T. B. Burtt To Retire From Senior Cricket

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29010, 26 September 1959, Page 5

T. B. Burtt To Retire From Senior Cricket

/THERE will be few new faces •* in the Canterbury Cricket Association’s senior competition this season, and all the teams will b? depending upon last year’s players. The return of A. R. Mac Gibbon to Old Collegians, and the transfer to Christchurch of R. Nicholson, are the only notable gains. On the other hand, the New Zealand representatives J. W. Guy, T. B. Burtt and I. M. Sinclair will not be seen in the senior competition.

Last season’s champion side, Lancaster Park, will field virtually the same team as won the competition by seven points from St. Albans. P. W. O’Mr Iley has retired, and I. Anderson, the wicket-keeper, may not play. To balance this A. G. Duckmanton, who played only a few matches last season, will be available for the whole of the competition, and the former Christ’s College player, P. Andrews, may gain a place in the senior side. To Second Grade St. Albans will suffer a grave loss through the decision of T. B. Burtt to play in the second grade this season. Burtt, a veteran New Zealand representative, has bowled St. Albans to victory on many occasions since he first appeared in the senior grade, and last season he was also very successful as a batsman.

Burtt has decided that he has not sufficient time for the practice necessary for a senior cricketer, It seems that he would probably be worth his place in the team even without this practice. Another spin bowler, M. A. Beban, has transferred from St. Albans to West Christchurch-University Beban. who came to Christchurch two seasons ago from the West Goast, has played for the New Zealand Brabin Shield team. Loss and Gain West Christchurch-University. which finished third last season, has lost the off-spinner J. B. Park, although Beban should renlace him adequately. The Auckland representative J. B. Morris, who played only a few matches for this team at the end of last season, will probably be

available for the whole of this season. Another prominent West-Uni-versity player who will be a more regular member of the side this season is the fast bowler P. Low. To balance these the mediumpaced bowler W. A. White has moved to Ashburton for the summer, and J. Le Compte has retired. The opening batsmen, P. P. Morris and R. F. IJunter, will again only be available for a few matches. Hard-hit Sydenham has been hardest hit by transfers since last season. The loss of Guy to Dunedin, where he will play for the Otago University club, is a severe one. Th? medium-paced bowler, M. McEwan, has gone to Canada, but he should be well replaced by Nicholson, a medium-fast lefthander, who has played for the New Zealand Colts’ team while residing in Southland. The off-spinner, A. F. Rapley has returned from Wellington, and will again be playing for Sydenham. There is no confirmation of reports that A. M. Pearce maybe returning, but B. Salt may not be available this season. The High School Old Boys team will be the same as that of last season, and Riccarton will also be almost unchanged. B. Percival will not be available for the latter club until the second half of the season, by which time B. M. Pankhurst will have shifted to Australia. A Wellington senior player; C. Henderson, has joined the club. Henderson is a mediumpace bowler and a fine fieldsman. Retired Sinclair, the New Zealand representative, has retired from the East Christchurch team. The club will miss his off-spin bowling, but the rest of the 1958-59 season’s team will be available again. Old Collegians, which finished last in the competition last season, will be immensely strengthened by the return of Mac Gibbon from England. In past seasons he has proved to be the team’s best batsman and best bowler, and the other players should derive inspiration from his return to the side.