Honours even in Sydney
100 Years Ago: 20-25 February 1925
We’re still enhancing the Peter Wynne-Thomas Archive, which now contains 44 folders and 10,190 pages, and the Tony Webb Collection (comprising newspaper cuttings and other information on Minor Counties Matches and Championships). We’ve also just uploaded the first digitised volume of our celebrated “Matches” series. Check that out here.
Sydney: New South Wales v M.C.C.
Day 1
Sandham and Woolley Centuries
M.C.C. 397/3 (A Sandham 137, J L Bryan 72, F E Woolley 149, E H Hendren 22*, A E R Gilligan 11*; A A Mailey 2 wkts). NEW SOUTH WALES to bat.
No doubt buoyed up by their Test victory, M.C.C. had a fine day’s batting in the return match against New South Wales, although both teams rested some of their top players. Only Jack Gregory was missing from the state’s bowling attack, though, which was put to the sword today. With Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe both resting, Andy Sandham and Jack Bryan opened the M.C.C. batting and made a stand of 136 in two hours. After Bryan was out, Frank Woolley came in and showed brilliant form right from the start. He and Sandham added 202 in just over two hours. Sandham took just over three hours to reach his century and almost 4¼ hours altogether. Although not as enterprising as he had been in Tasmania, he played a fine innings notable especially for his fine placing of the ball. Woolley raced to his fifty in 40 minutes, and overall almost scored his runs in even time. Both he and Sandham were out stumped off Arthur Mailey. This was the most runs scored in some day so far on the M.C.C. tour.
Day 2
Hendren and Collins Add to Runfest
M.C.C. 626 (E H Hendren 165, A E R Gilligan 18, A P F Chapman 28, W W Whysall 29; A A Mailey 2/153m A F Kippax 4/66). NEW SOUTH WALES 164/1 (H L Collins 101*, J G Morgan 29, T J E Andrews 29*). Overnight score was: M.C.C. (1) 397/3 (Hendren 22*, Gilligan 11*).
M.C.C., or rather Patsy Hendren, continued to pile on the runs this morning. Hendren was obviously determined to make a big score, and he was helped for a while by an aggressive Percy Chapman and a more dogged Dodger Whysall, but the later batsmen, no doubt satisfied with a score of over 500, did not stay long. Hendren took the total past 600 and his own score past 150 with the last man Harry Howell at the wicket, before finally surrendering his wicket for 165, the highest of his team’s three centuries, scored in almost 3¼ hours. Herbie Collins used nine bowlers during this long innings, and the only one to value his figures was Alan Kippax, whose occasional leg-breaks picked up four wickets, mostly from the later batsmen.
Despite such a large total, New South Wales began to score fluently in reply, with Herbie Collins unveiling some rare strokes when free of the pressures of Test cricket. He and John Morgan put on 94 for the first wicket, and Collins continued at such a fine rate that he reached his century by the close in just over two hours. Many were saying this was the finest innings they had ever seen him play.
Day 3
Brilliant Andrews as N.S.W. Challenge
M.C.C. 626. NEW SOUTH WALES 546/5 (H L Collins 173, T J E Andrews 224, A F Kippax 46, C Kelleway 22*, A Ratcliffe 35*; R Kilner 3 wkts). Overnight score was: New South Wales (1) 164/1 (Collins 101*, Andrews 29*).
The flatness of the pitch and the paucity of real bowling talent in both England and Australia was made clear today when New South Wales matched the M.C.C. batting effort today and look set the take the lead in what looks certain to be a drawn match. Herbie Collins and Tommy Andrews continued their overnight partnership this morning, with Collins again remarkably enterprising, although not to the extent of his first century yesterday. Andrews scored slightly the faster of the two and reached his century in under 2½ hours. Their partnership added 270 runs for the second wicket before Collins was brilliantly caught and bowled by Tich Freeman for 173 made in just over 4¼ hours.
There was no respite for the bowlers as Alan Kippax came in and also scored freely. This partnership added 108 runs before Kippax was run out for 46, and the Englishmen may have been glad to see Charles Kelleway come in and slow the scoring down with his usual skill. Andrews went on to score 234 before he was finally bowled by Roy Kilner, who as usual was the most accurate and economical of the bowlers. Kelleway was still plugging away at the close, and tomorrow New South Wales have five wickets left and only 80 more runs to make to head M.C.C. on the first innings. That is the only sort of result likely to be possible in this ‘match.’
Day 4
Sandham Does it Again
M.C.C. 626 and 296/8 (A Sandham 104, W W Whysall 28, F E Woolley 80, A P Freeman 47; J E H Hooker 4/47, A T E Punch 3/67). NEW SOUTH WALES 619 (C Kelleway 38, A T Ratcliffe 49, J D Scott 26; A P Freeman 3/157, R Kilner 6/145). Match drawn. Overnight score was: New South Wales (1) 546/5 (Kelleway 22*, Ratcliffe 35*).
This batsman’s practice match ended in the always predictable draw, although only one century was scored on the final day. In fact, this fourth day was more like a normal day instead of a bowler’s nightmare, as 369 runs were scored for the loss of 13 wickets. But it was far too late for anything but a draw to be possible, and perhaps some of the batsmen were a little careless today for that reason. New South Wales were well placed to head M.C.C. on the first innings, and Charles Kelleway certainly seemed dedicated to doing that, taking nearly two hours to grind out 38, but nine wickets were down for 585 before John Scott and Arthur Mailey put on 34 for the last wicket. The state side was keen to go ahead on the first innings, but a wild shot by Scott saw him bowled by Roy Kilner just seven runs short.
When M.C.C. batted again, the object was only to get into practice for the final Test match, which starts here in two days’ time. Andy Sandham was no doubt keen to present the tour selectors with a problem and play himself back into the England team, and he made his steady way to his second century of the match, which he achieved in three hours. He had to wait on 99 while both Arthur Gilligan and Kilner got out. The best batting was from Frank Woolley, who scored a brilliant 80 in a partnership of 149 with Sandham. Percy Chapman did some powerful hitting, 47 in 22 minutes, as the match faded out. Kelleway and Mailey did not bowl in this innings, Collins preferring to rest them for the Test match.
Port Elizabeth: South Africa v S B Joel’s XI (Fifth Unofficial Test Match)
Day 1
Geary Troubles South Africa
SOUTH AFRICA 183 (I J Siedle 52, R H Catterall 39, V H Neser 44; G Geary 5/63, A S Kennedy 3/52m C W L Parker 2/51). S B JOEL’S XI 74/5 (E H Bowley 13, G E Tyldesley 27, T O Jameson 10*, L H Tennyson 9*; E P Nupen 2 wkts).
The pitch was lively and batsmen had a difficult time of it today, especially when batting against George Geary, who exploited the conditions well. Neville Lindsay has replaced Fred Susskind in the South African team, and he was soon caught off Geary for 4. Jack Siedle held the innings together with a very good fifty, but Dave Nourse, playing in his 50th match for the full South African team, was out on the stroke of lunch for 10, to the disappointment of the crowd. After lunch Herby Taylor was out for 8, and six wickets were down for 101. Then Bob Catterall and Vivian Neser, both batting confidently, shared a very good partnership of 55 for the seventh wicket. However, the innings came to a rather abrupt end at 183, with Geary completing a five-wicket haul.
The Jolly Souls also struggled on the lively pitch, losing Percy Holmes in the first over, caught in the slips without a run on the board. Ernest Tyldesley decided he should be careful today and played one of his cautious Lancashire innings before he was out just before the close. The tourists finished the day themselves in trouble at 74 for five, which would have been worse had not Lionel Tennyson been dropped from a skyer.
Day 2
South Africa Take Hold as Jolly Souls Collapse
SOUTH AFRICA 183 and 200 (H G Deane 31, A W Nourse 32, R H Catterall 86; G Geary 3/49, A S Kennedy 4/78, T O Jameson 2/31). S B JOEL’S XI 94 (T O Jameson 22, L H Tennyson 12; E P Nupen 4/30, C Munro 3/27). Overnight score was: S B Joel’s XI (1) 74/5 (Jameson 10*, Tennyson 9*).
Buster Nupen and Alfred Hall with the ball, and then Bob Catterall with the bat, were the heroes for South Africa as they fought back against the tourists, and by the end of the day had set them to score 290 on an awkward pitch to win the match and the series. There was no recovery in the morning for the Englishmen after being 74 for five. The last five wickets fell in just half an hour, as Nupen and Hall carried all before them on their favoured matting pitches; in fact, the score went from 89 for five to 94 all out.
South Africa thus earned themselves a first-innings lead of 89 runs, very significant on this pitch. But as they batted again they were immediately in trouble as both their openers were out for only 6 runs on the board. Nummy Deane, promoted to No 3, played a positive innings while Dave Nourse anchored the innings, but four were out for 56, including Herby Taylor for 1. Then Catterall joined Nourse and played another of those big-occasion innings he turned out three times in the Tests against England last season. Nourse and William Ling (14) gave him some rather passive support, but it was mainly his own doing as he rescued the innings, to be ninth out with 86 in two hours and 20 minutes. Play ended when the last wicket fell, and the tourists have a difficult task tomorrow, 290 being much the highest total of the match. Victory will give them a three-one lead in the series, and they would deserve it; a South African win will mean a shared rubber.
Day 3
Holmes and Tyldesley Revive Tourists’ Hopes
SOUTH AFRICA 183 and 200. S B JOEL’S XI 94 and 220/4 (P Holmes 62, G E Tyldesley 73*, T O Jameson 33*; E P Nupen 2 wkts). Overnight score was: South Africa (2) 200 all out.
It had been expected that this match would be finished today, but the English team put up a fine fight and the pitch played easily, no longer giving the bowlers the help, especially with lift, that they had had previously. Percy Holmes and Ted Bowley started the innings with great confidence, and Holmes hit a big leg-side six in the second over. They put on 38 before Bowley was out, and then Ernest Tyldesley came in to play one of his Lancashire-type innings and settle in for the day. Most of the bowling was done by Buster Nupen and Alfred Hall, but they could get nothing out of the pitch today. The second wicket only fell at 109, when Holmes was well caught at square leg after scoring 62 in two hours. Jack Russell soon went for 3 and Alec Kennedy for 13, but Tyldesley just kept rolling along. He was joined by Tom Jameson at 155 and the two of them saw out the day, which ended when an appeal against bad light was upheld. Another 70 runs are needed with six wickets in hand, and the momentum at present is with the Jolly Souls.
Day 4
Hall and Nupen Have Final Say
SOUTH AFRICA 183 and 200. S B JOEL’S XI 94 and 268 (G E Tyldesley 79, T O Jameson 43, L H Tennyson 19; E P Nupen 3/72, A E Hall 5/76). South Africa won by 21 runs. Overnight score was: S B Joel’s XI (2) 220/4 (Tyldesley 73*, Jameson 33*).
England began the day apparently confident of victory, needing another 70 runs for victory with six wickets in hand. Ernest Tyldesley and Tom Jameson continued their partnership from yesterday evening, which had already added 65 runs. They added another 14 runs before Alfred Hall came on to bowl, and in his first over he snared the big fish, trapping Tyldesley lbw for 79, for which he had batted with great caution for four hours.
Lionel Tennyson joined Jameson, and again 14 runs were added before the next wicket fell, Nupen removing Jameson through a good running catch in the deep by Herby Taylor. When Fred Nicholas was caught at point for 1 off Hall, the score was 253 for seven, and the crowd began to get excited, sensing that the tables were turning on the English. Tennyson was now the only recognized batsman left, but at 260 he was caught at the wicket off Hall, and South Africa were right on top now. Charlie Parker and George Geary were also soon victims to Hall, and South Africa had squared the series. Hall and Nupen rose to the occasion magnificently as the last six wickets fell for 34 runs.
So ends a very pleasant tour; the Jolly Souls will obviously regret their failure to win the series, and especially this collapse on the last day, but they had a good tour and brought much good to cricket in South Africa.
NEW ZEALAND
Dunedin: Otago (171 and 272/2 dec) drew with Victoria (281 and 89/5).
AUSTRALIA
The Australian state side Victoria have completed their Sheffield Shield programme and are now touring in New Zealand, where they will play six first-class matches, each of the provinces once and the full New Zealand side twice. They made a good start against Otago, and Jack Ellis, going in as night-watchman, scored his maiden first-class century, 103, on the second day. The third and final day, though, saw a great fightback by Otago, with their opener Rupert Worker scoring 121 not out in the second innings. A declaration set Victoria 164 to win in what proved to be 15 eight-ball overs; the visitors made an effort but lost wickets and had to give up the chase.