4th
TEST: England v Australia at Manchester, 24-26 Jul 1902 Of this match
Cardus wrote "The match at the end seemed to get right out of the control
of the men that were making it; it seemed to take on a being of its own, a
volition of its own, and the mightiest cricketers in the land looked as though
they were in the grip of a power of which they could feel the presence but
whose ends they could not understand.". A superb contest from start to finish,
remembered perhaps unfairly as poor Fred Tate's only Test. Australia batted
first on a wet wicket, and Maclaren planned to keep Trumper quiet until the
wicket dried out enough to help the bowlers. At lunch Trumper had made 104*.
After lunch, as expected, Rhodes and Lockwood exploited the drying wicket
to dismiss Australia for 299. England then collapsed to 44/5, and recovered
to 70/5 by the close. On the 2nd morning, FS Jackson played a commanding innings.
England finished 37 runs short on the 1st innings. An inspired opening spell
from Lockwood dismissed Trumper, Duff, and Hill with only 10 on the board.
When the score was 16, Darling skied the ball to deep square- leg off
Braund, and was dropped by Fred Tate. Darling and Gregory put on 54 runs,
before the innings folded completely, and Australia was all out for 86,
leaving England 123 to win. England began their 2nd innings on the 3rd morning,
after more rain. They had reached 92/3 before Trumble and Saunders brought
about a collapse. Fred Tate came in to bat at 116/9, with 8 runs needed.
Before Tate reached the middle, it begain raining again, and the players
had to come off. Play resumed after 45 minutes. Tate edged Saunders' first
ball for 4. He survived the next two, but the 4th kept low to bowl him.
