Burtt’s bowling telling factor

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32531, 15 February 1971, Page 16

Burtt’s bowling telling factor

Early in the Old Collegians innings, St Albans appeared to be wasting the good work of its batsmen earlier in the day. But the appearance of J. W. Burtt at the bowling crease was the signal for what became almost a mass “walk-out” by the Old Collegians batsmen. The result of Burtt’s penetrative leg-spin, which he bowls mQch less these days, was a comfortable position for St Albans.

Bristling with aggression, J. M. Ruston gave his team a flowing start when St Albans batted, and he had an eager helpmate in L. A. Smith. Then, in the middle order, M. Leach and G. McCawe, the latter with a runner, consolidated the healthy position, though they found that no liberties could be taken with the steady medium-pace of the veteran, T. D. Gibson.

For the third time in as many matches, Gibson was the heart of the Old CoHegians attack—he has taken 18 wickets in the last four innings—and reaped the rewards for bowling accurately. The other Old Collegians bowlers failed in this respect, and the fielding was often slipshod.

S. J. Hunt followed Ruston’s example when Old CoHegians batted, and he and J. W. Gebbie made a bright, attractive start. But with the fall of their wickets, naturaHy to Burtt, Old Collegians watched a regular procession of batsmen to and from the pavilion with D. S. Banks maintaining lonely defiance. But he went too, and the lower-order batsmen could offer no resistance to Burtt and P. M. Fazakarley. Umpires: Messrs J. S. Cowper and F. R. Goodall. ST ALBANS First innings J. M. Ruston c Gebbie b Gibson 61 L. A. Smith c Gibson b Clark 39

J. W. Burtt c Dawson b Gibson .. 16 G. B. Smith lbw b Gibson .. 9 M. Leach run out ..27 G. McCawe b Gibson .. 58 B. D. Lark lbw b Curtis .. 19 J. A. Harrison run out .. 1 K. I. Ferries run out . o P. M. Fazakarley c Gebbie b Gibson .. 0 G. J. Walklin not out .. o Extras (byes 6, leg-byes 9) 15 Total 245 Bowling.—N. F. Curtis, 7.2, 0, 36, 1; J. H. M. Dawson, 3,0, 29, 0; N. G. Clark, 20, 0, 93, 1; T. D. Gibson, 16, 1, 73, 5. OLD COLLEGIANS First innings S. J. Hunt b Burtt . 37 J. W. Gebbie c L. Smith b Burtt . 35 D. S. Banks c Ferries b Fazakarley . 41 H. J. Taylor c Lark b Burtt 14 D. A. Pickering b Burtt . 0 G. P. de Latour c G. Smith b Burtt .12 J. H. M. Dawson b Fazakarley 2 R. G. Fraser run out .. 11 T. D. Gibson st L. Smith b Burtt 4 N. F. Curtis not out 1 N. G. Clark not out .. 6 Extras (byes 5, no balls 4) 9 Total for 9 wickets 168 Bowling.—G. J. Walklin, 9,1, 31, 0; K. I. Ferries, 3,0, 17, 0; J. W. Burtt, 14, 1, 82, 6; P. M. Fazakarley, 9,2, 29, 2.