New South Wales wins return match

100 Years Ago: 3-11 February 1925

Melbourne: Victoria v New South Wales

VICTORIA 295 (J Ryder 42, W H Ponsford 80, V S Ransford 44*; A A Mailey 5/103) and 155 (W H Ponsford 38; C Kelleway 4/35). NEW SOUTH WALES 278 (H L Collins 70, W Bardsley 65, T J E Andrews 54) and 173/7 (W Bardsley 59). New South Wales won by three wickets.

The return match between New South Wales and Victoria has just concluded at Melbourne today, in a victory for New South Wales by three wickets. The Test players had been missing from the first match, which Victoria won by seven wickets. This time they were present, which meant Victoria were strengthened by two players, but New South Wales by seven. Even so, they had all their work cut out to beat Victoria, and fell behind on the first innings. Warren Bardsley scored two good fifties and will be hoping to regain his Test place.

The M.C.C. team is now sailing back from Tasmania to Melbourne, and their return match against Victoria is due to start on Friday 6 February, when our next report will be posted.

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

Day 1

Russell Boosts Jolly Souls

S B JOEL’S XI 239 (E H Bowley 19, G E Tyldesley 38, C A G Russell 80, T O Jameson 53*, C W L Parker 26; E P Nupen 3/73, A E Hall 3/74), W V S Ling 2/19). SOUTH AFRICA 27/0 (M J Susskind 13*, I J Siedle 14*).

The weather and the pitch were good, and Lionel Tennyson won the toss for the tourists. They suffered an early blow when, without a run on the board, Percy Holmes was brilliantly caught by Douggie Meintjes low down at square leg off the bowling of Dave Nourse. Ernest Tyldesley played well and shared partnerships of 45 and 40 with Ted Bowley and Jack Russell. They had a battle on their hands when Buster Nupen and Alfred Hall bowled in tandem, though, two bowlers who are much more dangerous on the South African matting than on English turf. Between them they caused a middle-order slump, with Tyldesley lbw to Nupen at 87 for three, and the sixth wicket wend down at 109.

This was a dangerous position, but Russell was playing a determined innings and eventually found a worthy partner in Tom Jameson. They dug in and fought their way through to a partnership of 65 for the seventh wicket before Russell was out after an invaluable innings lasting almost 2½ hours. Charlie Parker helped Jameson to put on 46 for the ninth wicket, and the innings eventually closed for a moderate 239. Fred Susskind and Jack Siedle opened the innings for South Africa and kept their wickets intact before the close.

Day 2

Geary Troubles South Africa

S B JOEL’S XI 239 and 77/2 (E H Bowley 20, G E Tyldesley 38*, J C W MacBryan 1*). SOUTH AFRICA 193 (M J Susskind 55, W V S Ling 30, R H Catterall 44, E P Nupen 22; G Geary 4/78, A S Kennedy 3/68, C W L Parker 2/24). Overnight score was: South Africa (1) 27/0 (Susskind 13*, Siedle 14*).

The South Africans took their opening partnership to 42 when Jack Siedle was out without adding to his overnight 14. Fred Susskind and William Ling made steady progress, but with Dave Nourse out for 10 and Herby Taylor for 5, South Africa were 120 for five and then 138 for seven, with George Geary taking four wickets in succession. Bob Catterall and Buster Nupen batted positively to add 49 for the eighth wicket, but the innings ended with South Africa 46 runs behind.

The Jolly Souls made a good start to their second innings, with Ernest Tyldesley playing some fine strokes, and had much the better of the situation at the close, being 123 runs ahead with eight wickets still in hand.

Day 3

Nupen Bowl South Africa Back into the Match

S B JOEL’S XI 239 and 164 (G E Tyldesley 42, C A G Russell 38, A S Kennedy 33; E P Nupen 5/51, A E Hall 3/50). SOUTH AFRICA 193 and 16/0 (M J Susskind 4*, I J Siedle 8*). South Africa target: 211. Overnight score was: S B Joel’s XI (2) 77/2 (Tyldesley 38*, MacBryan 1*).

The tourists began the day in an advantageous position, being 123 runs ahead with eight wickets in hand. However, the balance of the match was altered by some superb bowling from Nupen, who caused the Englishmen great trouble with his deadly accurate leg-theory bowling on the matting. Six wickets were down for 98, and then came the only stand of the day, between Jack Russell and Alec Kennedy, who added 63 for the seventh wicket before the tail collapsed to Nupen and Alfred Hall, and Kennedy was last out.

Rain had cost some time, and South Africa began their second innings needing 211 to win. Fred Susskind was dropped twice in George Geary’s first over, and soon afterwards an appeal against the light was upheld. There could be a very good finish tomorrow, as South Africa are right back in the game.

Day 4

Match Abandoned as a Draw

S B JOEL’S XI 239 and 164 (G E Tyldesley 42, C A G Russell 38, A S Kennedy 33; E P Nupen 5/51, A E Hall 3/50). SOUTH AFRICA 193 and 16/0 (M J Susskind 4*, I J Siedle 8*). Overnight score was: S B Joel’s XI (2) 77/2 (Tyldesley 38*, MacBryan 1*).

The match was set up for a good finish today, but Jupiter Pluvius turned malicious again and not a ball could be bowled. Rain fell steadily for most of the day, and just before three o’clock all hope was given up of any play and the match was abandoned as a draw. This wipes out South Africa’s hopes of winning the series, as they are two-one down with one match to play.

Melbourne: Victoria v M.C.C.

Day 1

Hearne Finds Form

M.C.C. 295/2 (H Sutcliffe 88, A Sandham 21, J W Hearne 121*, W W Whysall 57*). VICTORIA to bat.

Considering that there was no weather interference and that they only lost two wickets during the day, the innings of the M.C.C., captained this time by Johnny Douglas while Arthur Gilligan rested his leg, was very laboured. Herbert Sutcliffe and Andy Sandham opened the innings cautiously, and Sandham forsook the free strokeplay he had used with success in Tasmania and scored 21 in an hour out of a partnership of 58. Sutcliffe scored steadily to make 88 in almost two hours and a quarter, passing 1000 first-class runs for the tour but just failing to add another century. Jack Hearne plodded to a century in three hours and 20 minutes, and Dodger Whysall too batted very laboriously, taking 107 minutes before he even hit his first boundary. The Victorian bowling was never more than steady, although the fielding was good, apart from a few missed chances, including an easy one from Hearne on 23 and a stumping of Whysall at 44. The crowd did not feel well entertained, and there was quite a lot of barracking.

Day 2

500 for M.C.C.

M.C.C. 500 (J W Hearne 193, W W Whysall 89, J L Bryan 59, M W Tate 25; H Ironmonger 5/93, W J Rayson 3/161). VICTORIA 35/1 (W M Woodfull 14*, J Ryder 5*). Overnight score was: M.C.C. (1) 295/2 (Hearne 121*, Whysall 57*).

The day’s play was chiefly remarkable for the fact that although M.C.C. amassed 500, two Victorian bowlers both took three wickets in an over. Jack Hearne and Dodger Whysall continued their third-wicket partnership until it reached 216, showing more enterprise today, and then Whysall after batting for just over 3½ hours was caught off the leg-spinner William Rayson, who also dismissed Roy Kilner (first ball) and Johnny Douglas (third ball) to good catches without scoring in the same over. Jack Bryan then batted very attractively with Hearne in a sixth-wicket partnership of 69, Hearne going on to score 193, M.C.C.’s highest individual score of the tour, in almost six hours. An innings by Hearne is always fascinating to the connoisseur due to the precision and perfection of his delicate play, but human beings often wish for faster scoring. The innings total reached 500 with seven wickets down, and then the unorthodox left-arm medium-paced spin bowler Bert Ironmonger finished it off with a hat-trick, having Maurice Tate caught for 25, and then Bert Strudwick lbw and Harry Howell bowled, both first ball. Victoria lost Edgar Mayne to Tate for 9 in their brief batting spell before bad light ended play early.

During the night Douglas, the M.C.C. captain in this match, returning home from a dinner given in honour of the M.C.C. team, was involved in a car accident in which the driver, who was apparently not at fault, was killed. Douglas himself suffered slight injuries but was not badly hurt.

Day 3

Kilner Strikes Gold on Sticky

M.C.C. 500. VICTORIA 179 (W M Woodfull 60, V S Ransford 62, J Ryder 13; R Kilner 5/48, J W Hearne 3/39) and (following on) 14/6 (H S T L Hendry 6*; R Kilner 5 wkts). Overnight score was: Victoria (1) 35/1 (Woodfull 14*, Ryder 5*).

For once Jupiter Pluvius refrained from picking on English cricketers, and this time turned his malice on the struggling team, Victoria. The state team continued their innings with caution, but they lost Jack Ryder and Hunter Hendry with the score on 48. Bill Woodfull and Vernon Ransford were at the crease with the score 80 for three when a thunderstorm struck. When they resumed, the pitch was harmless for a while, but then began to turn sticky when it dried. Woodfull and Ransford took their partnership to 106 and the score to 154 when, with the pitch becoming difficult, Woodfull played on to Jack Hearne. This started a fatal collapse, with the spinners Jack Hearne and Roy Kilner at the centre of it. Kilner cleaned up the last four wickets after tea and Victoria, 321 runs behind and with the pitch still sticky, were forced to follow on as the pitch deteriorated further.

Kilner was now lethal, and he quickly had Woodfull caught for 2, followed by Ransford for 3. In desperation Victoria now decided to send in their later batsmen to try to see out the day, only to lose four of them in quick succession. At the close, after 50 minutes, the score was a horrifying 14 for six wickets, not quite as disastrous as it seems since four of the men out are tail-enders, and if the pitch is normal tomorrow the remaining batsman may be able to allow Victoria to die with dignity. From Woodfull’s first-innings dismissal twelve wickets fell and only 39 runs were scored.

Johnny Douglas, injured in the tragic car accident over the weekend, watched the play from the pavilion, looking very much the worse for wear and with his arm in a sling, although the X-rays show nothing is broken. Jack Bryan, the only other amateur in the side, naturally acted as captain on the field today.

Day 4

Big England Victory

M.C.C. 500. VICTORIA 179 and (following on) 50 (H S T L Hendry 12, J Ryder 15, J A Atkinson 15; R Kilner 5/18, J W Hearne 5/30). M.C.C. won by an innings and 271 runs. Overnight score was: Victoria (2) 14/6 (Hendry 6*).

To Victoria’s dismay the pitch was still sticky when play resumed this morning, denying them the chance to die with dignity. Still, for a while the overnight pair of Hunter Hendry and Jack Ryder fought hard, adding another 20 runs before Hendry was caught in the slips off Jack Hearne. Ryder battled on and was eventually the last man out with the score at 50. Roy Kilner and Hearne bowled throughout the innings; yesterday Kilner had taken the limelight, but this morning he was rather overshadowed by Hearne, who took four wickets for 21 runs this morning, including those of the two overnight batsmen.

LEICESTERSHIRE

Leicestershire announced a loss of £1796 during the 1924 season, mainly owing to bad weather.

DUNEDIN

In Dunedin, Otago beat Canterbury by nine wickets. Their match-winner was the 21-year-old fast bowler George Dickinson, who had figures of six for 43 and five for 46.

TRINIDAD

At Port of Spain, Trinidad beat British Guiana by 256 runs. Their best performers were Archie Wiles, who scored 110 opening the second innings, and Joe Small, who took six for 43 in British Guiana’s second.

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