Sport: Ashes to Australia

Australia won the first test match at Nottingham in June. England won the second at Lord’s. The next two were draws. The fifth at the Oval (London) last week was to last until one side won, if it took, as Cricket Critic Bernard Darwin wrote, “to all eternity.”

It looked as if all eternity might well be needed for Australia’s first innings. Australia’s Don Bradman, currently the most famed cricketer in the world, who delights audiences with the incautious brilliance of his batting, had one of his best days. He and Ponsford stayed at bat for all of one day, rolled up a total of 451 runs, a record for a test match partnership. Australia’s captain, William M. Woodfull, defended his wicket cleverly for 49 runs more. When the last Australian wicket fell, the total was 701 runs, just short of a test match record. After England was all out for 321, Australia piled up 327 more. England came out for her second innings needing 707 runs to tie. Tea was taken with three wickets down for 85 runs. An hour later the last six wickets had fallen and Australia had the match 1,028 to 466.

Cricket tests between England and Australia are played for a non-existent prize, the “Ashes.” When Australia won the first test ever played, a wag in Punch said: ”The body of cricket lies in England but the ashes are in Australia.” That was in 1876; a cricket joke lasts even longer than a test match. The fact that Englishmen make occasional quips about cricket, the leisurely routine in which the tests proceed, lead only stupid aliens to believe that the game is not serious. On the special car in which the Australian side traveled in England, a sign said: “Australian Cricket Team. Please Do Not Enter. Do Not Speak to the Players.” A London correspondent sent to Melbourne to return with the team, came back without a single interview.

All summer long, while the tests crowded almost all other news out of London papers, the controversy about “bodyline” bowling raged more violently than ever. In Australia, last year, British Bowlers Voce and Larwood frightened and outraged Australian batters by bowling full-on at their bodies and even at their heads. Australia protested. This year Voce and Larwood were left off the English team. That England managed to make the fifth match necessary at all was due to an amazing performance by Bowler Verity in the second.