CRICKET OFF

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30575, 19 October 1964, Page 3

CRICKET OFF

Lowly Teams Suffer Teams which, by their apparent strengths on paper, were expected to lose, suffered by the cancellation of the second day’s play of the senior cricket competition on Saturday. Lancaster Park, weakened by the absence this year of P. Andrews, P. B. Wight and B. J. Ellis, and for the first round, of B. C. Irving and B. Andrews, was on the verge of a first innings lead against Sydenham after a fine allround effort by A. G. Duckmanton. Old Collegians, second to last in 1963-64, were also most unlucky as they had the champions St. Albans, struggling at Elmwood Park.

The other two matches, at Hagley Oval, were rather more evenly balanced but East Christchurch-Shirley, bottom in last season’s competition, lost a useful opportunity for succcess in its first match, against Riccarton. East-Shir-ley would probably have taken a first innings lead and started the season more encouragingly than has been its wont in recent years.

And the only match that did not look clear-cut before the first round started, West Christchurch-University v. High School Old Boys, was most delicately balanced after a day of many runs and attractive strokes. Scores, in a round in which no competition points were scored, were:—

East Christchurch-Shirley 154, drew with Riccarton 113 for six; High School Old Boys 329, drew with West Christ-church-University 114 for one; Old Collegians 236, drew with St. Albans 97 for five; Sydenham 176, drew with Lancaster Park 138 for four.