Motz came back, with devastating effect

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32764, 15 November 1971, Page 16

Motz came back, with devastating effect

The clearest of evidence that R. C. Motz has finished painting his house was on display at Haglev Chai on Saturday. Making his first appearance of the season m the third round of the senior championship, Motz demolished the batting of Lancaster Park, the leading team, and with seven wickets for 25, achieved the most spectacular figures in a 15-year career notable for the regularity with which he has produced batting or bowling violence.

Eight years ago, Motz took eight wickets in a club innings, but in

terms of wickets and runs conceded, Saturday’s was clearly his best performance.

A day which might have been fashioned for cricket was remarkable for the one-sided nature of the play in all four senior games. Often weeks go by without any one team dominating events as distinctly as they did on Saturday. Lancaster Park was out for 69 and Riccarton, with all second innings wickets intact, leads by 104. Western ChristchurchUniversity, four points behind Lancaster Park, made rapid progress in the afternoon to reach 287 for five wickets and had Old Collegians in considerable trouble by the close of play. East ChristchurchShirley, as eager and determined a side as senior cricket has known for a long time, took six batting points from St Albans in scoring 253 for nine, and then took six St Albans wickets for 64. Old Boys made only a modest score, but had Sydenham out cheaply to take nine performance points for the day.

Scores: West-University 287/5 dec; Old Collegians 74/4. Old Boys 219/8 dec; Sydenham 102. Riccarton 164/8 dec and ' 9/0; Lancaster Park 69. i East-Shirley 253/9 dec; . St Albans 64/6.

The Canterbury representa-i tives G. T. Dowling and B. i G. Hadlee, led the way with scores of 97 but swift runs 1 came from a rather less ex-1 pected source, D. G. Trist t making 67 not out, including i three sixes, B. Bhana scored 61, and so did N. M. Parker.it P. R. Royce, a young bats-i man of distinct promise, made 5 59 for East-Shirley against St 5 Albans. A. R. Hounsell, bowling 1 particularly well at present,< took 5 for 19 for Old Boys, l W. M. Duncan took five, at l considerably greater cost, for 1 Sydenham and A. C. Nottingham made deep inroads in-1 to the St Albans batting with 1 4 for 7.

FIVE FOR ONE ' Although Motz can have ! had very little practice, and is carrying rather more! weight than usual, all the! skills and instincts which ' made him so great a player came to the surface. He bowled from a restricted run < at lively pace, and when the I ball was new, he had lift and 1 out-swing. Later in a long, i 12-over spell it was his ability j to get. at the batsmen with < accuracy and occasional I sharp movement from the I pitch which brought him i

such rich rewards. Towards the end, there were one or two tired deliveries, but it was a startling performance. After his first two overs, he had no wickets for nine runs. Then, in 25 balls, he conceded only a single and took five wickets.

Motz was assisted by some fine fielding; Parker picked up two splendid catches behind the wicket.

R. M. Gearry offered stouthearted resistance to Riccarton for some time, and R. J. Hadlee looked very good indeed until he was defeated by

, Motz. Riccarton’s innings was ; built about Parker, who ! batted very solidly, although ! now and then producing ■ strokes with a fine flourish 1 about them. B. P. Isherwood 1 and G. T. Barrett offered ’ sound support. ' Hadlee was sharp in nis ’ pace, and W. R. Wilson again 1 bowled with skill and pur- ’ pose. But Lancaster Park’s fielding fell away rather ■ sadly. BRISK BATTING East Christchurch-Shirley, I which won six batting points, may well take the lead in the ’ championship next Saturday, for it is in a fine position to ' force a win. But it had luck ' running with it in the morning play. ' J. W. Grocott was dropped 'in positions behind the ’ wickets three times in an over from a frustrated G. J. Walklin, and other chances went begging. Grocott played some good strokes after that one horrid experience, and so did T. R. Marshall, who seems to be benefiting from batting at number three. G. Tait, who had started the season badly, also showed fine form in an innings of much importance to his team, and Joyce played some magnificent shots during an innings of 59 in 58 minutes. Off the back foot, he was particularly strong, but there were delightful hard hits all round the compass. L. B. Glanville marked his hundredth senior appearance with some cheerful hitting and a couple of wicket-keep-ing catches. Walklin bowled particularly 'well, and looked capable of running through the EastShirley batting. He defeated V. Pollard with a beauty—a bail of full length which lifted and moved sharply away. But K. I. Ferries was below his best, and P. M. Fazakarley could not stem the flow of runs. J. M. Ruston again looked capable when St Albans batted, but the other batting withered and died beneath the hot blast of bowling and fielding from East-Shirley. Nottingham ran some away deceptively, and G. V. D. Pulley supported him ably with a tight and aggressive spell. SYDENHAM FAILS For the second time in successive games, Sydenham is faced with the prospect of batting most of the second day to save the match. Out just before stumps, 18 short of avoiding the follow-on, Sydenham collapsed in the face of a spirited Old Boys attack.

< But there was an odd air i about Old Boys’—even B. G. i Hadlee’s —batting. Time and • time again the batsmen i played and missed, either on , the offensive or on defence, • yet when the innings was . closed at Hadlee’s dismissal,

Old Boys were comfortably i past 200. But the innings foundered early against the accuracy and variety of Duncan in the: morning and only the good' fortune of M. J. Mowat he was caught, he claimed, off the only ball he hit in the middle gave the score any substance.

C. L. Bull and, at the end, G. W. Henry made useful contributions but the score would still have been a meagre one without Hadlee. Certainly not in the fine touch of the national clinic, he nevertheless unfolded the occasional stroke of genuine quality. But he missed, or mistimed, more in that innings than he would normally in half a season. And Duncan who bowled unchanged after tea, was the main sufferer. If Old Boys had batted sketchily, then Sydenham’s effort was a little pathetic. W. A. Thomson and I. R. Hartland made an aggressive and accomplished start, but when they left, the Old Boys fast bowlers broke the back of the innings. S. T. Chambers, for the first time this season in club games, was a constant danger, and Hounsell was brisk and aggressive. His line rarely wavered, and his persistent accuracy must have done his chances of Plunket Shield selection no harm at all. SLOW START

With the innings gaining momentum as the day progressed West Christchurch-

i University gained a tight grip of the match on the fine pitch at Ham. The first 25 overs produced only 62 runs i but first Dowling and then 'Trist launched an onslaught on the flagging Old Collegians’ attack. This must have been bitter gall for the Old Collegians’ bowlers who had bowled with admirable control in the morning play. Dowling’s innings was masterly. Subdued early, he was in sparkling form after lunch, hitting the ball crisply and with fine timing. He hit some lovely straight and off drives and fully deserved the century denied him by a mere three runs. Bhana was an admirable foil, batting with a quiet competence, and his thirdwicket partnership with Dowling raised 148 in 155 minutes. With three towering sixes Trist was all agression. A fine judge of a run, he kept the scoring moving well and played some fine shots.

The Old Collegians’ medium pacers, N. F. Curtis, T. D. Gibson and R. W. Fulton, all bowled well to contain the early batsmen, Curtis in particular was difficult to get away and Gibson and . Fulton lost little in comparison. Old Collegians batted brightly but the innings had an air of desperation, with the West ChristchurchUniversity bowlers sensing victory, and a dedicated effort will be needed to save the game.