Australia v England - Tour Match

Western Australia XI v England XI
WACA Ground, Perth
4 Day Game
Umpires: RJ Evans & TA Prue
Toss: England XI

WA XI: GM Wood, GR Marsh, TM Moody, DR Martyn, KJ Hughes, *RJ Inverarity, +TJ Zoehrer, B Yardley, WM Clark, RAL Massie, BA Reid.
ENG XI: JB Hobbs, *L Hutton, ER Dexter, DI Gower, MC Cowdrey, IT Botham, +LEG Ames, FS Trueman, DL Underwood, JA Snow, RGD Willis.

After the long journey west from Brisbane, Len Hutton would have been pleased to have won the toss at the WACA, but whilst England's bowlers enjoyed the opportunity for an extra day's rest, their batsmen had to work hard for their runs over the course of the first day and a half. In all, it took them the best part of 150 overs to run up a total of 351; there were fifties from Hutton, Dexter and Botham that were in turn solid, fluent and agricultural, and the home side's bowlers would have been very pleased with their work on what was a typically hard and flat Perth wicket.

Fred Trueman bowled well at the start of Western Australia's reply, removing both Wood and Moody in an extended opening spell either side of tea on day two, but they were to be the last successes for England's bowlers until late on day three as Geoff Marsh and Damien Martyn took complete control. The partnership began relatively cautiously on a rain-shortened second evening, but as the sun came out on day three so did the strokes, and it was not until the last half hour of play that the stand was finally broken, a weary Marsh falling to Hutton's very occasional leg spin for 167.

Marsh and Martyn batted together for six and a half
hours as England's bowlers were made to toil at the WACA

The pair had added a massive 303 for the third wicket, and on the final morning Martyn completed his double century before Snow wrapped up the innings in the afternoon, his five wicket haul giving him every chance of making the starting XI for the Test here. England's attack looked very tired by the end of the innings - Botham spent much of the third day off the field and all ten outfield players were given a bowl at one stage or another - and Western Australia's total of 465 gave them a lead of 114, but with little over a session left to play, all that was left for England to do was bat out for the draw. Dexter impressed again with another score in the 80s, but Hobbs made just 26 to continue his poor run on the tour so far, and England can expect to work even harder than they did here if they are to hold on to their series lead in the upcoming second Test.

Score Summary
ENG XI 1st Inns 351 (Dexter 83, Botham 75, Hutton 69)
WA XI 1st Inns 465 (Martyn 203, Marsh 167; Snow 5-59)
ENG XI 2nd Inns 121-2 (Dexter 81*)

MATCH DRAWN


1st & 2nd innings scorecards
(click to enlarge)

Close of play

Day 1 - England XI 1st innings 233-5 (Ames 7*, Trueman 0*)
Day 2 - Western Australia XI 1st innings 109-2 (Marsh 44*, Martyn 36*)
Day 3 - Western Australia XI 1st innings 375-3 (Martyn 168*, Hughes 8*)
Day 4 - England XI 2nd innings 121-2 - end of match