett, which brought the first 100 on the board. Remembering Duleepsinhji’s previous discomfiture at the hands of Hornibrook, Woodfull brought on the Queenslander at 120 in place of Grimmett, but the Indian knocked five off his first two deliveries. As showing how the scoring livened up the first hour produced 20 runs, the second 51 and the third 64. Duleepsinhji was chiefly repsonsible. He equalled Sutcliffe’s 41 when he hit Hornibrook for two fours in one over. Sutcliffe had 150 minutes’ start of the Indian, who reached his 50 in as many minutes. Then Duleepsinhji tried to hit a six off Grimmett and skied the ball to Fairfax, who took an easy catch. The batsman had hit five fours and given a dashing display, full of confidence. With Hammond’s advent the scoring slowed down. The newcomer awaited the right ball to hit, after having sent the first from Wall to the boundary—a characteristic cover drive. McCabe, who was doing good work in Richardson’s place in the field, then took the ball and was rewarded by getting Hammond’s wicket at the end of half an hour’s batting, just when he looked like settling down permanently. Hammond’s dismissal spoiled what had looked like a formidable partner ship, to which the crowd had been looking forward. Leyland was beaten hopelessly bv Grimmett just before

[ tea time and the critical position of five for 197 faced England’s new captain, who was received with warm and sympathetic applause when he joined Sutcliffe, the spectators recognising the heavy responsibility laid upon his shoulders in rather embarrassing circumstances. WYATT'S NARROW ESCAPE Wyatt had two narrow escapes straight away. Grimmett and McCabe each beat him and Oldfield each time whipped the bails off like lightning just as Wyatt had managed to regain the crease. He must have welcomed the tea adjournment, which came when the score was five for 199. Sutcliffe, by infinite patience, had G 6 to his credit for 250 fninutes’ play. The attendance had now reached 35,000. On resuming- Wyatt batted uncertainly and seemed lucky to get a four through the slips off McCabe. England’s new captain then hit a ball perilously close to McCabe at silly mid-off. Next he survived au appeal for leg-before. Wall took a new ball at 221 and Sutcliffe began to hit out more freely. Wyatt was cheered on passing the fatal 13. Then he and the Yorkshireman began to punish loose ones and the figures rose steadily. CENTURY COMES UP Sutcliffe reached his century after five hours by turning one from Grimmett to leg. He received a great ovation for his first century in a Test match this season and the seventh in his career. The attack languished toward the close of the day. In spite of frequent changes in the bowling Sutcliffe brought the third 100 up in 335 minutes. Wyatt, after his early difficulties, stuck stubbornly to his task. In the last half-hour loose fielding and had throwing in gave away a number of runs. Oldfield, however, did not allow a single bye. Sutciiffe’s great effort (138 not out) occupied 350 minutes’ of actual play. It was a notable fact that he gave only one hot chance. He hit nine ffeurs. three threes and 14 twos. His unfinished partnership with Wyatt yielded 119. The spectators rushed the ground to obtain a glimpse of the new captain, whose success on his first appearance was heartily applauded. Details of the scores are: ENGLAND First innings HOBBS, c ICippax, b Wall 47 SUTCLIFFE, not out .... 1 !S WHYSALL, Ibw, b Wall 13 DULEEPSINHJI, c Fairfax, b Grimmett r,Q HAMMOND, b McCabe V 13 UEYLAND, b Grimmett 3 WYATT, not out 33 Extras 3 3 Total for five wickets 31(1 Fall of wickets—l/6S; 2/D7; 3/3 62; 4/199: s/1117 '