EXCITING FINISH AFTER RAIN

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32567, 29 March 1971, Page 19

EXCITING FINISH AFTER RAIN

When the squall hit Hagley Park at 2.55 p.m., and sent players on all six pitches scurrying for shelter, Lancaster Park must have thought the gods were against it. Thanks to the bowling skills of B. C. Irving, it had a chance to haul itself off the bottom of the competition, and then the elements seemed to have denied it

Although the weather did not improve much, and remained very cold, the teams were able to take to the field again, and an excellent and exciting finish was the result.

With a couple of wickets soon after the resumption, the St Albans captain, J. M. Ruston, saw a chance of victory for his own team, and there was a sense of urgency about St Albans in the field—typified especially by S. T. Murdoch, who deserved a run out or two for his alertness.

Lancaster Park inched its way to victory, though it could not afford a relaxing period of an over or two as, in the end, it had only 85 minutes to score the 100 for victory.

A., M. McKendry, always on the look-out for runs, was the early architect of the win, but in the end it was J. F. Jackson who guided his team to the three-figure target. Jackson scored with a mixture of flowing shots and good fortune and, fittingly, the winning boundary came from a snick over the head of the wicket-keeper.

This was from G. J. Walklin’s seventh ball of the last over, and there was even a little drama before that as R. J. Hadlee was forced to bat—though not face—with the considerable disability of strained neck ligaments.

The fine finish brought a little colour into a match which had not otherwise been exciting. P. D. Burney . and Jackson again had batted capably in the morning, but only Murdoch of the St Albans batsmen could do much with Irving, whose seven wickets were a fine reward for skill, accuracy and persistence. Umpires: Messrs B. Dennison and M. N. Jones. LANCASTER PARK First innings 135/4 P. D. Burney c L. A. Smith b Walldin 37 J. F. Jackson c Kennedy b Walldin 27 C. W. Aldridge c L. A. Smith b Walldin .. .2

R. J. Hadlee e Ruston b Harrison 6 D. J. McKendry c Burtt b Fleete 9 K. C. Chambers not . out 4 B. C. Irving c Walklin b Harrison 1 Extras (byes 2, no-balls 7) 9

Total 183 Bowling.—G. J. Walklin, 7,0, 51, 3; T. I. Marks, 8,2, 21, 2; J. M. Ruston, 13, 2, 50, 1; A. L. Fleete, 1,0, 11, I. Second innings A. E. Collins c and b Ruston 10 C. K. Baker b Marks .. 3 A. M. McKendry lbw b Harrison . 34 P. D. Burney c Fleete b R. E. Gearry b Harrison .. 17 J. F. Jackson not out .. 24 B. C. Irving b Harrison 1 C. W. Aldridge run out 1 D. J. McKendry b Harrison 0 K. C. Chambers run out 0 R. J. Hadlee not out 0 Extras (byes 2, wide 1) 3 Total for 9 wickets 102 Bowling.—J. M. Ruston, 4,0, 21, 1; T L Marks, 5,0, 21, 2; J. A. Harrison, 5,0, 35, 5; G. J. Walklin, 2.7, 0, 15, 0; J. W. Burtt, 1,0, 7, 0. ST ALBANS First innings 193/9 dec. Second innings J. M. Ruston c Hadlee b Irving 9 L. A. Smith c Baker b McKendry 1 J. W. Burtt c Gearry b Irving 3 S. T. Murdoch b Irving .. 32 R. D. Kennedy run out 0 B. D. Lark c Aldridge b Irving .. 0 G. B. Smith c Baker b Chambers .. 7 T. I. Marks not out .. 16 A. L. Fleete c Chambers b Irving ° J. A. Harrison lbw b Irving 2 G. J. Walklin c Chambers b Irving 8 Extras (byes 8, leg-byes 2, no-ball 1) ..11

Total 89 Bowling.—R. J. Hadlee, 3,0, 7, 0; B. C. Irving, 15.4, 5, 39, 7; D. J. McKendry, 8,4, 23, 1; K. C. Chambers, 5,2, 9, 1.

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