Australia v England - Tour Match

New South Wales XI v England XI
Sydney Cricket Ground
4 Day Game
Umpires: LP Rowan & TF Brooks
Toss: New South Wales XI

NSW XI: SG Barnes, MJ Slater, CG Macartney, ME Waugh, NC O'Neill, KD Walters, +WAS Oldfield, *GF Lawson, CTB Turner, FR Spofforth, GD McGrath.
ENG XI: JB Hobbs, *L Hutton, ER Dexter, DI Gower, MC Cowdrey, TE Bailey, +LEG Ames, JC Laker, DL Underwood, AV Bedser, RGD Willis.

With rumours circulating that Len Hutton would stand down as captain at the end of the tour, England put in a very good all-round display to defeat a strong New South Wales XI in their last state match of the trip. The home team got off to an excellent start on the first day after Geoff Lawson chose to bat upon winning the toss, but after 91 from Barnes had led them to a promising 179-2 shortly before tea, Bedser and Laker then sparked a collapse that put the innings into terminal decline. Lawson and Turner dug their heels in, but New South Wales were all out for a disappointing 254 on the second morning as England reaped the rewards of bowling full and straight; indeed, they procured more lbw decisions in this one innings (four) than they have in the entire Test series up to this point (three).

Sid Barnes' 91 on the first day would turn
out to be the highest score of the match

A solid performance from England's middle order saw the tourists coast into the lead, a suitably lordly 85 from Dexter being the standout performance. With Botham rested, Bailey then worked the ball around well with the tail, and an eventual total of 343 gave England a handy advantage of 89 runs when the innings ended shortly before tea on day three. The New South Welshmen had not bowled well, with Glenn McGrath's introduction to the ATG world a particular disappointment, and in the second innings their batsmen fared little better as England closed in on the win.

The hosts stumbled to a precarious 81-4 overnight, and some excellent bowling from Bailey on a hot and humid fourth morning hurried them out for 141, setting England a target of just 53 runs for the win. Hobbs and Hutton took their time getting the runs, but they saw England across the line before tea, and all thoughts can now turn to the final Test. The Ashes may be gone but the series can still be saved, and if the Sydney Test is indeed going to be Hutton's final game in charge, then both he and the team will be fighting hard to ensure that a troubled tour at least ends on a winning note.

Is time about to be called on
Len Hutton's captaincy career?

Score Summary
NSW XI 1st Inns 254 (Barnes 91, Waugh 53)
ENG XI 1st Inns 343 (Dexter 85, Bailey 68*, Gower 54, Cowdrey 41)
NSW XI 2nd Inns 141 (O'Neill 43; Bailey 4-19)
ENG XI 2nd Inns 53-0

ENGLAND XI WON BY 10 WICKETS


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

Close of Play

Day 1 - New South Wales XI 1st innings 226-7 (Lawson 5*, Turner 9*; 90 ov)
Day 2 - England XI 1st innings 216-4 (Cowdrey 34*, Bailey 5*; 66 ov)
Day 3 - New South Wales XI 2nd innings 81-4 (O'Neill 18*, Walters 3*; 32 ov)
Day 4 - England XI 2nd innings 53-0 (25.4 ov) - end of match