The Gentle Rain The Australian innings was in its own
way as efficient and as dull as in the Manchester Test. Long before stumps on Friday one could almost hear Simpson calculating his dreary sum: 'A lead of over one hundred and fifty and we can hardly lose. And if we aren't beaten we win the series. So grind and grind and grind.' Oh my Compton and my Hammond not so long ago I Even so there was still just a chance after Trueman's explosion had set the match alight. Dexter played flashing cricket and when he flashed once too often at McKenzie he was, as usual, abused. I think he took a fair and proper risk. If he had prospered just for a little longer we would have had the extra runs we needed so badly on the Monday. Simpson with his bowlers trundling away to a defensive field saw to it that we were short of runs, and would have had to bat for something over an hour on Tuesday. And then the merciful rain, to make final nonsense of our dreams.
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