A BATTINC WIZARD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 May 1938, Page 7

A BATTINC WIZARD

BRADMAN SCORES 278

AUSTRALIA TOPS 500. M.C.C. FOLLOW ON. By Telegraph—Press Association. Copyright. LONDON, May 16. The match between Australia and the M.C.C. team was resumed today when the visitors’ innings came to a close with a score of 502. M.C.C. replied with 214, and following on had 87 up for the loss of 1 wicket when stumps were drawn. The weather was cool and cloudy when play opened. BRADMAN PUNISHES BOWLING. Bradman soon passed his previous highest score of the tour. He did not appear to be troubled by his injured foot when running today. He began to punish the fast bowling, especially Fames. Smith, however, enforced more respect from Bradman. Smith got Bradman’s wicket when the latter was attempting a cover drive, which he lifted, being beautifully caught by Robins a few inches from the ground. He had batted 350 minutes. He hit one 6 and thirty-five 4’s. WICKETS FALL FAST. Barnett was soon out leg before wicket. Waite was next to go in the same manner after a scratchy display. McCormick was easily caught at the wickets. O’Reilly was brilliantly caught low down lefthanded at second slip. The innings lasted seven hours. Smith, though never bowling with great pace, kept a good length. With only 18 on the board Wilcox played a ball too late and was bowled. BEAUTIFUL BATTING.

Edrich and Compton, who are regarded as among the most promising batsmen of the season, then became associated. They played beautifully until lunch, but after the interval O’Reilly worried Compton until he claimed him as a leg before wicket victim. Wyatt was most uncomfortable at the start but later settled down and hit. boldly. Edrich bamboozled the leg spinner. Chalk, in a brief innings, batted with great exuberance. He hit a sixer at the expense of Fleetwood-Smith. HAT TRICK MISSED. McCormick, whose first spell of bowling was costly, returned at 138, and bowled Human and Maxwell with successive balls. Robins played uncertainly, and was twice beaten before being caught on the boundary. The tail batted with little skill. Marylebone was dismissed after 180 minutes’ play. Wyatt alone showed class batsmanship against the spin bowlers. He batted 135 minutes and hit nine boundaries. Marylebone followed on at 5.15 p.m. when 20,000 persons were present. A CONFIDENT START. The first wicket had confidently put on 43 runs when Wilcox played a ball on to his wicket. Edrich continued batting in fine style and collected 16 runs from one over from Fleetwood-Smith. He reached 50 in an hour.

McCormick caught his foot in a pothole in the crease and left the field with a strained tendon in the ankle. The scores were as follow; — AUSTRALIA. First Innings. Fingleton, b Smith 44 Brown, b Fames 5 McCabe, b Smith 33 Badcock, b Stephenson 14 Hassett, c Maxwell, b Compton .... 57 Bradman, c Robins, b Smith 278 Waite, lbw, b Smith 26 Barnett, lbw, b Stephenson 1 O’Reilly, c Compton, b Smith .... 17 McCormick, c Maxwell, b Smith 9 Fleetwood-Smith, not out 3 Extras 15 Total 502 Bowling.—Fames, 1 for 88; Smith, 6 for 139; Stephenson, 2 for 112; Robins, 0 for 69; Wyatt, 0 for 27; Compton, 1 for 37; Edrich, 0 for 15. M.C.C. First Innings. Edrich, c McCabe, b FleetwoodSmith 31 Compton, lbw, b O’Reilly 23 Wyatt, not out 84 Chalf, lbw, b Fleetwood-Smith .... 15 Human, b McCormick 5 Maxwell, b McCormick 0 Robins, c McCabe, b O’Reilly .... 12 Stephenson, c and b FleetwoodSmith 1 Smith, c Hassett, b FleetwoodSmith 17 Fames, c Fingleton, b O’Reilly .... 0 Extras 20 Total 214 Bowling.—McCormick, 2 for 55; Waite, 1 for 28; O’Reilly, 3 for 42; Fleetwood-Smith, 4 for 69. Second Innings. Wilcox, b McCabe 16 Edrich, not out 53 Compton, not out 12 Extras 6 Total for 1 wicket 87 WYATT PREVENTS DEBACLE SUCCESS OF SPIN BOWLERS (Recd This Day, 9.35 a.m.) LONDON, May 16. The Australian Associated Press says that though fielding at least six

test possibles Marylebone will need to bat much better tomorrow than they did today if the run of Australian successes is to be stopped. The spin bowling today dismissed most of Marylebone team. Wyatt, whose experience saved the M.C.C. from a debacle was repeatedly beaten.