Much to be learned in knock-out cricket

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32213, 4 February 1970, Page 17

Much to be learned in knock-out cricket

(By

R. T. Brittenden)

COME of the first-round matches in the A.N.Z. Bank knock-out cricket competition provided close contests, and interesting ones, but it was disappointing that ail four of the teams from beyond Christchurch suffered defeat Now six of the Christchurch senior clubs remain to fight it out with the Suburban Association team and the giant-killer of the. first round, Hagley Old Boys. It was an extremely good performance by Hagley to beat the South Canterbury side. But these results should not be taken as an indication that representative, or near-representative teams from beyond Christchurch are not up to the standard of Christchurch senior teams. In these first round games, almost anything could have happened, for the techniques of 35-over cricket are not yet familiar to Canterbury cricketers. Much will be learned from this first knock-out contest. Sydenham, for instance, began its innings as if it was essential to score at the same rate achieved by East-Shirley at the end of its innings. Even in limited time matches, the building of an innings is vitally important, so that there is sufficient ammunition, in wickets retained, to fire off in attack in the later stages.

It is. to be hoped the defeated teams will not feel

discouraged, particularly Marist, which suffered a very heavy defeat, and the Supporters’ Club, which was run off its feet by Riccarton’s powerful hitting. Marist was out for 28, but such unhappy situations have been suffered by many teams in many grades over many years, and the club is good enough to redeem

itself in the plate matches to be contested by firstround losers. The Supporters’ Club should be able to field a rather stronger team than the one which played on Sunday. It has a membership of many hundreds, and the discovery of a few more bowlers, especially, should not be an insuperable problem. The first season of a new type of competition is inevitably the most difficult one, but there was considerable interest in the first round games and at Ashburton the attendance was especially good. Instead of being deterred by Sunday’s results, country cricketers it is hoped will turn this season’s experience to benefit The Banks Peninsula did not enter a team this year, nor did the others in the North Canterbury group. It might seem that individual teams from the North Canterbury area would provide weaker opposition than the representative side which suffered defeat: but there are good cricketers in each of the sub-districts and the organisers of the competition would certainly welcome a larger entry than the 16 sides of this season.

Every team in the competition will learn from experience too; and so will the public, which will come to appreciate a vital and entertaining form of cricket.