New stature in cricket Ito for D. W. Stead

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32234, 28 February 1970, Page 9

New stature in cricket Ito for D. W. Stead

'THE fine innings of 92 for * Canterbury against the touring Australian team and the captaincy of the New Zealand under-23 side has given the 22-year-old Riccarton batsman, D. W. Stead, a swift and somewhat unexpected rise in cricketing stature. Stead, who has not had a very impressive club season, averaging only 16 runs an innings for an aggregate of 208, must have considered himself fortunate when he was chosen to play against the Australians. However, by choosing the right ball to hit he prospered against the tourists’ bowling—which he will face again when he leads the under-23 side. A modest young man, Stead admitted he was stunned when told of his selection as captain, for he had scored only seven runs (from two innings) at a tournament which was abruptly curtailed by rain. But his temperament is such that the selectors could have had few reservations when they made their choice. Stead began his cricket with the Lancaster Park

club as a primary schoolboy and captained the Rangiora High School first XI for two seasons, playing with the former Canterbury Plunket Shield fast bowler, R. C. Merrin, for one of those seasons. , The 1964-65 season was a memorable one for Stead. He joined Riccarton, at the age of 16, and progressed through the grades to reach the senior team, in the course of the summer. He has represented Canterbury in Brabin Cup (under-20) and Rothmans (under-23) teams before and was vicecaptain of the Canterbury Kiwis in Australia in 1968. Stead scored his maiden senior club century (104) in the early part of the 1967-68 season, on the same day as his sister Janice, eight years his senior and a Canterbury women’s representative for the last 11 years, made 102 not out for St Albans. His highest score is 135 against Central Districts in last season’s under--23 tournament. Both brother and sister must have had a beneficial effect on the development of each other’s play, for Janice was just beginning her cricketing career—on leav-

ing Christchurch Girls’ High School—at the same time as David, then an eight-year-old. “We used to have a hit around in the backyard—l can’t bowl,” said Janice. “Actually, we sometimes still do, although we have to watch the glasshouses”. Stead is also the regular full-back for the Belfast Rugby team, which won the Canterbury Rugby Union’s Challenge Shield last year. Although he regularly misses the early part of the season because of the pressure of work in the family orchard, he still scored an impressive 83 points for the team last year. However, it is as a cricketer that Stead appears likely to make his mark, for he has seized the chance offered him by full Canterbury representation with both hands. With the all-round attributes of being a fine batsman. a good right-arm legspin bowler, a smart slipfieldsman (he took the only catch in the AustralianCanterbury game), and with toe ideal captain’s temperament, he should have a bright future in the game.