Cricket 1896

J u n e 25, 1896. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 243 THE AUSTRALIANS. THE FIRST TEST MATCH. T H IR T E E N T H M ATCH OF TH E T O U R . Played at Lord’s on June 22, 23 and 24. England won by six wickets. Notwithstanding that it is universally admitted to be a huge mistake to under-estimate the abilities of one’s opponents, Englishmen seem to have generally made up their minds that the old country had a very soft thing on when the Australians were opposed at Lord’s. It would be difficult to say precisely on what grounds this opinion was formed, but there can be very little doubt that a comparison of the averages, batting and bowling, of the two teams had something to do with it. Some of the best j udges of the game thought that it would be a very good thing if Australia won the toss on a perfect wicket, because there might then be a better chance of seeing some approach to a tight. Except for the exclusion of K. S. Ranjitsinhji, who has hardly been at his best of late, the composition of the England team gave great satisfaction. Indeed, from a batting point of view, it could not have been stronger, and though there was not a very great variety of bowling at the disposal of the captain, it was not anticipated that he would have to greatly exercise his mind about this. The Australians left out Iredale, who has not as yet played up to his greatreputation, Johns and McKibbin. Long before the time for the beginning of play an enormous crowd had filled every available position from which a view of the game, however slight, might be obtained, and all through the day there was a constant stream of visitors, most of whom could have seen absolutely nothing of what was going on. Owing to comparatively recent rains the wicket had been got into excellent condition, and when it was discovered that Trott had won the toss, the spectators settled themselves to the best of their ability to watch a probable long outing on the part of the Englishmen. A loud cheer greeted the appearance of the three English amateurs, and the players were received with enthusiasm, for until they actually stepped on to the turf, it was not generally known who would be among them. In a few minutes Richardson had bowled the first ball from the pavilion end. Not even the players themselves knew who was to be the other bowler, and Lohmann was walking to his place in the field when W . G gave the ball to him. A better choice could not have been made. A t the beginning of the inniugs Richardson seemed to offer no difficulty to Donnan and Bailing; his pitch was not at all accurate. Lohmann, on the other hand, was difficult from the first, and often beat the bats­ men in his pace. The disasters began when Donnan was run out. He had made a hit to Brown at cover, who only partly stopped it. In a hesitating sort of way Donnan began to run, and then, although Jack­ son had the ball in his hand, and Darling did not move, he quickened his pace. When it was too late he tried to return, but the wicket was down instantly. This was bad enough, but when Giffen came in and was caught off Lohmann’s first ball by Lilley, every­ body wondered. Trott came in and did not seem comfortable. He was soon completely beaten by Richardson, who had by this time got a better pitch. W ith Gregory in, matters began to look a little better. He played with confidence, and he and Darling made several fiue hits off Richardson, with whom W , G. had a little talk. This was the turning point of the game, and thereafter Richardson and Lohmann carried everything before them. Gregory was beaten by Richardson by an extremely fast ball, which seemed, j udging by his look when he found that he was bowled, to be altogether a surprise to him. W ith the next ball Graham was bowled—another great surprise. Then, after Darling had made a lovely cut for four off Richardson, the Surrey bowler sent him a very fast .ball, which just took off a bail. Darling had batted in splendid style without making the slightest mistake, or seeming to be tied up by the bowling. There was no longer any room for doubt that the rot was complete. None of the rest of the team ever looked for a moment like making a stand, and the innings was over in an hour and a quarter. Everybody was asking everybody else for an explana­ tion of the collapse, but no answer was forthcoming. The bowlers bowled splendidiy, it is true, but the ball did not kick or do anything very dreadful; probably the bowling of Richardson was found to be more difficult than it had been on Australian wickets. As Richardson had met with such success from the pavilion end, it goes without eaying that when the Englishmen went in, Jones was put on at the same end. His first two or three overs were alarmingly fast and somewhat dangerous, and neither W . G. nor Stoddart, who accompanied him to the wickets, was at all at home, but after a few lucky snicks ;and a few narrow escapes, they began to take his measure. Gitfen seemed to offer no difficulties to either bats­ men. Just before lunch, Trott tried Eady, in the hope of getting a wicket, but without success, and when the game was adjourned, the score was 37 for no wicket. So far, everything seemed in favour of a long score, but very soon after the play was resumed, Stoddart was out to a ball which was as near an approach to a shooter as one could expect from a bowler with Eady’s action on a fast wicket. Stoddart very nearly saved his wicket. Then followed Abel, who did not seem to like the short ones from Jones, which got up to a level with his nose, but he did not shew the least sign of fear, and very soon he had discovered a way of playing them. Once he made a mistake. The ball went perfectly straight to Eady in the slips, who seemed taken by surprise, and after fumbling with it once or twice, let it drop. After this there was some very pretty batting indeed by both W . G. and Abel, and it seemed as if they were getting set for the day (although they had neither of them really mastered the bowling), when W . G., in trying to hit Giffen to leg, skied the ball, and was caught in the slips by Trumble, for a fine innings of 66, out of a total of 143. There was one more pros­ pect of a veiy long stand after this, for when Brown was out for 9, in which were two beautiful hits, Gunn joined Abel, and the bowling seemed to be gradually getting worn down. The batting at this time was tedious, for Gunn was playing himself well in, while Abel, who had been a great deal knocked about, more especially by Eady, was playing for safety only in order to recover his strength. Just as Gunn seemed set beyond any doubt, he was caught at the wicket for a good innings of *25. Mr. Jackson, who followed him, played by far the best cricket shewn during the innings; it was attractive and it was safe. A t the same time, there was very little hope that he and Abel would make a very long stand together, for Abel was by this time very lame, and obviously batting under great difficulties. It was a great dis­ appointment that he just failed to make his hundred, but his 91 was worthy of the highest praise. When Jackson had made 40, he hit a ball from Giffen in the direction of Darling, who would in all probability have made a catch if he had not stumbled over some of the people who were sitting down far inside the boundary. Jackson appeared to be walking away towards the pavilion, but returned to his wicket after a few words with Trott. He hit the next ball not quite so hard, and was caught; it almost seemed as if it were done intentionally, to make up for Darling’s disappointment. Hayward, who went in next, had but little chance of distinguishing himself, as the innings closed early on Tuesday morning for the addition of very few runs. Throughout the after­ noon, the Australian bowlers were difficult to play, and the fielding on the whole was very fine. So badly did the Australians begin in their second innings that they lost Eady and Darling for 3 runs, and already a second collapse was prophesied. Giffen and Trott made somethiug of a stand, but when Giffen went for a good 32, three wickets were down for 62, which was not at all promising. Then came the great feature of the match. For two hours and three quarters Trott and Gregory defied the English bowling, which, although it never became loose, was most decidedly collared after a short time. At last Trott was prettily caught low down in the slips by Hayward, but the batsman warily appealed, and had the extreme good fortune to find his appeal success­ ful, very much to the surprise of the field. At the luncheon interval the score was 152, Gregory, not out, 43, Trott, not out, 71. When the game was rtsumed, the cricket was delightful to watch. The bowlers were trying all they knew, while the batsmen were crumping any ball which offered the least chance of a h it; their strokes were hard and exceedingly well timed. So complete a mastery did they obtain over the bowling that there seemed no reason why they should ever get out, and everybody simply waited for one of those accidents which always happen sooner or later in any partnership. Runs came with rapidity, and as the bail was always kept on the ground, there was nothing to raise the hopes of the field. Every now and then, however, the bats­ men showed surprisingly bad judgment in running, and they escaped by the merest good luck. When Trott had made 99 he ran a short run to Jackson at cover, and the ball only missed his wicket (when he was yet a long way off the crease) by a hair’s breadth. Still the score mounted until Trott was well on his way to making his two hundred, and Gregory had made his hundred. At this stage of the proceedings the little accident which had been so long waited for occurred, and Gregory, with his score at 103, cut a ball hard somewhere in the direction of Lohmann, who seemed to unroll himself, and brought off a brilliant catch, which proved to be the turning point of the innings. Trott, having made 143, followed Gregory almost at once, well caught by Hayward. It is impossible to praise too highly the batting of the two men. After this tine stand the innings soon came to an end, but Kelly showed some good cricket in his 24 not out. Donnan practically batted with one hand, owing to an injury which he had received during the innings ot England. He very pluckily kept up his end, even against the fast bowling, while Kelly was hitting, and it was a fine ball that at last bowled him. Hearne bowled splendidly. W ith 109 to make to win, England had a quarter of an hour’s batting in a very queer light. Jones bowled his fastest, and before time was up, Abel was out for 4, while the total was 16. During the night it rained hard. Again at 11 o’clock, a slight drizzling rain developed into a thunderstorm, delaying the game until past twelve. It was at once seen that runs would be difficult to make, for Jones made the ball get up on er the batsmen’s head when he gave one of his favourite short ones, and Trumble was also getting up very straight, while the ball travelled very slowly over the turf. W. G. was the first to go, seemingly a little surprised at the umpires’s decision. Hayward and Brown, who both had very narrow escapes of being seriously hurt by Jones, played fine cricket. Slowly the score mounted, until Hayward had to go for H, with 43 on the board. At this time England was by no means out of the hunt, and when Stoddart came in and began to shape very queerly to both Jones and Trumble, the Australians had a fair chance of making a good fight. But within a few overs Stoildart was missed twice behind the wicket, and Brown once, although in each instance the ball went perfectly straight into the fielder’s hands. From this time, it became merely a question of how much Englaud would win by, for notwithstanding that Jones still made it dangerous to bat, and Eady, who had superseded Trumble, got up tremendously, it was pretty clear that short pitches would not win the day. Brown, who quietly allowed most of the short bumpy balls to pass him, m>ide a great many beauti­ ful strokes, which were exceedingly well placed; he was at last caught at the wicket for 36—a very plucky and able innings. With Gunn and Stoddart together, the runs were knocked off at a quarter to two. Except for the first few minutes, during which he was uncomfortable, Stoddart played beautiful cricket. Gunn was quite at his best. A u s t r a l ia . First innings. H.fDonnan, run out .......... J. Darling, b Richardson ... G. Giffen, c Lilley, b Loh­ mann .................................. G. H. S. Trott, b Richardson Second innings. b Hearne ........... 8 b Richardson ... o S. E. Gregory, b Richardson 14 H. Graham, b Richardson 0 C. Hill, b Lohmann .......... 1 C. J. Eady, not out .......... 10 H. Trumble, b Richardson 0 J. J. Kelly, c Lilley, b Loh- man .................................. 0 E. Jones, b Richardson ... 4 Bye ................... 1 ...32 b ...143 b ...103 ... 10 5 Total... b Richardson c Hayward, Richardson c Lohmann, Heame ... b Richardson b Hearne ......... cLilley,bRichard- son .................. 2 c Lilley, b Hearne 4 notout......... ... 24 cJackson,bHearne 4 B 7, lb 4, w 1... 12 Total ...317 E n g l a n d . First innings. Second innings. W . G. Grace, c Trumble, b G iffe n ..................................66 c Hill, b Trumble 7 A . E. Stoddart, b Eady ... 17 not out.................30 Abel, b Eady..........................91 c sub, b Jones ... 4 Brown (J. T.), b Jones ... 9 c Kelly,b Eady 35 Gunn, c Kelly, b Trumble... 25 notout.................. 13 F. S. Jackson, c Darling, b G iffen .......... ...................41 Hayward, not out .......... 12 b Jones ..........13 Lilley, b Eady .................. 0 Lohmann, c sub, b Gitfen.. 1 Hearne (J. T.), c Gitfen, b Trott ..................................11 Richardson, c Hill, b Trott 6 B 5, lb 2 ........... 7 Extras ... 8 T otal.. ..292 Total ...111 A u s t r a l ia . First innings. Second innings. O.M. R. W . O. M. R. W . Richardson 11 3 3 39 6 ............ 47 15 131 5 Lohmann 11 6 13 3 ............ 22 6 39 0 Hayward 11 3 14 0 Heame... 36 14 76 5 Jackson 11 5 28 0 Grace ... 6 1 14 0 Lohmann delivered one wide. First innings. Second innings. O. M. R. W . O. M. R. W- Jones . 26 6 61 1 ... ... 23 10 42 2 Uitfen . 26 5 95 3 ... ... 1 0 9 0 Eady......... . 29 12 58 3 ... ... 3 0 11 1 Trott . 7-4 2 13 2 ... ... o-i 0 4 0 Trumble .. . 19 3 55 1 ... ... 20 10 87 1 Jones delivered a wide. C RICKET Report Sheets, lOd. per dozen, post free. Order of Going-In Cards, 7d. per dozen, post free. Pocket Scoring Book, 7d. each, post free. — To be obtained at the Office of Cricket , 168, Upper Thames Street, London, E.C.