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The Fight for the "Ashes"
Begins in Earnest
NGLAND and Australia will
meet in the first Test matoli
I J of the present
1 campaign at
Brisbane on Friday next, and
tlio eyes of the world ivlll be on the
Fame. Never In the whole 50 years'
history of these games "has "the Interest
been keener.."and nevec lias til©
desire for victory .by both. countries
been greater.- -•-•— -
In.every,corner,of thpBrltish Empire
the result;, will "be awaited, with
tlie keenest anticipation; while other
parts of tlie world, ( .even where 1
cricket does, not find the favor that
It does wherever tho British flag flies,
will also bo" watching the game with
Interest.
. .
,
The
opposing
iorces
are
ready
wilting fpr the lyerd "Play,", and tho
g;imes are sure to .be .fought out 'with
tenacity and grimntiss.
England; as
the holder of tlio ''Ash™," is naturally
desirous of retaining hor supremacy.
which, she regained at Kensington
Oval In 1926, "after a 101'g
Purioil of- failure, .while Australia is
keen tin a vending that defeat.
For
the next few days the whole of ;he
cricket-lb^ing public will be hanging
on every /detail .of the (treat struggle;
It will bo ,Queensland's • first experience
of a Test .match, and
the
authorities there are sparing no Effort
to
raako
tliegumo a
thorough
tuocess.
Miey fcuve had a long light
in Biiln such a mateli, and now that
they liavo succeeded tliey' are dct?r-
»»ed
to show *hat they can
rto
tilings Just as well; ns can tlie people
<if the more populous' States.
With
lino
weather
they
aro
expecting
crowds of
80,000 or 40,000' people
dolly and If their hopes are realised
tliey will -have Justified themselves in
the eyes of the rest of the Commonwealth.
GAMES SINCE THE WAR
Tho Tests .have provided, Bomh
thrllllne eamon 'in the Past., and It is
certain that they will do so In the
immediate future.. Thoygo baek to
March, 187,7. when the first match
was played at Melbourne, and the record
stands now at 47 wipe to Australia
and- 4? to- England, with, 26
draws; . In- rubbers England,. hoMs
the lead., .Up to the outbreak or the
wait England led' both in rubbers apd
wins, but after the.'war Australia
gained 'an : extraordinary run ; or
triumphs, in the three series of
games prior tap Uie ^as tour of England,
Wlnnlns 18 'matches • to Ens-
land's opa„ afld .^JfW a -substantlal
lead In tho number of victories., ;
In, v die; ^
upon
whlcii the Englishmen • entered with
the highest: bQpes.i-.AuetrMtai.,8»)nefl
the unprecedented, record of flve'.vicr
I l^i" l^**" 1 afld and ln England tins' 1 ""
reogMnea/easllyi.
1
wb "were drawn. IS
ki&fai
miitch; -4ijjMjglli.. taftins tbe otfief
four.. Australia - - — ' Jjai • - thus wop threp
(mcoenalve;. rubbers ; tftkhiff ^InglStratnes IS. gatnes
to nop.: 'Sh0 cxc<;^dfid-tho '"OCOrd of.
f
cricket follower knows how. after tlie
first four games had . been left unfinished,
mainly on account of rain.
England triumphed in tho tlnat match
at the Oval, and regained the
"Ashes;" Australia gained a slight
Jead on _ the first innings -in that
match, but was set a stupendous task
of making 415 runs in the fourth innings
to win the- match., Her batsnien;
crumpling uo badly before the
bowling of Wilfred ttboden and
Harojd Larwood, never looked like
getting the runs, Rnd suffered a
crushing defeat by 2S9 runs. The
victory naturally caused tremendous
enthusiasm In England, where tlie
cricket-lovlne public felt that the old
country's prestige had been - restored.
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