UNBALANCED BATTING STRENGTH Campbell bowls South into winning position

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33386, 19 November 1973, Page 26

UNBALANCED BATTING STRENGTH Campbell bowls South into winning position

'By

R. T. BRITTENDEN)

Medium-paced bowling of military precision by K. O. Campbell was primarily responsible for B. E. Congdon’s South Island team E. Vivian’s North Island side at Lancaster Park yesterday, in a 35-over match organised by the Lancaster Park club.

The South did well to score 205 for nine wickets, and V ivian’s team made a reasonably brisk start, but Campbell then made the northerners’ task almost impossible.

Bowling a very tight length and line on a pitch beginning to dust. Campbell yielded only 14 runs from his seven eight-ball overs. Vivian, himself, might have swung the game, but he fell to an incredible caught and bowled by D. R. Hadlee. He. hit four fours — all magnifi-; cent shots — and scored 181 from 11 deliveries. The twelfth he faced had 1 Hadlee racing up on his I follow-through after Vivian' had charged him and driven strongly from the middle of his bat Self-preeervation The catch was taken at i such short range that it was • probably a legacy of the in- 1 stinct for self-preservation. • The Lancaster Park club'

deserves commendation for Jits energy in arranging the match, which may become an annual one. Although there ■ was a crowd of some 2000, the club may lose a little, financially, on its enterprising piece of cricket business. The game produced some [excellent cricket, but only in patches. It was a pity that the invitation teams were not a little better balanced. Vivian had only four regular bowlers and the batting strength went only as far as six places. The South batting I was very much stronger. Trap for Coman Vivian won the first round when he used the slow leftarmer, H. J. Howarth, as an •opening bowler. He clearly ' believed that P. G. Coman [was much more likely to [plunder runs from pace than from spin, and Howarth took this important wicket straight away. Then he was taken off after this one over. Eleven of the 14 players in the New Zealand team soon to leave for Australia took [part in the game. G. M. Turner batted sedately for 18, but Congdon was in tremendous form. ■ He was all confidence, [striking the ball with splenj did timing and power, and he •disclosed an inventive genius in the course of giving W. A. Greenstreet a hammering. Off his hip Once, he moved briskly ■ down the pitch, Greenstreet (dropped his length a little Ito compensate, and Congdon whipped the ball away, off ’his hip, to fine leg for 4 — an almost Oriental piece of magic. Congdon faced only 59 balls in making 47, and 25 'of the runs came from 18 Greenstreet deliveries. B. F.

Hastings was in similarly agreeable form, driving handsomely as he scored 37 in 50 minutes. But most of the runs were scored by M. L. Ryan—--63 in 88 minutes.

It was not always convincing—he has been badly out of form in recent weeks—but there were some great strokes and, with the encouragement particularly of Hastings, some swift, well-judged running. R. O. Collinge bowled accurately, and Howarth gave a good display. He had a stream of near-misses, but still took four wickets, turning the ball sharply now and then. B. L. Cairns, with inswing and movement off the pitch, was impressive when bowling into a brisk southerly. The North fielding was not reliable, but South held some fine catches, especially those by Ryan, R. M. Gearry and D. R. Hadlee. G. M. Newdick was unluckily run out but!

A D. G. Roberts overcame some difficulties when facing the off-spin of G. D. Alabaster and scored an attractive 46. Vivian lived all too briefly. M. J. F. Shrimpton, although producing elegant drives from sure footwork on occasions, made rather heavy [weather of his assignment as he took about 100 minutes to make 46 not out.

Strong attack Campbell did most to check the scoring, Congdon picked up five wickets in as many overs—he is too wily a bowler to be hit with impunity—and the Hadlee brothers bowled with hostility. I Hastings, Cairns and Robjerts won champagne for hitting a six apiece, and Cong[don took the Trans Tours trophy as captain of the winning team. He- was also adjudged man of the match. Awards for batting went to Ryan and Roberts, for (bowling to Howarth and [Campbell, for fielding to I Shrimpton and D. R. Hadlee.