AUSTRALIA STILL LEADS

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 325, 5 January 1937, Page 7

AUSTRALIA STILL LEADS

EXCITING CRICKET. j MELBOURNE TEST. j I i Bradman Shows Return To Old Form. Press Association—Copyright. Melbourne-, January 4. The third cricket t st match between England and Australia was continued to-day. At stumps Australia in its second innings had scored 19’4 runs for the loss of five wickets. Australia is now 318 runs in the lead. , Another huge crowd assembled. I thought, states Hobbs in his special ! comment, with all Saturday’s rain and an absence of sun yesterday that the wicket would not have a chance io dry but a persistent wind did the trick. An extra 10 minutes’ rolling allowed yesterday also helped. At first the ball got »u-p but not above the batsmen’s thighs. The blows they received were due chiefly to their refusal to take risk by- putting the bat to the ball. The wicket gradually improved at the interval and though it was certainly on the slow side it looked quite good. I then saw little prospect of dismissing Australia for a small score.. The batsmen started off after lunch with confidence.

Glimpse of Real Bradman. For the first time in a te£t this season we caught a glmpse of the real Bradman during Voce’s first over after the resumption. He hooked and late cut to the boundary, sent a three past extra cover and hit two off a noball, compiling 13 in the over. Allen’s first ball was hit for three, Bradman adding 16 in nine balls when the players again had to scamper to the pavilion. The bowlers had to contend vith a wet ball. Conditions favoured the Australians again to-day They appear destined to win this game for every turn of the weather s.el® to their advantage. England had its first two tests so cannot complain. Rain came to-day just as the game begun to get really interesting. It was all against the fielding side. The weather is still very unsettled. Whichever way 1 look at it I am impressed that England is in a bad way and only a miracle can save it. I th ink now the writing was on tue \\all from the moment Bradman spun the coin on Friday morning. For the last 50 minutes to-day the ball was like a bit of soap, the bowlers having to use a towel between nearly every delivery. The attendance was 87,798 and the takings amounted to £7405 3s 2d, a new world’s record, surprisingly beating the New Year’s Day figures. Details are: AUSTRALIA. First Innings. J. H. Fingleton, c Sims, b Robins 38 W. A. Brown, c Ames, b Voce . . 1 D. G. Bradman, c Robins, b Verity 13 K. E. Rigg, c Verity, b Allen . . 16

S. G. McCabe, c Worthington, b Voce 63 L. S. Darling, c Allen, b Verity . 20 M. Sievers, st Ames, b Robins . 1 Oldfield, not out 27 O'Reilly, c Sims, b Hammond . 4 Ward, st Aimes, b Hammond .. . 7 Extras 10 Total (for one wicket dec.) 200 Bowling: Voce 2 for 49, Allen 1 for 35, Sims 0 for 35, Verity 2 for 24, Robins 2 for 31, Hammond 2 for 16. Second Innings. O'Reilly, c and b Voce 0 Fleet;wood-Smj(lli,. c 5jei';(*y, b V oce 0 Ward, c Hardstaff, b Verity .. .. 18 Rigg, lbw (new rule), b Sims . 47 Brown, c Barnett, b Voce 20 Fingleton, not out 39 Bradman, not out 56 Extras 14 Total (for five wickets) .. .. 194 Bowling. Voce 3 for 66, Hammond 0 for 22, Allen 0 for 23, Sims 1 for 33, Verity 1 for 15, Rabins 0 fu 8, Woidnington 0 for 13. ENGLAND. First Innings. Worthington, c Bradman, b MeCabe .. 0 Barnett, c Darling, b Sievers.. . 11 Hammond, c Darling, b Sievers . Leyland, c Darling, b O’Reilly . 17 Sims, c Brown, b Sievers 3 Ames, b Sievers 3 Robins v c O'Reilly, b Sievers . 0 Hardstaff. b O'Reilly Allen, not out 0 Verity, c Brown, b O'Reilly .. . 0 Voce, not out.. o Extras rt Totatl (for nine wickets dec.) . 7G