Gallant England go down fighting

100 Years Ago: 15-23 January 1925

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AUSTRALIA v ENGLAND — Third Test

Jack Hearne is doubtful for the England team in the third Test match which starts at Adelaide tomorrow. He has had a slight operation to one of his salivary glands that has been causing him trouble. If he is unavailable to play, Tich Freeman will come into the side. Dodger Whysall, brought on tour as the reserve wicket-keeper, is expected to make his Test début as a specialist batsman, to strengthen the batting. He and Roy Kilner will probably play instead of Johnny Douglas and Dick Tyldesley.

For Australia, Warren Bardsley after his disappointing form in the first two Test matches has been demoted to twelfth man, while Arthur Richardson is likely to open the batting with Herbie Collins. Tommy Andrews, twelfth man in the first two Tests, will now come into the side. Dr Albert Hartkopf, despite scoring 80 in the first innings, was not a success as a bowler, and has been omitted for another all-round, Jack Ryder.

Day 1

Australia Wriggle off the Hook with England Injuries

AUSTRALIA 275/7 (A J Richardson 69, W H Ponsford 31, J Ryder 72*, T J E Andrews 72, C Kelleway 8*; M W Tate 2 wkts, R Kilner 3 wkts). ENGLAND to bat. TEAMS: England — Hobbs, Sutcliffe, Woolley, Hendren, Whysall, Chapman, Kilner, Tate, *Gilligan, Freeman, Strudwick. Australia — *Collins, Arthur Richardson, Gregory, Taylor, Ponsford, Vic Richardson, Ryder, Andrews, Kelleway, +Oldfield, Mailey.

England have not enjoyed the best of luck so far on this tour, and today their misfortunes seemed to be the worst of all so far. For the third time in three matches they lost the toss. But they fought magnificently to reduce Australia to 119 for six wickets. However, Maurice Tate’s toe injured was still troubling him — the nail has actually dropped off — and during the afternoon the pain became so unbearable even for him that he could not bowl as effectively as usual, and had to retire to the pavilion. Then Arthur Gilligan painfully strained a muscle in his left thigh, and when Tate limped back on to the field, he had to limp off. England were left without their fast bowlers, Tich Freeman was punished mercilessly by the Australian batsmen, and most of the bowling had to be done by the left-arm spinners Frank Woolley and Roy Kilner. Needless to say, Australia were able to make a good recovery, although they are still not in a very strong position.

Early on Tate started the collapse he was unable to complete. He bowled out Herbie Collins for 3, just one scoring stroke, and trapped Johnny Taylor lbw without scoring. Jack Gregory actually came in at No 3, but watched has happened to the brilliant attacking Gregory of 1921? The 1924/25 version pottered around for 6 runs off 27 balls before Tich Freeman came on and bowled him out of his misery. Three wickets were down for 19, to the disappointment of the crowd (which eventually numbered about 26,000). But their own man Arthur Richardson was still there, playing steadily but without the stonewalling approach of Collins; in fact, despite their troubles, the Australian batsmen generally played more positively than they often did in stronger positions in the first two Tests.

Richardson was very severe on Freeman, but Bill Ponsford played more doggedly until when he had seemed set in for the day Gilligan had him caught at the wicket, his final blow of the day before injury took him off. Fortunately there was another amateur on the field in Percy Chapman, who could take over the captaincy, an essential for M.C.C. He is the youngest member of the team, but that hardly matters, as he is an amateur. When Kilner bowled out Richardson, though, Australia at 119 for six were in real trouble.

Had Tate at least been fit to bowl at anything like his best, Australia would very likely not have recovered. But Woolley and Kilner could not apply the same pressure, and Jack Ryder with Tommy Andrews built a fine partnership which became steadily more aggressive. They put on 134 before Kilner finally bowled out Andrews for an excellent attacking innings of 72 in less than two hours. Then Charles Kelleway, next in and no doubt offended by such strokeplay, dug in for the rest of the day while Ryder stayed in to confirm a successful return to Test cricket. Given the perfect batting pitch, England can be said to have done an exceptional job in appalling circumstances, and the balance of the match seems at this stage fairly even.

Day 2

Ryder’s Fortune Gives Australia Advantage

AUSTRALIA 489 (J Ryder 201*, W A S Oldfield 47, A A Mailey 27; M W Tate 2/43, R Kilner 4/127). ENGLAND 36/2 (M W Tate 14*, A P F Chapman 7*). Overnight score was: Australia (1) 275/7 (Ryder 72*, Kelleway 8*).

England came out to field under a metaphorical cloud this morning, with Maurice Tate limping and soon to leave the field altogether, and Arthur Gilligan’s leg was too bad for him to take the field at all. England had only three spinners in Tich Freeman, Frank Woolley and Roy Kilner to carry their bowling on a pitch hardly suited to them; the first two proved expensive, and then Freeman injured his hand so badly in attempting a catch from Jack Ryder that he too had to leave the field, fearing it might be broken. Fortunately it isn’t, but that put him too out of the bowling attack, and before the innings ended Jack Hobbs, Patsy Hendren and even Dodger Whysall had to be called upon to turn their arms over.

Under these circumstances, the Australian batsmen had a much easier time of it than is usually the case, and they filled their bellies, Ryder in particular. He played some brilliant strokes with great concentration, but it was his great good fortune to bat against a crippled bowling attack, with only Kilner able in any way to cut down the scoring rate or trouble him at all, although Woolley also bowled accurately for the most part. This was his first Test century and by the end of the innings he had recorded the second-highest Test match score ever made by an Australian against England, equal with 201 by Syd Gregory and behind only the 211 of Billy Murdoch at the Oval in 1884. His innings does inevitably lose some of its lustre when made under such circumstances, but he did his job and took Australia from a poor score of 118 for five wickets when he came in to a final formidable total of 189. He was particularly strong on the drive.

Charles Kelleway missed out, being dismissed by Woolley for 16 — or else he disdained to cash in when the situation called for aggression rather than a dogged fight. But Bert Oldfield and Arthur Mailey had no such scruples, and helped to put on 108 and 73 respectively for the last two wickets. There was much laughter from the crowd when Mailey walked in to bat unaware that he was being followed all the way by a kitten, with tail erect, which had to be removed from the field before anybody thought that England were quite so desperate for substitute fielders. He saw Ryder through to his double-century before he was stumped — off Patsy Hendren — to end the innings. Most of the English fielding had been excellent, never flagging, although Ryder on 145 and Oldfield were both dropped.

England had half an hour to bat before the close, and perhaps they overdid the night-watchman strategy. Instead of Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe batting in their usual positions, they sent in Dodger Whysall and the limping Maurice Tate. Tate actually survived, but Whysall and another night-watchman in Bert Strudwick (brilliantly caught at slip by Jack Gregory) were both dismissed, which will leave Hobbs and Sutcliffe to bat at numbers five and six tomorrow with their team already in some trouble, and Woolley and Hendren at seven and eight — a most unwise situation.

Day 3

Hobbs Leads England’s Fightback

AUSTRALIA 489. ENGLAND 270/6 (M W Tate 27, A P F Chapman 26, J B Hobbs 99*, H Sutcliffe 33, F E Woolley 16, E H Hendren 47*; J M Gregory 2 wkts, A A Mailey 2 wkts). Overnight score was: England (1) 36/2 (Tate 14*, Chapman 7*).

Today’s cricket was a war in the trenches, as England fought grimly to keep afloat in face of the Australian total of 470. The overnight pair of Maurice Tate and Percy Chapman scored quite freely for a whole, but neither lasted very long, and their dismissals brought Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe together, for the fifth wicket this time instead of the first, at 69 for four. They played themselves in with tremendous care, Hobbs taking 50 minutes to reach double figures, while Sutcliffe scored only 8 runs in his first hour at the crease. Hobbs took two hours over his fifty, and they added 89 together, taking no risks at all. Herbie Collins changed his bowlers frequently throughout the day. Sutcliffe never did start scoring freely and batted almost 2¼ hours for 33, the first time he has been out for below 50 this series, caught at the wicket off Jack Ryder.

Frank Woolley joined Hobbs, but his water on the knee problem has resurfaced, and he limped between wickets and never batted freely before he was caught in the covers for 16. When Patsy Hendren had settled in with Hobbs for the seventh wicket the batsmen started to bat more fluently against a tiring attack on a hot day, and at 270 for six by the close England were close to saving the follow-on. Hobbs was just one single short of his ninth Test century.

Day 4

Ryder in the Runs Again

AUSTRALIA 489 and 211/3 (H L Collins 26, J Ryder 86*, J M Taylor 34, W H Ponsford 40*; A P Freeman 2 wkts). ENGLAND 365 (J B Hobbs 119, E H Hendren 92; J M Gregory 3/111, A A Mailey 3/133, A J Richardson 2/42). Overnight score was: England (1) 270/6 (Hobbs 99*, Hendren 47*).

In the first over of the day Jack Hobbs duly completed his ninth Test century against Australia, a patient innings. Rarely has he taken almost 4½ hours to score a century, and when he was eventually caught by Jack Gregory at slip off a sharp spinner from Arthur Mailey—

—he had batted for almost five hours. Patsy Hendren did not get much support from the later batsmen, and was on 59 when the last man Tich Freeman walked in, with his injured wrist apparently recovered. He kept a sound defensive bat for 44 minutes while Hendren attacked the bowling and took his score to 92 in about 3¼ hours before he was well caught at mid-on from a lofted pull. The innings closed for 365, a deficit of 124.

Maurice Tate opened the bowling for England and bowled very well, although Arthur Gilligan wisely decided to use him only for short spells. He failed to break through, though, but Frank Woolley also bowled well, his knee also apparently improved. He had Arthur Richardson caught for 14, and this time Jack Ryder came in at No 3, playing carefully but again showing excellent form. By the close he and Bill Ponsford had settled in and were batting fluently, with Ryder, brimming with confidence, playing brilliant strokes. He finished the day on 86 not out, and tomorrow could become the first batsman ever to score a double and a single century in the same Test match.

Day 5

Kilner and Woolley Give England a Chance

AUSTRALIA 489 and 250 (J Ryder 88, W H Ponsford 43, C Kelleway 22*; R Kilner 4/51, A P Freeman 2/94, F E Woolley 4/77). ENGLAND 365 and 133/3 (J B Hobbs 27, H Sutcliffe 56*, F E Woolley 21, W W Whysall 22*; C Kelleway 2 wkts). Overnight score was: Australia (2) 211/3 (Ryder 86*, Ponsford 40*).

Jupiter Pluvius at long last has performed for the benefit of English cricket. Heavy rain in the early morning soaked the pitch and ground, and when play eventually started at 12.45 after a delay of three-quarters of an hour, Australia had to continue their second innings on a sticky pitch. This suited the left-arm spinners, Roy Kilner and Frank Woolley, down to the ground, while the Australian batsmen were quite out of their depth in such foreign conditions. Within minutes of the start Bill Ponsford and Jack Ryder were out for six more runs between them, Ryder missing his opportunity to make history as the first man to score a double and single century in the same Test match. From 211 for three the score went to 220 for eight before the dogged Charles Kelleway became the only batsman able to survive in this situation. He ran out of partners in the end, the only Australian batsman to score more than five runs during the day.

England were given a glimmer of hope when set ‘only’ 375 to win. The pitch was easing, helped by the use of the light roller, but in any case England have batsmen used to playing in such conditions, while Australian bowlers are not — and Australia do not have the right type of bowlers to take advantage of a sticky pitch. The regulations strangely allow for pitches to be covered against rain in Australian domestic cricket, but not in matches against the English tourists, and this worked against the home side. Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe put on 63 runs in about an hour and a quarter for the first wicket before Hobbs was out to a brilliant catch at fine leg by Herbie Collins after a quiet innings. Kelleway did some useful bowling by removing Woolley and Patsy Hendren (4) before the close. Australia could have taken a grip on the game after that, but Sutcliffe was dropped twice and Dodger Whysall once. Sutcliffe therefore remains to fight again tomorrow, the key figure after his prolific form this series. England scored 411 in the fourth innings of the First Test, so they could do it again. The odds must favour Australia, but at least Jupiter Pluvius has for once given England a chance.

Day 6

Thrilling Finish Expected

AUSTRALIA 489 and 250. ENGLAND 365 and 348/8 (H Sutcliffe 59, W W Whysall 75, A P F Chapman 58, R Kilner 24, M W Tate 21, A E R Gilligan 29*, A P Freeman 17*; C Kelleway 3 wkts, A A Mailey 2 wkts, A J Richardson 2 wkts). Overnight score was: England (2) 133/3 (Sutcliffe 56*, Whysall 22*).

The cricket was tense throughout this day as England aroused their strongest fighting spirit and rather unevenly moved their way towards their victory target of 375. The pitch was good for batting again after yesterday’s rain, but England soon suffered a great blow as the prolific Herbert Sutcliffe was out for 59, uncharacteristically tempted to hit out at the bowling of Arthur Mailey and lofting the ball to be caught at mid-off. He had batted for just over three hours. Dodger Whysall struggled but survived against Mailey’s bowling, although handling Jack Gregory very well, and Percy Chapman attacked in his usual fashion. The pair added 89 for the fourth wicket before Chapman was out, brilliantly caught low down at deep point by Jack Ryder, for an excellent 58 in just under an hour and a half. Whysall soon followed him for an excellent 75 on his début, Gregory taking a superb return catch, and England were 254 for six.

Maurice Tate hammered 21 off only 16 balls while Kilner played a sound, sober innings, but he too was out just before tea. Arthur Gilligan was at the other end, so badly handicapped by his serious thigh strain that he took 25 minutes to make his first run. He continued to bat carefully and was joined by Tich Freeman at 312 for eight. Just after tea rain fell and cost three-quarters of an hour’s play, or the match would have surely been finished today. Gilligan and Freeman fought their way through the rest of the last session, and England supporters dared to hope again when they were still there at the close, Gilligan on 29, Freeman 17, and England have two wickets left to score another 27 runs. The pair has already added 36 runs, so the deed can be done. If England can succeed, it will keep open what has otherwise been a one-sided series, and victory would indeed be remarkable after all the ill fortune that has come their way in this match.

Day 7

Thrilling Finish Delivered

AUSTRALIA 489 and 250. ENGLAND 365 and 363 (A E R Gilligan 31, A P Freeman 24, H Strudwick 2*; J M Gregory 2/71, C Kelleway 3/57, A J Richardson 2/62, A A Mailey 3/126). Australia won by 11 runs. Overnight score was: England (2) 348/8 (Gilligan 29*, Freeman 17*).

A crippled England fought all the way to the last ditch and lost by only 11 runs, ending their slender hopes of regaining the Ashes with their third successive defeat. A huge crowd was in attendance, let in free, and they spent most of their time cheering virtually every action on the field. The first delivery of the day, bowled by Jack Gregory, shot through for four byes well down the leg side. Arthur Gilligan, whose popularity in Australia was never more clearly shown than it was today, added just two runs to his overnight score before he drove a catch to mid-off. Tich Freeman and the last man Bert Strudwick now had to find 18 runs between them to win the match.

They managed six of them in nine minutes, but then came the end, as Freeman edged a catch off Arthur Mailey’s leg-break to the wicket-keeper Bert Oldfield, and Australia claimed a narrow victory. The crowd unleashed a mighty roar, threw their hats in the air, and continued to roar as they invaded the field. England go down three-nil in the series, just short of what would have been their first victory over Australia since the war. But at least they were very competitive, remarkably so considering their injuries, without which they would surely have won this match. The gap between the two teams is much narrower than it was in the last series in Australia, in 1920/21, and in England in 1921. And three Test matches have each taken seven days to complete this time.

Cape Town: South Africa v S B Joel’s XI (Third Unofficial Test Match)

Day 1

Geary’s Great Bowling

SOUTH AFRICA 113 (I J Siedle 14, H W Taylor 11, A W Nourse 14, K C M Hands 17, V H Neser 30; G Geary 6/37, W E Astill 2/45). S B JOEL’S XI 164/4 (P Holmes 32, G E Tyldesley 50, C A G Russell 48*, L H Tennyson 18*; I D Buys 2 wkts).

South Africa are playing a weakened side in this match, without the services of Buster Nupen, a serious loss, and also Fred Susskind and Nummy Deane, for reasons not at present known but simply stated to be ‘unavoidable absence’, which may well mean injury, for some at least. They certainly played like a weak side today. A new opening batsman, Jack Siedle, played a stubborn innings of 14, but Herby Taylor played a poor stroke to be caught of George Geary for 11, and five wickets were down for 52. Vivian Neser as captain fought hard for his team, playing some good positive strokes, and was the only batsman to pass 20, a very poor show by South Africa. Geary bowled particularly well, his fast off-cutters and variations being too much for most of the batsmen. Ewart Astill backed him up very well, and Alec Kennedy and Charlie Parker, the latter fit again, scarcely had a look-in.

Percy Holmes batted beautifully to give the Jolly Souls a good start, and it was a surprise when he was out for 32. Ernest Tyldesley made a good fifty, while Jack Russell, batting more carefully, stayed in until the close. The South African score was passed with two wickets down. The home side’s bowling was bland without Nupen to lead it, and the fielding at times indifferent.

Day 2

Negative South Africa Go Down

SOUTH AFRICA 113 and 150 (I J Siedle 30, H W Taylor 22, R H Catterall 50; G Geary 4/42, A S Kennedy 2/37, C W L Parker 3/16). S B JOEL’S XI 224 (C A G Russell 54, E L D Bartley 20; I D Buys 3/65, A E Hall 6/61) and 40/0 (P Holmes 14*, E H Bowley 21*). S B Joel’s XI won by ten wickets. Overnight score was: S B Joel’s XI 164/4 (Russell 48*, Tennyson 18*).

South Africa went down dismally in two days in his in this third match between the teams, their just penalty for a negative batting display. Thanks to some fine bowling by Alfred Hall, much happier bowling on matting in South Africa than he was on turf for Lancashire, the tourists were bowled out for only another 60 runs this morning, with no batsman scoring very many after Jack Russell was it early. Still, the lead of 111 on the first innings was a very good one.

South Africa tried to grind their way out of trouble as they batted again, and the policy failed dismally. Only two batsmen came out of their second innings with any credit. Jack Siedle played well as opener for 30 before he was run out, and Bob Catterall, restored to the middle order after three single-figure failures opening, attacked the bowling in fine style to score 50 in an hour. But Herby Taylor did not play well for his 22, while Dave Nourse put up a poor show by taking an hour and a quarter to amass just eight runs. The last four wickets went down for only nine runs; the last six batsmen scored only 16 runs among them. The Jolly Souls needed 40 to win, and they were safe rather than jolly in reaching the target without loss. They now lead the series by two victories to one.

Worcester (Cape Province): Western Province Country Districts v S B Joel’s XI (two-day, not first-class)

Day 1

Geary and Tyldesley in Form

WESTERN PROVINCE COUNTRY DISTRICTS 113 (R R Luyt 26; G Geary 6/40, C S Marriott 2/34). S B JOEL’S XI 198/5 (E H Bowley 29, G E Tyldesley 84*, T O Jameson 51*; I D Buys 2 wkts).

The Jolly Souls travelled to Worcester in the Western Cape to play a Country Districts team that included the South African pace bowler Isaac Buys. George Geary cut through the early Districts batting, taking the first four wickets to fall for 26 runs on the board. When he rested there was something of a recovery and the last pair managed to take the score beyond 100. When the tourists batted Buys caused them a little trouble and five wickets were down for 81, before Tom Jameson joined Ernest Tyldesley, and they shared a good unbroken partnership.

Day 2

Innings Victory

WESTERN PROVINCE COUNTRY DISTRICTS 113 and 132 (E Neethling 64; G Geary 4/41, A S Kennedy 4/31). S B JOEL’S XI 251 (G E Tyldesley 92, T O Jameson 64; I D Buys 5/77). S B Joel’s XI won by an innings and 6 runs. Overnight score was: S B Joel’s XI (1) 198/5 (Tyldesley 84*, Jameson 51*).

Some fine bowling by Isaac Buys dismissed the overnight pair without much addition to the score, with Tyldesley missing out on a century, and the tourists were all out for a lead of 138. The Districts, after losing their first four wickets for 9 runs to George Geary and Alec Kennedy, were saved from complete disaster by E Neethling at No 6, who hit out aggressively and successfully, but they just failed to avert an innings defeat.

NEW ZEALAND

At Wellington, Wellington scraped to a one-wicket victory in their first-class match against Otago. Hamish McGirr (51 not out) was their hero at the death, as he scored all the 13 runs for the last Wellington wicket to bring his team victory.

WEST INDIES

A high-scoring three-day match between Barbados and the visiting Jamaica team at Bridgetown saw only ten wickets fall in three day’s play on a ridiculously flat pitch. Jamaica declared at 411 for eight, with Frank Martin run out for 195, and Barbados replied with 426/2, George Challenor opening the innings and scoring 237 not out.

YORKSHIRE

At the Yorkshire annual meeting held at Leeds on January 19, Lord Hawke spoke at length about various subjects. He felt that unwarrantable attacks had been made during last season against the sportsmanship of the Yorkshire team, and regretted that a small minority should have tried to harm the friendly relations between Yorkshire and Middlesex; fortunately that problem had been amicably settled. He praised the performances of Yorkshire players Herbert Sutcliffe and Roy Kilner in Australia.

He said that although Yorkshire had suffered greatly from the weather last season, their third successive championship title was ‘not a bad performance,’ and he hoped that the county team would regain the popularity it had always enjoyed. He deprecated the tendency during county matches to waste time during intervals which were sometimes unnecessarily prolonged and that the umpires should ensure this did not happen. He congratulated Wilfred Rhodes in setting a new record by recording the double of 1000 runs and 100 in a season for the 15th time.

He also caused some controversy by saying, “Pray heaven no professional may ever captain England.” This has been taken by some to indicate prejudice against professionals, but what he no doubt means is that it will be a sad day if no amateur is good enough to play for England. His own record shows how much he has done to improve the lot of professional cricketers in the game, and in his recent book he actually wrote, “I anticipate the time when capable University graduates who are capable cricketers, fond of the game and qualified for first-class counties, will turn pro.” He believes, though, that the independence of an amateur is better suited to the England captaincy than a professional who is restricted by his employment in the game. He made his statement in reference to a controversial article by Cecil Parkin suggesting that Jack Hobbs should captain England, or that Percy Chapman should be captain under Hobbs’s direction — a continuation of his grudge against Arthur Gilligan. But no doubt we may not have heard the last of this matter.

Major Arthur Lupton has been appointed captain of Yorkshire for 1925; he will be aged 46 when the season starts. He played once for Yorkshire in 1908, but Army duties prevented him from making any more possible appearances. He has been appointed in succession to Geoffrey Wilson, and some suspect that Wilson has been pushed aside as it is felt he is not firm enough in dealing with some of Yorkshire’s strong-minded professionals, especially after the incidents concerning Middlesex last season. Lupton is expected to lead with a firmer hand, although he may have little impact as a player.

MIDDLESEX

Middlesex held their annual general meeting on January 21, and announced a profit of £1042 last year. Their president, Alexander Webbe, congratulated Frank Mann on his successful season as captain, expressed pleasure that their differences with Yorkshire had been ironed out, and urged members to support Jack Hearne’s benefit match this year. The committee proposed a special fund, known as the Webbe Fund, be set up to support Middlesex cricketers who may fall on hard times.

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