Rain Shortens Play and Reduces Scores: Australia All Out for 345: England 221 for Five Manchester, July 25.
For the first day's play of the Fourth Test Match, at Manchester, to-day, the weather was dull and the wicket slow and easy, with the Joutfield very moist. Woodfull and Ponsford, playing very cautiously, }withstood for 24 hours the attack of the English bowlers, who were con-/stantly changed.
When time arrived for the draw: ing of stumps, the scoreboard read 221 for 5.
Taly 28.
Heavy rain has interfered with the fourth Test Match, and there was no play before lunch to-day.
If, during the course of these reflections, I should be found to deal too frequently in superlatives, Thope I may be excused. An epic encounter deserves nothing less, Having won the first Test at Nettinghari, the press appears to have forgotten the fact that the Australians were only beaten by 93 runs, and then only after scoring over' 400 in the fourth innings, For many days previous to the Lord's match, the critics had been busy making the task of the Selection Committee as difficult as Of the best known cricketers past possible. These orities include some After the di 1 of Ponsford, W. M. Woodfall, c. Duckworth, b. and present, such as MacLaren, rot set in, for the next two wickets w, arr, Bf] Warner, Fender, Lyon, Strudwick, fell for the addition of only six D. vans. When Grimmett joined fax, the two defied the English al tack with their skilful defence. They played out time, adding 32 runs to the total, the score at the close being 215 for July 26, Just when uns were most needed, Grimmett made his highest score in a Test Match, but he was the first to go. When he had reached the half-century, he hit one. of, Peebles's deliveries up to short leg and was well caught by Sutcliffe (830 for eight), The innings closed for 345, When England's score had reached 108, Woodfull made a successful change in the bowling. Wall was put on and in his first over he got Hobbs, who, in attempting to cut a ball, was' caught behind the wicket (108 for one).
Wall met with further success a while later, for, in hooking a long hop, Sutcliffe was caught by Bradman on the boundary (115 for two), Further disaster befell England when Hammond, before he could get set, played on to a ball from on Wall (119 for three), He had scored only 3, Duleepsinhji batted confidently. He was splendid in his hitting to leg, cutting and pulling. However, when the score had reach- Cee ed 192, he tamely cut a ball from McCabe to Hornibrook, fielding at short slip, and was out, Chapman joined Leyland, but the English captai had only' made a single when he lifted a ball from Hornibrook to cover-point, and Grimmett accepted the chance (199 for 5).
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.