THE visit of the Australian touring team to play Worcestershire at the New Road Ground 100 years ago brought an off-beat description of the game from "Crowquill" in his Journal comment column.

"The opening day of the match proved very bright and gratifying to cricketers and casual spectators alike.

Visitors saw the Cornstalks bat and witnessed good sound play by Duff, Noble and others, and some vicious slogging by Jones. And they also saw some good bowling by the home veterans, Bird and Burrows.

"The Australians threatened to tot up a prodigious score but these two trundlers prevented them from doing so. Nearly everyone was pleased.

"There was plenty of incident and, on the part of the homesters, no reproach for want of alertness. And moreover they supplied a little amusement by trick throwing which was so clever as to deserve the title of sleight-of-hand.

"The spectators braved the showers as did the players who sacrificed their own comfort and put themselves under a little disadvantage to give the public a show for their money."

The Australians won the match by 174 runs, the tourists scoring 274 and 199 to Worcestershire's 202 and 97.