The stocky Cockney, on his third Australian tour, and the collieryman from Nottinghamshire, on his first, shared a partnership of 124 which remains the highest for the eighth wicket for England in an Ashes Test. Hendren, hooking and cutting wonderfully, was last out for 169 and England finished on 521.Larwood then bowled out Australia in conditions still splendid for batting He demolished the top order with the new ball Bradman eluded him. The 20-year-old wonder boy, who had already scored heavily for New South Wales, made 18 before he was given lbw to Maurice Tate. Sixty years later, recalling the verdict in a radio interview, The Don still claimed it was dubious.Australia were dismissed for 122 and Chapman decided not to enforce the follow-on, a percipient decision. All of England's eight second-innings batsmen reached double figures, Philip Mead and Douglas Jardine contributing half- centuries.

Australia were asked to make 742 runs to win.If this was quite bad enough, it rained heavily through the night before the fifth day's play The sun then shone Bradman had never seen a sticky wicket before. Australia were bowled out for 66, the future genius mustered one This was insignificant at the time. There were other matters of import from the match.Chapman's status as national hero was merely enhanced and in the matches which followed his stock rose more. Percy of the cavalier batting and old school charm could do no wrong then. England's win at the Exhibition Ground (its only Test, for the Gabba replaced it soon after) disconcerted Australia and with Hammond reaching his apotheosis later in the series they could never recover. England, rampant, won 4-1.Sadly, it was a match too far for Jack Gregory. He had been the scourge of England throughout the decade, a man who obtained his wickets by huge physical presence and raw speed With Ted McDonald he had instilled fear in English hearts But now his knees had buckled and he knew it was up for him.

With tears in his eyes, Gregory walked into the dressing-room and said: "I'm done for Boys, I'm through I've played my last game.". England 13 South Africa 7 Try: Guscott Try: Roussow Con: Dawson Con: Montgomery Pens: Dawson 2Half-time: 7-7 Attendance: 75,000IT WAS not to be. In their 15-month odyssey of unbroken and only once paralleled success, the Springboks have ridden it out, toughed it out and, at times, wiped out the opposition. But at Twickenham yesterday they were denied the record they so desperately sought by an insurmountable combination of mother nature, the extortionate demands of a punishing schedule and a bloody-minded England.If, in the admiring acknowledgement of England's triumph there are cautionary notes to be sounded, it is because doubts must remain as to how much this victory is attributable to England's remorselessly grinding power. And how much to the exhaustion of the Springboks.From as early as the 10th minute it seemed that the Springboks had used up what small reserves of energy there were in the tank. And so they have been denied the record of 18 consecutive international victories and, on the evidence of yesterday's performance, it was perhaps just as well.