to 76. Brown declared on 369/4 and soon had the Colts reeling to Compton's slow left-arm wrist-spin (4/8) and Brown's own leg-spin (3/18). They were dismissed for 117 and the MCC won by a morale boosting innings and 149 runs. Western Australia vs MCC From this point, the English fielding began to go downhill in no uncertain fashion. Sheppard ran round and round a skier from Carmody and did not touch it and, from having the home men 50 for three, the Englishmen allowed them to get on top completely. This is the worst fielding I had seen from an M.C.C team. Bailey emulated Sheppard by running round and round a catch, and not touching it, and Brown seemed to despair of victory...Brown left Perth stating, in a most determined manner, that his fieldsmen would know that they had had fielding practice before very long. Jack Fingleton Although they had won the 1947–48 Sheffield Shield Western Australia were its weakest team (Tasmania was not yet included) and isolated from the rest of Australia, so they provided an easy start for the MCC's round of state matches. The WACA Ground would not see a Test match until the 1970–71 Ashes series, so this was the only occasion for the Perth crowd to see a Test team in action. Freddie Brown won the toss and elected to bat, only to see his openers Reg Simpson and David Sheppard out for 5 runs, surprised by the swing they had been told was rare in Australia. Gilbert Parkhouse was bowled at 25/3 and it took Denis Compton (106) and John Dewes (94) to restore the innings with a partnership of 183. The vice-captain was particularity pleased with his century as it silenced the critics who thought him unfit to play and he managed to run between the wickets and step out to drive the bowlers without any fuss. Brian Close made an unbeaten 108, his maiden first-class century, although he almost walked on 91 before he found that what he had thought was a catch had taken the ball over the boundary. Godfrey Evans (43) and Alec Bedser (42) helped him hit the ball around and Brown declared on 434/9. Doug Wright proved to have one of his more productive days, but his 7/60 failed to enforce the follow on by two runs as Western Australia reached 236 thanks to their captain Doug Carmody