Riccarton, Old Boys Share Cricket Lead

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31305, 27 February 1967, Page 15

Riccarton, Old Boys Share Cricket Lead

One round to go; one point covering the first three teams. The 1966-67 senior cricket championship, closely contested from the opening series, brought more changes in position on Saturday, the teams which had been third and fourth now sharing the lead.

Old Boys took full points from Sydenham in the last over of the match, and Riccarton beat West ChristchurchUniversity with only 12 minutes to spare, in two highly exciting matches at Hagley Oval.

Old Boys and Riccarton share the lead one point clear of West - University. In

the third match, Lan-

caster Park took firstinnings points from St. Albans.

Competition points are:— Riccarton, Old Boys 45; WestUniversity 44; St. Albans 38; Lancaster Park 36; Sydenham 26. In the final round, in which some teams will be affected by the absence of test players, Sydenham plays St Albans, West - University meets Old Boys and Riccarton plays Lancaster Park. Saturday’s results were:— Riccarton 201 and 194/5 declared beat West-Uni-versity 165 and 158 by 72 runs.

Old Boys 225 and 138/6 beat Sydenham 179 and 183/9 declared by four wickets. Lancaster Park 296 beat St Albans 176 and 182/7 on the first innings.

K. Thomson, of Sydenham, led the individual scoring with a brilliant innings of 94, during which he became the first batsman to pass 500 runs in senio cricket this season. G. T. Barrett (64) and R. G. Anderson (76) were associated in a match-winning partnership for Riccarton and the St. Albans captain, S. C. Guillen, made 58 in a valiant attempt to keep Lancaster Park out.

For Park, A. McKendry bowled his off-breaks well to take five wickets and R. C. Motz, leading Riccarton, took six wickets, making his tally 10 for the match.