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England v Australia 1884
Wisden CricInfo staff - June 14, 2001

Toss: Australia The third and last of the three great matches arranged to be played against the full strength of England resulted in a draw, England wanting 120 runs to avert a single innings defeat, with eight wickets to go down. The fact that three individual scores of over 100 runs each were scored on the first day rendered the match unique in the annals of the game. When stumps were drawn on the first day, the score stood at 363 for two wickets, Murdoch having scored 145, and Scott 101 undefeated, the pair having added 205.

Bannerman was out wiith the score at 15, and McDonnell at 158, but 205 more runs were added that day without further loss. On the Tuesday Scott was caught at the wicket after adding a single to his overnight score, but Murdoch was not dismissed until he had compiled 211, being the sixth batsman out with the total at 494. The remainder of the innings was alone remarkable for the success which attended Lyttleton's lobs. He went on for the second time when six wickets were down for 532, and took the last four wickets in weight overs for only 8 runs.

McDonnell's very brilliantly-hit 103 consisted of fourteen 4s, two 3s, nine 2s, and 23 singles, and was made while 158 runs were scored. Scott was batting three hours and a half for his 102, out of 207 put on while he was in, and he gave one real chance in his splendid innings, and that was when he had made 60. His figures were one for 5 (4 for an overthrow), fifteen 4s, three 3s, seven 2s, and 14 singles. Murdoch's magnificent innings of 211 consisted of twenty four 4s, nine 3s, twenty two 2s, and 44 singles, and the celebrated batsman was at the wickets a little over eight hours, while 479 runs were scored. He gave three chances, all off Ulyett's bowling, when his individual score reached 46, 171, and 205 respectively.

The only innings on the England side calling for special notice were those played by Scotton and Read. The two batsmen bacame partners when 8 wickets had fallen for 181 runs, of which number Scotton had scored 53, 21 of them having been made on the previous evening.

They were not separated until they put on 151 runs for the ninth wicket. Scotton was the first to leave, having been at the wickets five hours and three-quarters, while 332 runs were made. He never gave the slightest chance, and it is not too much to say that his splendid display of defensive cricket was the cause of England saving the match. The figures of his innings were nine 4s, five 3s, nine 2s, and 21 singles. Read's 117 was a superb display of hard and rapid hitting of two hours and a quarter's duration, his hits being twenty 4s, one 3, twelve 2s, and 10 singles. One difficult chance to Spofforth was the only blemish in his innings.

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