Sobers, King Hit Seven Champagne Sixes

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31942, 20 March 1969, Page 17

Sobers, King Hit Seven Champagne Sixes

(New Zealand Press Association)

ROTORUA.

Festival-type cricket was the order of the day for the touring West Indians when they rapidly scored 308 in 145 minutes against a Bay of Plenty Invitation XI at Smallbone Park vesterdav.

The Invitation Xi’s innings was a drab affair compared to the West Indies effort. It was distinguished only by a fine 61 not out by B. H. Pairaudeau, the former West Indian vice-captain, and a bright 25 in 10 minutes, including five fours, by M. T. Henderson. Pairaudeau, in an extremely graceful innings which included 10 fours, gave no chances. He showed he was still a very fine batsman by stroking the ball effortlessly. His 50 came up in 118 min-i utes and his innings in all took 123 minutes. j After an extremely slow ! start—the first hour produced only 13 runs —the Bay finally managed to score its 142 in 168 minutes. Some entertainment was provided by the! finnings of 17 by another former West Indian interna-1

The captain, G. S.i Sobers, hit four- sixes and five fours, racing to , 50 in 25 minutes, and L. i A. King, also with three sixes, scored 32 in a re- , markable eight minutes , at the wicket. Through it all, C. A. Davis j stayed, reaching his century i in 118 minutes and hitting a six and 17 fours in an inn- ' ings of 102. Each of the sixes was worth i a bottle of champagne, given t by local cricket enthusiasts, j The entertaining batting | s from the West Indians wash possible through a declara-ii tion early in the afternoon:! by the Bay captain. E. C. i Petrie, who closed his side’s ji innings at 142 for seven.

tional. S. C. Guillen. He should have been caught at square leg before he got off the mark, but W. W. Hall made no effort to run in and take a relatively easy catch. With Pairaudeau, Guillen put on 40 for the fifth wicket in 41 minutes. The Rothmans “man of the match” award went to Pairaudeau. He received 545. Other awards of $l5 were given to: fastest 50, Sobers: best fieldsman, T. M. Findlay; best sixes, Sobers; best bowling, P. D. Stone.