England v West Indies 1933

The second of the three Test matches was left drawn, but the West Indies enjoyed the satisfaction of putting together their highest total in a Test match against England, in England, while to Headley and Barrow fell the distinction of being the first two West Indies batsmen to make hundreds in a Test match in this country. On a pitch from which Clark alone proved capable of making the ball rise above stump high, the West Indies, on the first day, scored 333 for six wickets, their batting success after so many previous disappointments being quite welcome and affording probably just as much enjoyment to English people as it did gratification to the tourists themselves.

In this match the visitors were assisted by Constantine. He did not achieve much distinction as a bowler, but he played two good innings in his own inimitable style, his 64 on the last day coming at a time when there was just an outside chance of England forcing a win. No account of this Test match would be complete without reference to the method of attack adopted by Martindale and Constantine for the West Indies and Clark for England. The game at Lord's had passed by without any of the fast-leg theory bowling with a packed leg field which had caused such trouble in Australia the previous winter. At Manchester, however, we saw a lot of it and, judging by the opinions afterwards expressed, it met with little commendation. Jardine himself had to bear the greatest brunt of this form of bowling. Both Martindale and Constantine directed it at him with unflagging zeal, and it was to the great credit of the English captain that he played it probably better than any other man in the world was capable of doing, while putting together his first three-figure innings in a Test match. The fact that Jardine showed that it was possible to meet it without suffering physical injury or losing his wicket through any impatient or wild strike, did not, however, make the sight of it any more welcome, and most of those who were watching it for the first time must have come to the conclusion that, while strictly within the law, it was not nice.

Far more conducive is it to write about the magnificent batting of Headley, who joined Barrow when the first wicket fell at 26 and helped in a stand which produced exactly 200 runs in three hours and twenty-five minutes. It was only natural that Barrow should have been overshadowed by his more famous partner, but if there were several faults in his play, he showed skill in defence and a greater variety of strokes than was usually the case with him. He was at his best when driving and glancing to leg. Jardine tried six bowlers before Wyatt, who fielded admirably in the long field, broke up the stand by bowling Barrow with a cleverly flighted ball. Headley and Barrow, while they were together, made the England bowling look rather ordinary, although Barrow gave two other chances after being missed at slip when eight and survived several appeals for leg-before. Headley remained unbeaten to the end of the day, but Constantine made 31 out of 36 and Headley and Da Costa put on 27 in the last half-hour. England were handicapped by an injury to Macaulay, who hurt his foot while fielding and took no part in the last two hours' cricket, while Robins was suffering from a strained stomach muscle. On the second day the West Indies batted for another hour and added 42 more runs, Headley increasing his individual score from 145 to 169 and taking out his bat. He cut, drove and forced the ball off his legs to the on with a ready adaptability and perfection of timing which enabled him to resist the England bowling for six and a quarter hours without giving a single chance. Hitting eighteen 4's he had a magnificent reception when the innings ended. Clark's four wickets were rather expensive, but he bowled better than anyone else and was not particularly lucky.

When England went in Walters, as at Lord's, played very well and the first wicket produced 53 runs before Sutcliffe ran himself out. After lunch Hammond had his chin laid open by one of many short-pitched rising balls, but resumed only to fall into the leg-theory trap. Four men were out for 134, but Ames helped Jardine to add a valuable 83 runs in an hour and forty minutes, and following the fall of the sixth wicket at 234, Jardine and Robins stayed to the end, when England were 112 behind with four wickets to fall. The next morning they raised the score to within one of the West Indies total, but three wickets fell at 374 and, with Macaulay unable to bat, the innings, which lasted seven hours, then came to an end. The partnership between Jardine and Robins, which produced 140 in two hours, was of immense value to England. After Robins left Jardine was out in the next over. He batted nearly five hours and hit only five 4's, but he gave a magnificent display against the fast bowling, never flinching in the slightest degree and time after time drawing himself up to his full height and playing the ball down with a dead bat. When the West Indies went in a second time Clark bowled fast leg-theory, but Roach scored 64 out of 86 while Headley was in for eighty-five minutes. Hoad and Grant kept together for nearly half an hour and then, just as there seemed a chance that England might get their opponents out, Constantine hit hard and with Achong put on 69 in fifty minutes. At the end of the innings stumps were pulled up. Langridge, who had already scored 1,000 runs during the season, took his hundredth wicket on the last day when he dismissed seven men for 8 runs apiece.