Between Overs

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31542, 2 December 1967, Page 11

Between Overs

One of the enigmas of Canterbury cricket at present is the aggressive Old Boys batsman, C. J. Stevens. Last season Stevens played twice for Canterbury, without success. He failed again in the match against the New Zealand team. But in club matches, he has made 254 runs in four completed innings. Stevens, a hard hitter with plenty of strokes, clearly has particular ability, but in his effort to regain a Canterbury place he has to combat the consistent performances of D. N. Macleod and the high promise of R. W. Anderson. His prospects would be better if he was a sharper and more reliable fieldsman.

Since he began his Christchurch club cricket career this season, the former Central Districts player, D. N. Macleod, has not had a failure. In his first innings he was out for 18 to a rather freakish catch. Since then his scores have been 56, 53, 45 not out, 23 and 42. Like Stevens, Macleod is not, these days, a star fieldsman, but there is no mistaking the value of his experience or the skill of his batting.

In their return to senior cricket, Old Collegians have provided some interesting, if not always reliable batting. D. S. Banks, the captain, is having a good season—22l runs so far. J. S. Baxter is a firm driver who has made some useful scores and the enterprising H. J. Taylor has made a couple of good scores. J. D. Riley is a youngster of distinct promise and when, in a year or so, the side has in it R. Fulton, one of the best-looking players Christ’s College has had for some time, there may be a fair period in the club’s senior affairs.

The leading team in the senior championship, West Christchurch-University, deserves its top position. It has produced some fine batting, and opposing teams have found its well-balanced bowling hard to conquer. West-University has three lively seam bowlers, N. A. Huxford, D. G. Trist and D.

H. Hicks; left-arm spin from C. M. Kirk and off-breaks from the captain, P. A. Sharp. Although he has achieved nothing spectacular, Hicks has played an important part in supporting the other pace bowlers. He is lively and accurate, and this season has given away runs at an. average: of only two an over while picking up wickets regularly.

* * « The Sydenham all-rounder D. L. Gallop, has not so far had the happiest of seasons, with only six wickets in the first three games, and a succession of batting failures. However the cheerful Gallop may take satisfaction from

the fact that in his last five innings he has improved his score slightly each time. His score of 16 on Saturday was no triumph: but it left him only four short of a career aggregate of 4000—a mark not many have reached. * * «

The famous ridge at Lord’s had a minor counterpart at Hagley on Saturday, when something of the sort was detected on the pitch used by West-University and Old Collegians. The bowler who made best use of it was the young Old Collegians leftarm spinner, M. G. Lester, who pitched a grand length, made the ball lift and turn. At no stage in the season had the West-University batsmen had to struggle so hard for runs, for at the other end the indefatigable J. H. M. Dawson had them pinned firmly down. • * *

Although he let through 20 byes against Lancaster Parte on Saturday, G. McAuley, the Riocarton wicket-keeper has been in better form behind the stumps than he was last season. Some of the bowling was very inaccurate and many of the bonus runs- Lancaster Park received were not his fault. Standing up to the medium-paced J. W. Kiddey, McAuley took a brilliant catch to dismiss the young left-hander K. Baker, who had been shaping well.