Sydenham unhappy on green, damp pitch

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32425, 12 October 1970, Page 19

Sydenham unhappy on green, damp pitch

Riccarton’s decision to send Sydenham in to bat on a green and damp Sydenham Park pitch paid handsome dividends, the home side being all out at 12.30 p.m. for a mediocre 49. From the first over the Sydenham batsmen appeared unhappy with the bounce of the pitch. The first blow came in the second over when R. C. Motz claimed the wicket of P. Burgess. After this, there was a steady stream of Sydenham batsmen between pavilion and wicket. Only W. Thomson, who opened the innings, showed any resistance to the Riccarton attack, spearheaded by F. M. Madrussan and Motz. Thomson's was the ninth wicket to fall—and in 90 minutes at the crease he scored only 18. The bowling of Motz, Madrussan and J. W. Kiddey was not as devastating as their figures would suggest Most of the Sydenham batsmen got themselves out through bad strokes. Many were failing to get to the pitch of the ball and others who played back paid the penalty with balls which kept low. Motz, bowling at medium pace with a short run-up, deserved his figures. He kept the ball up to the batsmen and was aided to a great extent by the wicket. Madrussan was erratic at times. Kiddey took some time to find his direction. Riccarton. in its innings, suffered virtually the same fate as Sydenham. It lost two very early wickets and at one stage was 19 for four wickets. However, a 27run partnership between B. P. Isherwood and P. A. Stubbings took Riccarton to a first innings lead. ’ I. Wilson, the young Svdenham opening bowler, used the pitch to his advantage, as the Riccarton bowlers had done, and finished with impressive figures. The former Old Boys player. W. Duncan. bowled unchanged and allowed the batsmen little latitude.l After two stoppages—one fori rain and the other for bad light! -—play was finally abandoned for: the day at 5.30 p.m., with Syden-i ham six runs on in its second Innings. SYDENHAM First Innings v* A. Thomson c Motz b Kiddey 18 F Burgess c N. M. Parker b Motz 0 K. Prusas b Motz 2 I. R. Hartland b Madrussan 11

|D. Gallop c B. P. Isherwood b Madrussan 0 I R. McHarg lbw b Motz .. 1 lA. Glen b Motz 0 B. Salt lbw b Kiddey .. 0 ,A. Bos b Motz 0 W. Duncan c G. Barrett b Madrussan 6 I. Wilson not out 3 Extras (byes 8, leg-byes 8, no-balls 2) .. 18 Total 49 Bowling—F. Madrussan, 6.7, 2,| 15, 3; R. C. Fotz, 8,3, 8,5; J. W. I Kiddey, 5,1, 8,2. Second Innings W. Thomson not out .. 2 P. Burgess not out .. 0 Extras (byes 4) .. 4 Total for no wicket 6 Bowling.—Madrussan, 1,1, 0,0; Motz, 1.6, 1,1, 0; Kiddey, 1,0, 1, O. RICCARTON First Innings D. W. Stead c W. Thomson b Duncan .1 G. T. Barrett lbw b Wilson 0 P. A. Stubbings c McHarg b Bos 29 N. M. Parker lbw b Wilson 8 J. Airey c W. Thomson b Wilson 0 B. P. Isherwood b Duncan 8 R. C. Motz c Prusas b Wilson 21 F. N. Madrussan b Wilson 9 P. G. d’Auvergne, b Duncan 5 J. W. Kiddey not out 7 : R. Millar lbw b Wilson 1. Extras (wides 2, byes 7) 9 Total 98 Bowling.—l. Wilson, 16.4, 2, 41, 6; W. M. Duncan, 18, 5, 36, 3; A. Bos, 2,0, 12, 1.