first and Harvey was "c. Evans b. Bedser" for 74. Hassett did not survive long, his off-stump was knocked over by a Bedser "special" and from 116/2 Australia had collapsed to 129/5. Freddie Brown came on the relieve Bedser and Evans took another great catch to remove Loxton (24), though Ray Lindwall (41) saw Australia to tea for 166/6. Brown (2/63) continued after the break, mixing up his medium-paced seamers with leg-spin to have the out of form Australian wicket-keeper Don Tallon caught by Reg Simpson on the square leg boundary at 172/7. Lindwall and Ian Johnson held things up for three-quarters of an hour while adding 47 before Bailey (3/28) took the new ball. Simpson caught Johnson off Bailey and Bedser took Lindwall to give Bailey his third wicket. Bedser was brought back on and Bill Johnston flipped him over the slips to the boundary. As he came to a halt half way down the pitch he stopped to chat with Alec while Iverson completed two runs. Only now did Johnston realise that Reg Simpson had stopped the ball and was throwing it in to Evans. He ran back towards his crease running like a duck trying to take off from water alongside Iverson making his third run. Johnston got home, Iverson stopped two yards short to turn back to the bowler's end, but Evans missed the bowler's stumps and he was safe. After this comedy routine Bedser (4/45) had Bill Johnston caught by Hutton in the slips to dismiss Australia for 228 ten minutes before stumps, the last 4 wickets falling for just 9 runs. This low score after Australia had chosen to bat on a good wicket was a coup for the touring team, whose performance surprised everyone, it now only remained to see how well their batsmen could perform. England – First Innings ...the ball proceeded to perform capers all against the laws of gravitation, and there came the craziest day's cricket imaginable, with twenty wickets falling for 130 runs and two declarations that must surely be unique in the annuals of Test cricket. John Kay On the recommendation of an MCC committee member in Australia the tour selectors had decided to demote Len Hutton – the best opener in the world – to bat at number 5 so that he could stiffen the fragile lower order. This was possible as they had two other openers