AUSTRALIA WINS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 July 1938, Page 5

AUSTRALIA WINS

GREAT FINISH TO FOURTH TEST Sensational Fight for Runs O’REILLY BOWLS WITH DEADLY EFFECT By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright. (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) LONDON, July 25. Fighting against the weather the Australians made a sensational finish of the fourth cricket Test, eventually winning by five wickets. Batting hard for runs the Australians, after having disposed of England in the second innings for 123, defied the (elements and went for the bowling under conditions which were decidedly in favour of the bowlers. Hassett played most determinedly and when he saw the rain coming on he jumped at practically every ball, often running up the pitch to meet the ball. Barnett eventually made the winning hit. O’Reilly, assisted by the state of the wicket, had the English batsmen scratching for (runs, and eventually came out with the splendid average of 5 wickets for 56 runs. Fleetwood-Smith was also in good form with the ball and captured 4 wickets at a cost of 44 runs. When Hamond was dismissed first ball England’s hopes went down to zero, and finally Australia was left with 105 runs to get to win. Long queues had early formed up at the gates and over 30,000 spectators were round the ground when Edrich and Barnett came out to resume England’s second innings. Light rain overnight was followed by light dew, but the wicket did not appear to be materially affected.

O’REILLY IN GOOD FORM. McCormick and O’Reilly opened the attack, and it was early evident that the wicket was easy paced. In McCormick’s fourth over of the day Barnett, in endeavouring to hook a short ball, skied it, and was nicely caught by Brown. He had added 9 to his overnight score of 20. Hardstaff then came in. Following a leg-bye off the next ball, Edrich chopped down on the next, which kept low. The ball, hitting the ground behind the batting crease, bounced up and touched the wicket, but did not dislodge the bails. Two overs later a ball from McCormick rose sharply and Edrich received a painful blow on a finger. Fleetwood-Smith then took over from O’Reilly, a single off the first ball to Hardstaff being the only score. O’Reilly then replaced McCormick at the other end. Hardstaff took a good four to square leg off his first ball. With the total at 70 O’Reilly cleanbowled Hardstaff with a ball that broke in from the leg and took the off stump. Off the next ball Hammond was finely caught by Brown at short leg, and< England’s position looked serious.

Paynter, taking a single off O’Reilly’s next ball, stopped the hat trick, but off the first ball of Fleetwood-Smith’s next over Edrich was stumped, Barnett whipping off the bails as the batsman moved forward, and was beaten by the break of the ball. Paynter brought up 100 after 135 minutes with a four off FleetwoodSmith. With a further 20 on the board, Price, who had been shaping well, was beaten by a break from FleetwoodSmith and was given out leg-before wicket. Six for 116. WICKET HELPS BOWLERS. The wicket was undoubtedly proving of great help to the spin bowlers, and the heavy atmosphere was helping their flighting of the ball. O’Reilly appealed for a “bowled” decision against Paynter with the score still unchanged, but apparently the ball had rebounded from Barnett’s pads, and the decision went against the bowler. Having survived only five balls from Fleetwood-Smith, Verity was clean bowled by a “wrong ’un,” and with his next ball Fleetwood-Smith had

Wright caught by Waite in the slips, and England had lost eight wickets for 116, being only 97 in the lead. In his next over, which was the last over before lunch, O’Reilly captured the wickets of Fames and Bowes, and England were all out, leaving Australia with 105 to get to win. Paynter had played a. solid knock for 21 not out.

O’Reilly’s five wickets this morning cost only 45 runs, while FleetwoodSmith had taken four for 32, their analyses for the innings being five for 56 and four for 44 respectively. The English innings lasted 170 minutes, all the wickets falling in 115 minutes for the addition of seventy-four runs. DEVASTATING COMBINATION. It was an astounding morning’s cricket. The devastating combination of O’Reilly and Fleetwood-Smith gave the batsmen no rest from the spin. They got on top and stayed there. Three times during the innings two wickets fell with successive balls. After the opening partnership had been broken Paynter alone threatened trouble, but failing to keep his strike he did not score a run after the fall of the sixth wicket. The sun came out warmly when the Australians opened their second innings after lunch. Fingleton and Brown began in a grim fashion, but with seventeen runs on the board Brown was out. A total of 78 runs was needed when Bradman came in. He was ten minutes before opening his score with a single. Then he survived a leg before appeal from Bowes. Verity was brought on at 32 and in the first over he dismissed Fingleton whom be had beaten with the previous ball. McCabe got smartly off the mark with' five, including four for overthrows. Bradman drove Verity for three, and McCabe hooked the ball to the boundary, the over yielding 14 runs. Wright came on at 48. Bradman cut the third ball to Verity low in the slips. The score board then read 3 for 50. In Wright’s second over McCabe pulled a longhop straight into the hands of forward short leg. 4 for 61. HASSETT BATS DARINGLY. Thunder was threatening and the light was bad when Badcock partnered Hassett. The latter batted daringly, despite quick bowling changes. Fearing rain Hassett hit out and was caught in the covers when he skied a ball in attempting a big drive.

Fourteen runs were wanted to win when Barnett came in and though the rain was now falling play continued. Barnett scored a boundary. The total was 5 for 96 when rain stopped play at 3.50 p.m. The light was better when the game was resumed at 4.5 o’clock, with only nine runs required for victory. Barnett scored a single from Bowes, and then in Faroes’s next over he square cut him for two successive 4’s, and Australia had won the test. The players grabbed the stumps and the bails, and the crowd swarmed across the pitch to the pavilion. Long afterwards thousands thronged around the pavilion, calling out: “We want Bradman.” On appearing the Australian captain was warmly cheered. The

crowd refused to leave until Hammond and Bradman shook hands on the balcony. The attendance today was 36,000. The total for the match was 93,000 and the takings at the turnstiles amounted to £9,291. The scores are as follow: — ENGLAND. First Innings 223 Second Innings. Edrich, st Barnett, b FleetwoodSmith 28 Barnett, c Brown, b McCormick .... 29 Hardstaff, b O’Reilly H Hammond, c Brown, b O’Reilly .... 0 Paynter, not out 21 Compton, c Barnett, b O’Reilly .... 15 Price, lbw, b Fleetwood-Smith .... 6 Verity, b Fleetwood-Smith 0 Wright, c Waite, b FleetwoodSmith 0 Fames, b O’Reilly 7 Bowes, lbw, b O’Reilly 0 Extras 6 Total 123 Fall of wickets: One for 61, two for 73, three for 73, four for 75, five for 96, six for 116, seven for 116, eight for 116, nine for 123, ten for 123. Bowling Analysis.

AUSTRALIA. First Innings 242 Second Innings. Fingleton, lbw, b Verity 9 Brown, lbw, b Farnes 9 Bradman, c Verity, b Wright 16 McCabe, c Barnett, b Wright 15 Hassett, c Edrich, b Wright 33 Badcock, not out 5 Barnett, not out 15 Extras 5 Total, 5 wickets for 107 Fall of wickets: 1 for 17, 2 for 32, 3 for 50, 4 for 61, 5 for 91. Bowling.

AN EXTRAORDINARY MATCH. HASSETT’S COOL HEAD TURNED SCALES(Recd This Day, 10.55 a.m.) LONDON, July 25. The Australian Associated Press says: “Win or lose at the Oval, Australia will retain the ashes.” The fourth Test was an extraordinary match, confounding nearly every forecast and ended in a gallant victory for the Australians, who batted with determination against bowling which might have overawed a less stout-hearted side. One hundred and five runs does not sound many to get, but so many queer things have happened at Leeds that it was ■ impossible to take anything for granted. The match was in the balance when Brown, Fingleton, Bradman and McCabe had gone. It was then Hassett’s cool head that turned the scales. Australia, losing the toss and having the worst of the light, unquestionably deserved to win this Test, which probably will go down in history as O’Reilly’s match, but Bradman’s steadfastness on Saturday was an unforgettable contribution.” J. B. Hobbs, writing in the “Star” says: “The English batsmen’s difficulties were due to the ball hanging on the pitch. It was not the ball turning but the pace off the wicket with the atmosphere allowing the ball to do something in the air, which baffled them.”

AUSTRALIA v. SOMERSET. HOME TEAM SELECTED. (Recd This Day, 10.0 a.m.) LONDON, July 25. The Somerset team to meet the Australians has been selected as follows: — Longrigg, Lyon, Meyer, Ingle, Lee, Buse, Gimblett, Andrews, Wellard, Luckes and Hazel.

O. M. R. W. McCormick 11 4 18 1 Waite 2 0 9 0 O’Reilly 21 8 56 5 Fleetwood-Smith 16 4 44 4

O. M. R. W. Fames 11 3.4 17 1 Bowes 11 0 35 0 Verity 5 2 24 1 VZright 5 0 26 3