CRICKET.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2565, 28 July 1909, Page 6

CRICKET.

THE AUSTRALIANS IN ENGLAND.

THE FOURTH TEST

United Punas Association— Coptiuoht LONDON, July 26. .Hartigan, Carkeek, Whitty, O’Con*or, Macalister, Woolley, Thompson, and Garr were omitted from the teams, the Australian being as follows: Gregory, ■ Bardsley, Hansford, Noble, Trumper, .Barnes, Armstrong, Hopkins, Macartney, Cotter, and Carter. Nolle*, the Australian captain, won the toss], and decided to hat, the Australians/ concluding their first innings for 147. The scores were' as follows: . AUSTRALIANS (Ist innings). S. E. Gregory, b Blythe 3 J W. Bardsley, b Barnes J V. Ransford, 1.b.w., b Barnes ... * M. A. Noble, b Blythe ... ... ••• 17 V. T. Trumper, c. Hutchings, b Barnes 2 W. W. Armstrong, not out J2 A. J. Hopkins, b Blythe o c. G. Macartney, b Barnes 5 A. Cotter," c Tyldsley, b Blythe ... 17 H. Carter, lbw, b Barnes Id F. Laver, b Blythe ... ~ 11 Sundries I*^

Total ... -v ... . ••• 147 Bowling analysis: Hirst 0 wickets for 15 runs; Barnes 5 for 50, Blythe 5 for 63 England’s first innings closed for 119, the scores being: ENGLAND (Ist innings.) P. F. Warner, b Macartney 9 R. H. Spooner, c and b Cotter ' ... 2o J. T. Ty.desley, c Armstrong, b Laver 15 J. Sharp, c Armstrong, b Laver ... 3 W. Rhodes, c Carter, b Laver ... 0 K. L. Hutchings, b Cotter J Maelaren, lbw, b Laver lo A. A. Lilley, not out G. H. Hirst, c Hopkins, b Laver ... 1 S. F. Barnes, b leaver 6 C. Blythe, b Laver 1 Sundries Total Bowling analysis: Noble 0 for 11, Macartney 1 lor 31, Cotter 2 for 37, Laver 7 for 31.

THE PLAY. Play was delayed for a ( quarter of an hour. The weather was very boisterous and windy. Late in the afternoon the sun appeared, but the first part of the day was very cheerless. Eighteen thousand spectators were present. Hirst and Barnes started the bowling, Gregory commencing with a lucky stroke to slip for four. The sixth over saw Bardsley’s middle-stump go, the ball coming quickly off the pitch • 1 for 13. Ransford, after scoring four, got his ie<r in front. He was beaten by the previous ball—-2 for 21. . Barnes was bowling splendidly, but Hirst was keeping an uncertain length. At 32, Blythe^displaced Hirst, and the newcomer’s third over disposed of Gregory while ho was attempting to sweep a ball to leg. He batted for an hour. He started in a shaky manner, but improved. He hit Barnes for a fourer —3 for 53. Noble and Trumper got together.. The former batted in a skilful manner, but Trumper was taken cleverly at second slip, Hutchings falling m catching the ball—4 for 47; The half century was raised in 75 minutes. The pitch was difficult, though scarcely breach erous. It was too slow for the Australians. Noble played back to a quicker ball from Blythe and lost liis wicket, after an hour’s excellent cricicet—s for 58. Armstrong kept plodding along with Hopkins to the luncheon adjournment. On resuming, the Sydneyite foil a victim to Blythe’s first over—6 for 66. Armstrong got 20 together, including two tourers off Barnes, who was pitching short. Macartney, playing hack to Barnes, was put out. When he had scored three he was nearly run out, lie and Armstrong being at one end together, but Lilley blundered—7 for 87. Tho century was compiled in 135 minutes. Cotter, who joined Armstrong, was brief but lively. He drove Blythe out of the ground for six, but got out in the same over, after fifteen minutes’ play. Tyldesley caught him at long-on—B for _llO. Armstrong still hatted very cautiously. Carter quickly hit off 13 before he got his leg in front —9 for 128. Armstrong was 100 minutes getting 32, but his play was faultless. Laver knocked 11 off Blythe in three hits before the bowler got his revenge. After lunch both Barnes and Blythe howled an uncertain length. The sun deigned to shine when Warner and Spooner went to the wickets. The bowling was entrusted to Noble and Macartney; 20 minutes’ play produced 10 runs. The'bowling was steady and the fielding smart. When 20 had appeared Laver replaced Nolle. Both batsmen were careful, hut Warner, playing hack to Macartney, lost his wicket—l for 24. Nino runs later Cotter relieved Macartney, and Spooner was easily caught off the fast bowler’s first over. He had given a stylish and e faultless display—2 for 39. Tyldesley was scoring slowly. Sharp, who succeeded Spooner, was easily taken in the slips—3 for 44. Rhodes narrowly missed being caught by Ransford at long on, before ho scored. Shortly after Carter snapped him at the wicket—4 for 50. The total was the result of 80 minutes’

play. Tyldosley, who had been at the wickets for three-quarters of an hour, was easily caught in the slips—s for 63. Hutchings, when ho had scored a single, was missed in the slips by Armstrong, off Cotter, hut the latter bowled him a few' minutes later —6 for 72. Maclaren then became partner wi th Lilley. (Received July 27, 5.5 p.m.) Maclaren and Lilley had a bright partnership of 25 minutes. Cotter was punished; Macartney relieved him at 1)1 —7 for 99. Hirst succeeded his skipper, but'was caught ah long-on after scoring a single—B for 103. Barnes played the first ball on without the total being altered, Blythe, the last man, joined Lilley, who played pluckily for 59 minutes. Before Laver got him, Blythe was missed by Bardsley, off Macartney. The innings occupied 160 minutes, the batting generally _ being feeble. Laver bowled 18 overs, including seven maidens.

THE TEST. The weather in England this summer appears to be as capricious as the mind of a very young maid, and the eighteen thousand spectators who assembled at the Old Trafford ground, at Manchester, on Monday, to witness the commencement of the fourth test match of the present series between Australia and England must have brought their overcoats and foot war mors with them in order to have'enjoyed themselves. The weather was very ooisterous and windy. Late in the afternoon the sun - appeared, but the great part of the • day was very cheerless,” runs the cable message. The wicket was very wet, as itho result of a storm overnight, hut a „ high wind helped to dry the wicket, v Under such conditions the bowlers would be able to make the ball do anyi -+ nnd A,nstralia’s open"wd Ah/ ■•••>

such a wicket. Warwick Armstrong, the stalwart Victorian, was top-scorer, and batted faultlessly for 100 minutes for 32, being unbeaten at the finish. One cannot help thinking that lie’could be sent in earlier with advantage, as he is in better form than any man on the side.' Considering the excellent form ho has maintained throughout the four, it would pay to send Armstrong in before Noblo and 1 romper m the big matches. A peculiar thing about the English bowling is that Barnes, who secured five wickets for 50 runs, plays for a second-class county (Staffordshire). A wealthy patron of the game gives Barnes a liberal retaining fee to secure Ills services for Staffordshire, and ho sensibly keeps out 01 first-class cricket for that reason. Blythe, the Kentish left-hander, generally does well against the Australians on English wickets, and his five for 63 on Monday will add further lustro to his bowling laurels. Blythe gets a big finger break on a wicket that helps h-m. Playing for Kent against Lancashire at Old Trafford about the middle of June, Blythe sent down an off-break to Jack Tyldesley, which broke at right angles across the pitch, hit Jack on the elbow, and drooped on the stumps. Blythe laughed, but Tyldesley didn t.You see, they were viewing the incident from different standpoints. No doubt Blythe .got some of these weird deliveries on to the Australians on Mom day. To prove that youth is not everything, the oldest man in the English team, A. A. Lilley, the wicketkeeper, who is 42 years of age, was top-scorer for his side, with 26. R. H. Spooner, the young Lancashire amateur, being a ’close second with 25. Hats off to Frank Laver, the genial manager of the Australian team, for his fine bowling performance. Here again, the veteran triumphed over the younger generation, as Laver was born at Melbourne as far back as December 7th, 1869. Laver is not really a member of the terfm at all, but simply manager. He bowls with a high action and easy delivery, keeping an accurate length, and" rising quickly from the pitch. He has also mastered the art of making the ball swerve, and his performance of capturing seven wickets for 31 runs on Monday is about as .good a performance as any of the giants of the past have done for Australia in the long lists of these historic contests. Laver is by no means a baa batsman, and at one time held the Australian record "score, having made 352, not out, for East. Melbourne against St. Kilda in. 1893. It speaks volumes for the batting strength of the present Australian eleven when Laver is last man to go in. After a knock each, there is only a difference of 28 runs in favor of Australia, and it is anybody’s game vet. Let us hope there was a better wicket for the second day’s play, otherwise it is quite possible that the match will be concluded on the sec. ond day. Interest is very keen locally, and last evening, ■as usual while the Test' matches are m progress, many queries were made over the telephone wires to the “Times” office as to how the first day’s play had gone.