began Vic Wilson, Colin Cowdrey, Peter Loader, Jim McConnon, Keith Andrew and Frank Tyson were warned by Len Hutton that they were secondary players who were expected to play little part in the Test matches. Western Australia Country vs MCC The tourists arrived in Fremantle on 7 October and Cowdrey learnt by telegram that his father had died, but he decided to continue the tour. Four days later played their first match of a long tour against a local Country XI on a small, sandy ground 20 yards from the beach. The A.C.B. liked these games as they encouraged grassroots cricket. They were less popular with the tourists as they involved travelling to distant grounds to play in front of small crowds. However, one or two of these games were useful at the beginning of the tour to allow the players to warm up and Bunbury was close enough to Fremantle and Perth for hundreds to come and see the game. The Country teams could sometime surprise the opposition, and this team included three first-class players, including spinners Morgan Herbert and Eric James, both players for Tambellup–Cranbrook. Hutton won the toss and the MCC belted 344/5 in less than a day with Hutton (59), Edrich (129), Graveney (58) and Cowdrey (48 not out) entertaining the crowd. A declaration before stumps saw no Country wickets fall and 51 was added for the first wicket, but then Big Jim McConnon's off-spin worked its way through the middle order as he took 5/30 after Peter Loader (4/35) and Tyson (1/35) removed the openers and the home side were all out for 116. Put back in again they survived the day, and the match, at 128/6 with Colin Cowdrey's good natured leg-spin taking 4/35. Tyson ploughed up the sand on his long run up and could not bowl at full pace and was described by one reporter as a zephyr rather than a typhoon. Western Australia vs MCC Perth was far removed from the other states and provided no Australian Test players in the series. It would not host a Test until 1970 and after these initial games the MCC would not return. Len Hutton won the toss and put Western Australia in with immediate results on a fast, rain-freshed pitch as both openers went for ducks and Ken Meuleman retiring hurt after being hit on the head by Brian Statham (6/23). Trevor Bailey