Australia's Victory Nothing in connexion with the Second Test Match
at Mel- bourne, which Australia won by the comfortable margin of 111 runs, was more remarkable than the low level of scoring that prevailed throughout. Of the four completed innings only one totalled more than 200, while not more than three individual scores of over fifty were recorded. The explanation naturally suggests itself that there was something wrong with the Melbourne wicket, but the cabled reports give little ground for any such assump- tion. Is it possible that the match foreshadows a change in the character of first-class cricket ? For years past the bat has beaten the ball, and nowhere more decisively than on the " shirt-front" wickets of Australia. Is the
balance about to be redressed ? Is the bowler to come into his own again and bring the era of mammoth scores to an end ? Let us hope so, though the English score in the First Test hardly supports the theory. The experts in" records " may lament, but all who love the game for its own sake will have good cause for satis- faction. Meanwhile, our tally with Australia stands at one all. Interest in the next match will be the more intense.
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