ST. ALBANS ONE RUN, ONE BALL NEARER TARGET

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30900, 5 November 1965, Page 14

ST. ALBANS ONE RUN, ONE BALL NEARER TARGET

When play ended in senior cricket last Saturday, the key match, between Sydenham and St Albans, was left in an intriguing position —Sydenham made 126 and St Albans 122 for nine.

So St. Albans needed five runs for the first innings points, and had three balls

in which to make them to take bonus points as well. But before play begins at Hagley tomorrow, an alteration is to be made to the score-book. A no-ball was signalled in error in Sydenham's first innings, and the Sydenham total will thus be reduced to 125. But as the ball was actually bowled (and no-balls do not count when assessing the scoring rate for bonus points), it means that St. Albans now

has four balls in which to score four runs. This situation gives the opening minutes particular appeal, but whatever happens then, the game should stay alive all day, for Sydenham is an aggressive team, and St. Albans will have to go all out for victory to stay near the top in the championship race. Riccarton In Trouble In the other game at Hagley Oval, Lancaster Park (290) has Riccarton (113 for six) in considerable trouble, and a loss in this match would make Riccarton’s prospects of winning a place in the top four a little remote—unless St. Albans loses outright to Sydenham. Both the other games seem a little one-sided at present. West Christchurch-University, after making 219, dismissed East Christchurch-Shirley for 78. Although East-Shirley scored 12 without loss before the close of play, it will have a desperate struggle to save the game. Old Boys, with a total of 266, is very well placed against Old Collegians, who lost seven wickets for 66 last week.