1st Test - Sydney Cricket Ground

The Match Report - click on the required day for session report.

Day 1 - report
Day 2 - report
Day 3 - report
Day 5 - final day - report


Day 4 Report

Keen not to anger the cricketing Gods, Nawab of Pataudi went to the ground in exactly the same clothing as on the previous day, so anxious was he to achieve the 100 mark on his debut Test - superstitious? Most likely, certainly not the last player to do this! Grimmett and O'Reilly bore the brunt of the bowling, between them bowling 131 overs, 54 of them maidens. Wall bowled well on a spinners wicket (although there was room for improvement) taking 3 wickets for 104 runs.
England's score closed at 524, Sutcliffe, Hammond and Pataudi scoring centuries.

Australia well behind at the start of their 2nd innings soon saw any hopes of saving the match disappear when Woodfull was clean bowled by an inswinging Yorker off Larwood with only 2 runs on the board. According to the English Captain, at this stage in his career, Woodfull was suffering through illness and lack of practice. An interesting feature of Woodfull's wicket was that Larwood very rarely swung the ball back into the batsman but away from him. 8 runs later Ponsford fell to a half volley around his legs, Voce the bowler.

Jardine wishing to give Larwood a rest, brought on Hammond, and the new bowler was greeted with immediate effect, McCabe the first to go LBW and then Richardson caught Voce without adding anything to the total. Larwood suitably refreshed, came in to bowl and duly took the four wickets of Kippax, Oldfield, Fingleton and Grimmett. Jardine continued to bowl Larwood to the close in order to get the final wicket, and on looking back at his decision, the captain realised he had over bowled his quick bowler and not allowed him the rest he deserved.