Date-stamped : 03 Feb1998 - 10:55
England v Australia, Exhibition Ground, Brisbane, 1928-29.

The teams arrived for the first ever test in Brisbane and the
first match of the series with Australia having a mix of young
and old players and England an experienced team.

Long time Australian players Collins, Bardsley, Mailey, 
Macartney, Taylor and Andrews had retired after the 1926 tour
of England. Ryder, 39, remained, and was captain for this
series. Also remaining were experienced opening bowlers Gregory
and Kelleway, who were also useful batsmen. They were backed up
by Grimmett, 36, and Ironmonger, 41.

England were fielding what is one of their strongest ever
teams. The batting included players with the eventual test
averages of Sutcliffe (60.73), Hammond (58.45), Hobbs (56.94),
Mead (49.37), Jardine (48.00) and Hendren (47.63). Larwood and
Tate would take the new ball, backed up by Geary and the slow 
bowler White. They were captained by Chapman who had regained
the Ashes after taking over the captaincy in the last test of
the series at the Oval in 1926.

In the England first innings, most of the batsmen contributed.
Hendren (169) played what is regarded as his best test innings.
His partnership of 124 for the 8th wicket with Larwood (70),
pushed the innings beyond tea on the second day.

Late in the England innings, Jack Gregory injured his knee
attempting a caught and bowled chance. At the conclusion of
the innings he limped into the dressing room, saying "boys,
I'm through, I've played my last game". During his career he
had taken 85 wickets at 31.15, scored 1146 runs at 36.96 and
taken 37 catches in 24 matches, an extremely high rate for a 
non-wicketkeeper. Having dismissed Sutcliffe, Hammond and 
Chapman in the first innings, he was a major loss for the rest
of this match and the series. Australia were then two players
short when Kelleway, the other opening bowler and also a useful
batsman, became sick with food poisoning and could not play out
the rest of the match.

Australia failed to see out the last hour or so of the day and
were 44/4 at stumps, with Larwood taking all 4 wickets. They
fell quickly the next day, only 78 runs added for the last six
wickets.

With the two Australian opening bowlers out of action for the
rest of the match and series, England captain Chapman, already
399 runs ahead on the first innings, amazed everyone by batting
again. The English batsmen proceeded to grind out a massive
lead. Most of the batsmen got a start, with Mead scoring 73, 
Jardine 65*, and Hendren again among the runs with 45. Chapman
finally stopped the torture by declaring for the first time 
ever in a test in Australia, with England at 342/8.

When Australia came out to bat in their second innings they
needed 742 to win. A demoralised 9 man team fell for 66,with
slow bowler Jack White taking 4 wickets for 7.

The 675 run margin is still the largest runs victory in test
cricket history. The match was one of Harold Larwood's best.
He scored 70 & 37, took 6 for 32 and 2 for 30 and also took 4
catches in Australia's second innings.

The match was also Bradman's debut test. He scored 18 & 1 and
was dropped to 12th man for the next test. After the match,
Kelleway, who had not played the second innings and did not
play the rest of the series, described Bradman as "not up to
test standard".

<END> Contributed by KDWalters