Date-stamped : 26 Oct94 - 10:26 England v Australian Cricket Board Chairman's XI Lilac Hill Park, Caversham, near Perth, 25 October 1994 On a day when Tasmanian batting star Ricky Ponting displayed his class in front of those who matter and Graham Gooch reinforced his ageing determination with a century, England lost their second cricketer in the space of two days because of injury. In the opening game of their four month Ashes tour, against the Australian Cricket Board Chairman`s XI, at Perth`s gum shrouded, marquee lined Lilac Hill ground, off spinner Shaun Udal yesterday sustained a broken left thumb diving for a diffi- cult return catch as Ponting marched majestically to a run a ball 82. Udal, who played 3 ODI`s in England earlier this year but is yet to win a Test cap, will be out of action for three weeks and may miss the tourists opening three first calss matches. He was brought to Australia essentially as a limited overs player and his injury is not causing as much concern as the hair- line fracture of the right index finger vice-captain Alec Stewart suffered in a practice match on Monday. He will be out for a similar period. Ponting dominated the Chairman`s XI innings of 232 and England replied with 3-236 to win with 2.4 overs to spare in front of a crowd of almost 10,080 happy just to see some of Australia`s former greats back together again. Gooch, 41, top scored for the tourists with 129 from 130 balls with 19 fours and two sixes against the moderate attack. Ponting, 19, already in his third season of first class cricket and with seven centuries hit 13 fours and a six in his 82 to dom- inate a second wicket partnership of 127 in 95 minutes with re- cently retired Western Australian captian Geoff Marsh. With a second Australian side playing in the World Series this season Ponting was fully aware of the implications of his in- nings. It was made in front of national chairman of selectors Laurie Sawle and A team coach Greg Chappell, a team-mate yester- day with other former greats - Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thompson and Rod Marsh. "Most of the batters around Australia are very aware of the A side. Every game they play they`re out to get as many runs as they can. Today was just another example of that," Ponting said later. "With the A side just around the corner every game helps." Ponting helped debunk the claim by England coach Keith Fletch- er that fast bowlers Darren Gough and Martin McCague ap- proached the pace of Lillee and Thompson at their peak, but Gough was still impressive. The 24 year old claimed 5-32 in a robust display of pace, highlighting the promise he showed in England earlier this year with 17 wickets in four Tests. Ponting said that he was yet to face Australia`s fast bolwers in the Sheffield Shield competition because of their constant international duties but rated Gough alongside West Australia`s quick but wayward Duncan Spencer as the fastest he has faced. But he treated McCague with disdain. It was a difficult homecoming for the Northern Ireland born former Western Australi- an fast bowler as Ponting pulled, cut, and drove numerous boun- daries. McCague had 61 taken from only seven overs yet was on a hattrick late in the Chairman`s innings when he bowled Marsh and Lillee with successive balls. Thanks :: The Australian Contributed by ABfan (cjm418@huxley.anu.edu.au) ====> more England`s tourists sensed danger when Ricky Ponting lazily on- drove a boundary just wide of the Dingo Flour marquee at Lilac Hill yesterday. Soon afterwards, the Tasmanian ripped a low re- turn catch along the pitch, smashing the left thumb of England off-spinner Shaun Udal. When Ponting walked out after a perfectly princely innings of 82 from 82 balls, former Test all-rounder Kaith Slater remarked: "His back-foot driving is reminiscent of Normal O`Neill. He`s all class, isn`t he?" Ponting, a poised, unsmiling, astonishingly mature 19-year-old from Launceston with seven first class centuries, hit 13 boun- daries and a six behind square leg in his 95-minute innings. In the process, he helped in the flaying of fast bowler Martin McCague (2-61), whose first three overs yielded 33 runs in his return to the Swan Valley. Former 50-Test opener Geoff Marsh made 46 in a 127-run partner- ship with Ponting, saying of the right-hander: "He`s a lovely little player. Every time I see him he makes runs. He looks out- standing. There`s no doubt he would be playing Test cricket for any other country." At times Ponting barely seemed to put bat on ball, yet singles became boundaries through exquisite timing, mainly on-drives, although the whiplash crack of his cover drives, pulls and the rare high hook resounded around the arc of flooded gums. Thanks essentially to some sharp, if not cut-throat fast bowling down-wind by Darren Gough (5-32 from 9.4 overs), and opener Gra- ham Gooch`s run-a-ball 129, the Englishmen cruised home by seven wickets against the Australian Cricket Board Chairman`s XI - 3- 236 to 232. Predictably, Dennis Lillee`s first-ball bouncer wobbled Mike Atherton`s helmet and the 45-year-old former champion paceman claimed two good wickets in his opening eight over spell. The old master duped Atherton (8) with a leg-cutter, leading to a mis- guided push to Tom Moody at second slip, and, to an even greater roar from the 10,800 crowd, induced a return catch from Graeme Hick (7). The tourist`s immediate concern was the thumb fracture sustained by Udal, which will keep him out of cricket for three weeks. His injury occurred one day after Alec Stewart chipped his right forefinger in a trial game. Gough was the eye-opener for England. He had Moody lbw for a duck as well as claiming the wickets of Marsh, Greg Chappel (3), Tim Zoehrer (4) and ponting, diving smartly for a left-handed return catch. But, for all coach Keith Fletcher`s wishful thinking, Gough and McCague were still a couple of powerhouses short of Jeff Thomson in his prime for speed. Ponting enjoyed the rural atmosphere of the game, but admitted that with two Australian teams to be chosen this summer, he treated it "pretty seriously". "I hit a few in the middle and it was good fun; batters around Australia are striving for runs, every game," he said. Ponting saw a long road ahead for himself and other Test as- pirants, declaring: "Most of the batsmen are established and are all doing their bit for Australia so it`s going to be a long time. Batters have to be patient and score runs and wait for their turn to come. There are plenty of good blokes around now good enough to be in the Australian `A` side and can`t quite break through so it`s a good chance for them to show how good they are." Remarkably, although in his third season of Sheffield Shield, Ponting has yet to bat against Australia`s representative bowlers, comparing Gough`s speed with that of West Australian fast bowler Duncan Spencer. Thanks :: Phil Wilkins, Sydney Morning Herald. Contributed by David.Mar (mar@Physics.su.OZ.AU)