Innings Win To West-University

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31519, 6 November 1967, Page 16

Innings Win To West-University

First day: West-Univer-sity 307 for nine declared; Sydenham 47 for three. Sydenham struggled all day to avoid an innings defeat but finally succumbed In the last hour after a stubborn eighthwicket partnership of 29 by B. J. Salt and P. McKenzie. Weak batting on a good pitch forced the follow on 207 behind but the way the last pair clung on suggested that the earlier batsmen should have done better. When Sydenham batted for the second time the hopes of West-University of a quick break-through were somewhat dashed by an injury to the opening bowler. N. A. Huxford. who was assisted from the field in some pain after a fall. This, together with a new found stubbornness and application from the Sydenham batsmen, injected a new interest in the game and had it not been for some spirited fast bowling from D. G. Trist, West-Univer sitv might have had to be content with first innings points. Although in terms of wickets taken his contribution was not great, Trist bowled with great heart, making the ball lift

sharply at times. He worried all the batsmen and kept the pressure on at a time when they could well have taken charge. Huxford recovered sufficiently to bowl later in the innings but by that time the spinners had taken control and his presence was not of such importance. Both P. A. Sharp and C. M Kirk had an almost mesmeric affect on the batsmen and attempts to break the spell resulted inevitably in the fall of wickets.. The left-arm spinner, Kirk, reaped the greater reward but this was due to a large degree to the tightness of the bowling of Sharp whose off breaks were seldom subjected to an overt stroke.

For Sydenham. I. R. Hartland showed a welcome return to form and R. L. Thomas batted soundly. Salt can usually be relied on to bat well in a crisis and his innings on Saturday proved no exception. However, he seemed to be in two minds wheth r to attack or defend and was rather unnecessarily run out when McKenzie, although not scoring, appeared .to be in no great trouble. Umpires: Messrs L. C. Johnston and J. Pope.