Better scores made in fourth-round matches

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32461, 23 November 1970, Page 18

Better scores made in fourth-round matches

A better balance between batsmen and bowlers, on pitches which gave more encouragement to the making of strokes than most of those in earlier matches, was noticeable when the fourth round of the senior cricket championship began on Saturday. There was nothing flamboyant about the batting, but in three matches the day yielded more than 300 runs, only Riccarton and St Albans falling behind the general run-rate.

However, the St Albans captain, J. M. Ruston, was the day’s top scorer with 93 and there was a welcome show of form by B. F. Hastings (West-Univer-sity) who made 89. The team to make most progress was Old Boys, which after making a useful score cut deep into the Lancaster Park batting. In the other three matches the likelihood of outright decisions is less. Scores were:— West-University 243; Sydenham 80/3.

Old Collegians 218; EastShirley 04/1. St Albans 184/6 dec.; Riccarton 40/3. Old Boys 210/8 dec.; Lancaster Park 107/6. Three of the players unluckiest not to win places in the Plunket Shield squad—B. G Irving, C. L. Bull, and B.

Bhana emphasised their misfortunes with fine performances. Irving took six wickets against Old Boys, for whom Bull made 76; and Bhana scored 58 for WestUniversity after his side had been in difficulties. R. W. Fulton (Old Col-

legians) made 64, and L. 1 Smith (St Albans), 53. V. < Pollard took five wickets for i East-Shirley, and A. Rule five I for Sydenham. 1 West - University estab- < lished a competition record ! by winning five batting per- < formance-points, and took six 1

for the day, but this was one fewer than Old Boys, which had four for batting and three for bowling. Other teams scored as follows: Lancaster Park, East-Shirley, Sydenham and St Albans each 3; Old Collegians and Riccarton each 2.