Sydenham Surprises With Seven-Point Lead

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30593, 9 November 1964, Page 16

Sydenham Surprises With Seven-Point Lead

Sydenham, which has not won a senior championship since the first post-war season, rather unexpectedly took a clear lead of seven points when the third round of the competition ended on Saturday.

It was a day of many personal triumphs. S. C. Guillen, 102 not out on the first day, went on to 162 not out; G. T. Barrett scored an unbeaten and invaluable century for Riccarton; J. W. Grocott, the East-Shirley captain, made his first senior century. At Elmwood Park, Sydenham duly carried out its first-day threat of an innings defeat of Old Collegians, and events on the other grounds conspired to provide Sydenham with a useful points lead.

Old Boys, strongly placed against Riccarton on the first day, failed badly and West Christchurch - University could not quite go through to victory against Lancaster Park.

Grocott’s stout effect very nearly saved the day for East-Shirley against St. Albans, but P. G. Z. Harris, with a fine double, saw St. Albans through to victory. R. W. Thomas, a schoolboy last year, helped Barrett give Riccarton its fine victory with a sound, unbeaten halfcentury and another youth, R. W. Gearry, again showed good form in scoring 50. Harris, 62 in the first innings, scored 31 not out in the second. A. G. Duckmanton took six

wickets for Lancaster Park, D. Beuth, A. C. Timpson and R. C. Motz five each, while K. Thomson added two to his first-day collection to finish with seven wickets in Old Collegians’ first innings. The points so far are: Sydenham 30, West-University 23, Old Collegians 16, St. Albans 16, Riccarton 14, Lancaster Park 8, East-Shirley 2. Results:—

West-University 182 and 159 beat Lancaster Park 133 and 157/9 by 49 runs on the first innings. Sydenham 360/9 declared beat Old Collegians 155 and 109 by an innings and 96 runs. St. Albans 277/3 declared and 74/4 beat East-Shirley 136 and 212 by six wickets. Riccarton 128 and 201/2 beat Old Boys 207 and 120 by eight wickets.