Old Boys Without Leading Players

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30680, 20 February 1965, Page 11

Old Boys Without Leading Players

Inroads into senior cricket teams caused by the absence of players in the Rothmans under-23 tournament at Auckland could cause upsets in the ninth round of the senior competition, which starts today.

Old Boys, the leaders, are most affected. Four players —M. L. Ryan, C. L. Bull, A R. Hounsell and W. R. Barberel—are not available, and a fifth, C. J. Stevens, will play only one day. A further loss is W. A. Hadlee who will leave with the New Zealand cricket team on Tuesday. Need Outright Wins However, Old Boys are fortunate that the team they are playing, Lancaster Park, also is not at full strength. B. C. Irving, R. H. Prouting and A Dobson are not available. But Lancaster Park will ■till have a strong side which

will include B. Andrews, R. T. Dowker, A G. Duckmanton and R. M. Gearey. West-University meets St. Albans in a vital match. With 61 points, St. Albans is one point ahead of West-Univer-sity and both teams need an outright win to have any chance of overhauling Old Boys.

G. T. Dowling will not be playing for West-University, and St. Albans's only absentee is W. J. Burtt who is in the Rothmans team. Sydenham, second In the competition, three points behind Old Boys, meets Riccarton which is without R. C. Motz. The powerful Sydenham batting should be even more in evidence in the absence of Motz, and a win in this match would place it in a favourable position for the championship. The other match between the bottom teams, Old Collegians and East-Shirley, could give East a chance to move off the bottom of the ladder. Old Collegians will be without M. G. Lester, B. A. Carpenter, J. E. England and D. S. Banks, creating a serious gap in a side which has not performed very well this season.