100 Years Ago: 31 December 1924 to 8 January 1925

Heroic England falls short in thrilling Test

Melbourne: Australia v England (Second Test Match)

England have made two changes in their team for the second Test match, bringing in Johnny Douglas and Dick Tyldesley in place of Andy Sandham and Tich Freeman. Douglas will strengthen the batting, but it is hard luck on Freeman, who toiled manfully in the First Test and for much of the time had to carry the brunt of the bowling opposite Maurice Tate — a situation he is used to with Kent! His figures for the whole match were 86 overs for five wickets and 258 runs, which don’t do his efforts and skill justice. Sandham failed with the bat, but his deep fielding was a great asset to the team. We have not been given any specific news yet about those England players who struggled with injuries during the first Test —Tate, Jack Hearne and Frank Woolley — but obviously they are all considered fit enough to take their places in the team.

Australia have made just one change, bringing in the leg-spinner Albert Hartkopf in place of the fast-medium Hunter Hendry — Hartkopf is also a useful batsman. But whatever the teams may do with their bowling resources, another high-scoring Test match is likely unless the weather interferes with the pitch.

Day 1

Ponsford Saves Australia

AUSTRALIA 300/4 (W H Ponsford 128*, J M Taylor 72, V Y Richardson 39*). ENGLAND to bat.

Australia again won the toss and batted first on another perfect batting pitch in sunny weather against some steady England bowling, especially as expected by Maurice Tate, despite his painful toe, and backed by good fielding. Johnny Douglas took the new ball with Tate instead of Gilligan, as he can swing it more effectively. Herbie Collins and Warren Bardsley began the innings as if they were trying to make sure this Test match lasted eight days. They scored only 18 runs in the first half-hour, but soon afterwards Collins edged a difficult leg-side catch to Bert Strudwick, having scored just 9 runs off no fewer than 63 balls faced. Defence continued to smother the batting, which no doubt gave the bowlers a little extra confidence. Then at 47 Arthur Richardson was run out, looking for a single to a hit from Bardsley near Jack Hobbs, who made a superb save and then sent a quick return to the bowler Arthur Gilligan. Off the next delivery Bardsley was caught at the wicket and Australia were 47 for three in an hour and a quarter.

Bill Ponsford and Johnny Taylor now consolidated, with Ponsford the more fluent at first. Gradually both began to score more quickly, in relative terms, and they put on 161 for the fourth wicket in just under 2¼ hours. Again a run-out by Hobbs ended the partnership, as he brilliantly threw down Taylor’s wicket with a direct hit from cover point; it was a bad call from Ponsford. Vic Richardson settled in confidently, while Ponsford completed his century; no other batsman has scored centuries in both his first two Test matches, and this one on his home ground. The pair just brought up the 300 before the close of play with only four wickets down. The official crowd number was 49,411, a new record for a Test match.

Day 2

Vic Richardson Helps Australia to Record Score

AUSTRALIA 600 (W H Ponsford 128, V Y Richardson 138, C Kelleway 32, A E V Hartkopf 80, J M Gregory 44, W A S Oldfield 39*; M W Tate 3/142, A E R Gilligan 3/114). ENGLAND to bat. Overnight score was: Australia (1) 300/4 (Ponsford 128*, V Y Richardson 39*).

England made a good start to the day when Bill Ponsford played the first ball he faced today, from Maurice Tate, on to his wicket after batting for almost four hours. This just made way, though, for another major partnership, as Charles Kelleway joined Vic Richardson and they proceeded to add 123 for the sixth wicket. Richardson was the most aggressive of the major batsmen in this innings, making some powerful hits, while Kelleway sat on the splice and batted very dourly. Richardson batted about 3¼ hours for his 138 before being run out by Percy Chapman, and this meant there was a curiosity about Ponsford’s record of a century in both his first two Tests — neither of them was the highest individual score of the innings. Kelleway’s 32 eventually took about 2¼ hours.

There followed more fine batting by Dr Albert Hartkopf, a large athletic figure able to hit powerfully, who scored a fine 80 on his Test début, and Jack Gregory, who found his batting form with an aggressive 44 in 40 minutes before being caught at long-on. The slaughter was not yet over, as Bert Oldfield then added exactly 100 for the ninth wicket with Hartkopf, who was out with the score at 599; the crowd had been quick to recognize when their team beat the highest-ever Test match total. Arthur Mailey came in and scored the single to bring up the 600 before he was out just before the close of play. Not a single six was hit in this huge total on this large ground. The England bowling was steady throughout, but, apart from Tate, innocuous on this unhelpful pitch. Again England find themselves with a mountain to climb tomorrow.

Day 3

Hobbs and Sutcliffe Bat All Day

AUSTRALIA 600. ENGLAND 283/0 (J B Hobbs 154*, H Sutcliffe 123*). Overnight score was: Australia (1) 600 all out.

Despite Australia’s record score, England were still well in the match at the close of play today after Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe batted throughout the day without being parted, scoring 283 runs in the process. In all that time only one chance was offered, a very difficult one by Hobbs on 16 to Jack Gregory in the slips off Arthur Mailey. Hobbs by then had become the first Englishman to pass 2000 Test runs against Australia. They reached 70 at lunch, when Hobbs had 39 and Sutcliffe 28. During the afternoon they reached their fifties in succession and continued to score steadily off the Australian bowlers, who were bowling well but without success. By the time they had reached 181, with Hobbs on 90 and Sutcliffe 81.

Hobbs completed his century soon after tea, in three hours and 20 minutes, a record eighth against Australia, and Sutcliffe took half an hour longer. The bowlers continued to toil in vain, with Arthur Mailey the bowler the batsmen had to play with the greatest care, although Albert Hartkopf occasionally bowled an excellent delivery. Arthur Richardson’s medium-paced off-breaks were the most difficult to score from, but the batsmen had all the patience necessary. They were still there with 283 at the close, and the Melbourne crowd gave them a great ovation and mobbed them in admiration when they finally left the field for the day. It was their third successive century opening stand, a record for Test cricket, and are closing in on the all-time record Test first-wicket stand of 323, put up by Hobbs and Wilfred Rhodes on this same ground in 1911/12.

Day 4

England Batsmen Waste Opening Partnership Advantage

AUSTRALIA 600 and 63/3 (H L Collins 17*, J M Taylor 25*; M W Tate 3 wkts). ENGLAND 479 (J B Hobbs 154, H Sutcliffe 176, E H Hendren 32, A P F Chapman 28, M W Tate 34; J M Gregory 3/124, C Kelleway 2/62, A A Mailey 2/141, A J Richardson 2/20). Overnight score was: England (1) 283/0 (Hobbs 154*, Sutcliffe 123*).

England’s batting can almost be said to have gone from the sublime (yesterday) to the ridiculous (today). Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe came out with 283 runs on the board for no wicket, only for Arthur Mailey to bowl Hobbs with the second ball of the day, as the batsmen tried to turn a simple half-volley to leg and missed it. In the next over a fine swinging delivery from Jack Gregory bowled out Frank Woolley without scoring, and Australia were coming right back with a vengeance. Jack Hearne stayed 48 minutes but only scored 9, bowled by Mailey. Sutcliffe and Patsy Hendren stayed till lunch, playing very carefully, and put on 70 before Hendren was out, brilliantly caught by Bert Oldfield at the wicket, after a good positive innings. Sutcliffe stayed until the score was 404, and was then bowled out by a fine delivery from Charles Kelleway for a monumental 176, scored in just over seven hours. Most impressive of all was the soundness of his defence with unwearying concentration. After this there was little resistance from the England batsmen, although Percy Chapman and Maurice Tate made some aggressive hits. Tate’s 34 was the best individual score after the two heroic openers, and England had certainly wasted their advantage when they were all out for 479, 121 behind Australia.

Maurice Tate then did his best to bring England back into the game with a magnificent opening spell of bowling. In his first over he removed Warren Bardsley lbw for 2, and then bowled out Arthur Richardson (9) and Bill Ponsford (4). At this stage his figures were three wickets for 5 runs, and Australia were 27 for three. Herbie Collins and Johnny Taylor fought back with great care and survived till the close. After gaining an unexpectedly good first-innings lead, though, Australia can be said to have finished the day still holding something of an advantage.

Day 5

Bowlers Keep England in the Match

AUSTRALIA 600 and 250 (H L Collins 30, J M Taylor 90, J M Gregory 36*, W A S Oldfield 39; M W Tate 6/99, J W Hearne 4/84). ENGLAND 479 and 54/1 (J B Hobbs 22, H Sutcliffe 12*, H Strudwick 15*). Overnight score was: Australia (2) 63/3 (Collins 17*, Taylor 25*).

If Jack Hobbs had not got out in the final overs of the day’s play, this could have been said to be a good day for England. They bowled and fielded superbly, and the Australian batting was never very confident against them. The home side owed much to Johnny Taylor, who alone came near to mastering the bowling with a fine fluent innings of 90. His captain Herbie Collins continued his stonewalling rôle at the start of the day, taking almost two hours over 30 runs before he was bowled by Jack Hearne. Tate as usual was the greatest threat to the batsmen, in spite of being put on for a long spell at the opposite end from his brilliant spell helped by a diagonal wind yesterday, but Hearne also had one of his best days with the ball, helped by a pitch showing signs of wearing and keeping rather low, and troubled all the batsmen with his spin both ways. None of the middle order could gave Taylor much support, and when he was out at 166 for six, two further wickets fell for two more runs — 168 for eight. Taylor scored 90 in less than 2½ hours. Australia were in some trouble and were much indebted to a ninth-wicket partnership of 71 between Jack Gregory and Bert Oldfield, which may prove to be a vital factor in this match. Gregory played an unusually restrained innings, not out at the end with 36 in nearly an hour and a half.

England needed 372 runs to win, no easy task, but after three innings in the series to date not one anyone should call impossible. Jack Hobbs began batting as calmly and confidently as usual, but Arthur Mailey struck a great blow in the 55 minutes before the close when he beat Hobbs in flight and trapped him lbw with a straight ball. Herbert Sutcliffe survived the day, though, with the night-watchman Bert Strudwick, and as long as Sutcliffe is still there England are not altogether without hope. It is time for the middle order to stand up and be counted.

Day 6

Sutcliffe and England Still Fighting

AUSTRALIA 600 and 250. ENGLAND 479 and 259/6 (H Sutcliffe 114*, H Strudwick 22, J W Hearne 23, F E Woolley 50, J W H T Douglas 0*; J M Gregory 3 wkts, A A Mailey 2 wkts) Overnight score was: England (1) 54/1 (Sutcliffe 12*, Strudwick 15*).

England, and Herbert Sutcliffe, fought hard all day and were still in this match by the close of play. Sutcliffe set a record for three consecutive Test centuries, and emulated Warren Bardsley (in 1909) by scoring a century in each innings of an Ashes Test match — though Jack Russell did it against South Africa two years ago. He also batted through two entire days from beginning to end in this particular Test match. Sutcliffe’s second century was not chanceless, though, as his first had been: in the first over of the day he was dropped off a difficult chance to Jack Gregory in the slips, and at 94 Charles Kelleway also missed him in the slips. Otherwise he batted as before with tremendous concentration and impenetrable defence. Jack Hearne helped him to add 46 for the third wicket, but the best period of play was when Frank Woolley came in and immediately began to score brilliantly off the bowlers, so much so that Sutcliffe began to open up as well. Then Herbie Collins brought on Arthur Richardson and himself to bowl, and they slowed the scoring right down. Collins used to be a good enough left-arm spinner to do the double in the English season of 1919 with the Australian Imperial Forces team, but since that tour he has rarely bowled.

Woolley was eventually out for 50 in just over two hours, given lbw to a ball that he edged on to his pads, but Sutcliffe continued with some help from Patsy Hendren (18), and during their partnership of 43 Sutcliffe reached his second century. But Hendren and the surprisingly promoted Dick Tyldesley fell in quick succession before the close. Tomorrow England need another 113 to win with four wickets left, still possible as long as Sutcliffe remains, and he has Johnny Douglas, Percy Chapman, Maurice Tate and Arthur Gilligan still left to partner him — after Gilligan’s strange changing of the batting order.

Day 7

Sutcliffe Goes and England Collapse to Mailey

AUSTRALIA 600 and 250. ENGLAND 479 and 290 (H Sutcliffe 127, J W H T Douglas 14; J M Gregory 4/87, A A Mailey 5/92). Australia won by 81 runs. Overnight score was: England (1) 259/6 (Sutcliffe 114*, Douglas 0*).

Herbert Sutcliffe turned in a wonderful and exhausting performance for England in this match, but it all came to an end in the fourth over of play this morning when he was caught at slip by Jack Gregory off Arthur Mailey for 127, after scoring 303 runs in the match. In this innings he batted for six hours and 19 minutes; in fact, in the whole match he only had an hour and 26 minutes of playing time off the field. From the moment he was out until he disappeared inside the pavilion, the cheering from the crowd was almost deafening.

He left the last three wickets with 92 runs to win, but England’s fight had effectively ended with his dismissal. With the last three men in, due to Arthur Gilligan’s dubious shuffling of the batting order, being Percy Chapman, Maurice Tate and himself, a further fight could have been expected, but the batting collapsed in another 14 minutes. Arthur Mailey bowled out Johnny Douglas, and then both Gilligan and Tate were out to the first balls they faced, Gregory taking the final wicket by bowling out Tate with a yorker. Ridiculously, Chapman went in at No 9 and was left not out with 4. However, overall it had been a great Test match, ending like the First on this the seventh day. In the two matches Sutcliffe has so far scored 477 runs, three centuries and a fifty.

In these first two Test matches, Tate has taken 20 wickets for England at a cost of 23.45 each. The other English bowlers have taken 17 wickets among them at 71.82 each. The Third Test is scheduled for Adelaide, starting on Friday 16 January.

Durban: South Africa v S B Joel’s XI (Second Unofficial Test Match)

Day 1

Bowley Shines for Tourists

S B JOEL’S XI 283/9 (P Holmes 20, E H Bowley 118, G E Tyldesley 21, J C W MacBryan 30, L H Tennyson 34, C W L Parker 5*, E L D Bartley 3*; A E Hall 2 wkts, E P Nupen 5 wkts).

Percy Holmes was well again and able to open the batting for the tourists, with Jack MacBryan dropping to No 5. Holmes scored a confident 20, but Ted Bowley stole the show with a fine century, batting altogether for just over 3¼ hours before being out at 199 for four. MacBryan played a graceful innings, while Tennyson hit out in his usual style and enjoyed quite a bit of luck. The South African bowling was not particularly threatening, apart from Buster Nupen, and some of the English batsmen would have benefited from a more aggressive game against them. There was some brilliant fielding in the deep by Bob Catterall and Nummy Deane, but otherwise the standard of fielding was indifferent today.

Day 2

Taylor Stands Alone

S B JOEL’S XI 285 (A E Hall 2/62, E P Nupen 5/65). SOUTH AFRICA 206/7 (M J Susskind 19, H W Taylor 109*, A W Nourse 19, H G Deane 16, E P Nupen 17, W D Duff 0*; W E Astill 4 wkts, G Geary 2 wkts). Overnight score was: S B Joel’s XI (1) 285/9 (Parker 5*, Bartley 3*).

The tourists finished the first day on 285 for nine wickets, but did not resume their innings this morning, as Charlie Parker was not able to continue his innings due to a foot injury, which also left the Englishmen a bowler short today. So the day was a story of stolid, unenterprising South African batting against good English bowling, of which that of Ewart Astill was chief. Astill bowled for almost four hours without a break apart from lunch, until finally, after sending down 42 overs, he had an attack of cramp and the captain Lionel Tennyson had to look for somebody else. There was an excuse, as Parker’s injury left only Astill, Alec Kennedy and George Geary as frontline bowlers. Jack Russell was given three overs, while Bowley, who can bowl useful left-arm spin, was overlooked completely.

Bob Catterall was out early — caught at the wicket off Astill — for 7, and Herby Taylor came in to settle for the day. He had some support from Fred Susskind, Dave Nourse and Nummy Deane, the fourth wicket not falling until 140, so he could well have shown more enterprise. However, he was not in his best form and survived several chances — so the Jolly Souls have only themselves to blame for not having South Africa completely on the ropes. He took just over 3½ hours to reach his century. Rain ended play early.

At Port Elizabeth, in a first-class friendly match, Eastern Province beat Orange Free State by 261 runs. Their pace bowler Arthur Ochse took six wickets for 60 in the Orange Free State second innings.

Back in Sydney, Australia, an essentially New South Wales second eleven (although still given first-class status by the Australian Board of Control) had to fight hard to stave off defeat against Queensland, for whom Leo O’Connor scored 141 in the first innings.

Day 3

Holmes Versus Nupen

S B JOEL’S XI 285 and 174 (P Holmes 81, A S Kennedy 17; A E Hall 2/57, E P Nupen 7/46). SOUTH AFRICA 211 (H W Taylor 112; W E Astill 5/82, G Geary 3/35). Target: South Africa need 249 runs to win. Overnight score was: South Africa (1) 206/9 (Taylor 109*, Duff 0*).

The South African innings was soon over this morning, the last three wickets falling for only five runs. Herby Taylor was ninth out, having batted for just over four hours and hit 10 fours in his century. Ewart Astill took one wicket and George Geary the last two, including that of Taylor.

The rest of the day was dominated by Percy Holmes with the bat for England and Buster Nupen with the ball for South Africa. Nupen so troubled most of the English batsmen that he took the first six wickets to fall, with Ted Bowley and Jack Russell with 12 each the highest scorers of those dismissed. But he could not remove Holmes, who played him superbly throughout and never gave a chance in his innings. He almost carried his bat through the innings, but Charlie Parker came out with an injured foot and a runner, and hung on while Holmes gathered some more runs before he was finally caught off Alfred Hall for 81, scored in almost 3½ hours. This set South Africa 249 to win, but bad light prevented any resumption of play today. There could be a close finish tomorrow.

Day 4

Geary and Kennedy Bring Jolly Souls Victory

S B JOEL’S XI 285 and 174. SOUTH AFRICA 211 and 200 (A W Nourse 45, V H Neser 52, E P Nupen 23, C M Francois 35; A S Kennedy 5/51, G Geary 4/83). S B Joel’s XI won by 48 runs. Overnight score was: S B Joel’s XI (2) 174 all out.

Heavy rain over the weekend made the pitch rather awkward, and this proved to work against South Africa as they chased 249 to win. Within half an hour George Geary had struck three times and tilted the odds greatly in favour of the Jolly Souls. Fred Susskind was caught at the wicket without scoring, Bob Catterall quickly followed, bowled out for 4, and then came the killer blow as Herby Taylor was bowled for 6. With three good wickets down for 11 South Africa were in deep trouble, which worsened when at 26 Geary removed Nummy Deane for 5 with an excellent slip catch by Percy Holmes.

Dave Nourse remained, but the task was now enormous. However, he and Vivian Neser fought hard and added 87 for the fifth wicket with some good aggressive batting, probably the only approach with any chance of success. There were runs further down the order as well, but the task was too great after the early disasters. As Geary had removed the top batsmen, so Alec Kennedy worked his way through the tail, and the Jolly Souls had levelled the series.

NEW ZEALAND

In New Zealand, Canterbury have beaten Otago by 342 runs.

At Dunedin, Otago beat Auckland by 146 runs. George Dickinson returned figures of five for 46 and three for 68 for them, while Cyril Allcott took six for 76 and four for 59 for the losers.

At Christchurch, Canterbury beat Wellington by 57 runs in a first-class match. Roger Blunt, opening the innings for them, scored 73 and 39, while for Wellington Stewart Dempster had scores of 52 and 53 not out.

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