Two k.o. centuries

Press, 18 October 1976, Page 34

Two k.o. centuries

By

JOHN COFFEY

Any doubts that St Albans and Riccarton would advance to the second round of the A.N.Z. Bank knockout cricket tournament were removed when Peter Joyce and David Stead scored centuries for their respective teams at Hagley Oval yesterday. A total of more than 200 can be very comforting when a match is restricted to 35 six-ball overs, and it was possibly a measure of the relaxed attitudes of the sides that both had their inevitable victories delayed by indifferent catching. Joyce contributed 107 runs towards the St Albans total of 204 for four wickets, and the Canterbury Cricket Supporters’ Club 7' -vas never a threat in mustering only 113 for seven wickets.

On the adjacent pitch, Stead, who had survived a missing dumping chance before he had scored, finished with 101 of Riccarton’s tally of 257 for six wickets. Stead was on 95 at the start of the last over, hit a six to reach his century, and was dismissed a couple of balls later. East was always behind the required run-rate, and its innings concluded at 201 in the thirty-fifth o er. North Canterbury used a similar formula for success against Marist at Rangiora. Peter Devlin reacher’ 92 and was largely responsible for North’s 204 for five wickets, but Marist dawdled for 27 overs before its reply was closed at a meagre 44. The other winning sides were Burnside-West-Univer-sity, at the expense of Old Collegians, and Christchurch Suburban, which eliminated West Coast.

High School Old Boys, the defending champion, will recall their i roposed trip to Buller more for the health benefits derived from a night in the wilds of the Lewis Pass rather than any cricketing highlights. Nine members of the Old Boys squad decided to make the joruney in two shorter hops, and travelled to Marirua Springs to stay on Saturday evening. However, rain caused the cancellation of the game and has left a problem as to when it will be held.

A partnership of 160 runs between Joyce and Henry Sampson ensured St Albans of a comfortable passage through the opening round. They were together only 105 min, and Joyce included one six and 14 other boundaries in his 124 min at the

crease. Sampson displayed easily his most authoritative form since transferring to Christchurch. The Supporters Club assembled some of the more famous, and some of the more promising, names in Canterbury cricket, and it was one of the seasoned players, Brian Haworth, who : did best against the St : Albans bowlers, compiling 35 runs before being run out, The St Albans attack was launched from various 1 directions, but Stephen Boock made sure that the result was a formality with 2/8 from six overs. Stead received excellent support from Tim Murdoch : and Lindsay Thom when Riccarton reaped an average of 7.3 runs from each East-; Shirley over. Murdoch was : dismissed from the last i delivery of the innings when ■ just short of his half-cen- ■ tury. ■ East-Shirley batted with , remarkable consistency —■ j four players passed 20, three others departed with per-, sonal totals of 19 — but no one player or partnership > was able to dominate.

The Old Collegians exit was made with a flourish, if not with the flush of victory, when Jim Dawson hit each of the last three deliveries for sixes. But his punishing of Peter Wallace’s bowling only brought Old Collegians up to 130 for seven, still 36 behind Bum-side-West. Peter Gatenby scored an unbeaten half-cen-tury for Old Collegians, not enough to counter the consistent Bumside-West lineup. Scores:— Riccarton 257/6 (D. W. Stead 101, T. J. Murdoch 48, L. D. S. Thorn 35; R. K. Impey 3/57) beat East-Shirley 201 (C. R. W. Dickel 31, N. T. Image 27, P. G. Coman 26, J. P. Langley 22; W. T. Scott 3/31). St Albans 204/4 (P. R. Joyce 107, H. C. Sampson 62) beat Supporters Club 113/7 (B. A. Howarth 35). Burnside-West-Untversity 166/ 8 (T R. Horne 32, M. Toynbee 22, K. I. Collins 22, S. Bateman 21 not out; L. J. Forde 3/45) beat Old CoUegians 130/7 (P. Gatenby 51 not out). ‘ North Canterbury 204/5 (P. Devlin 92, P. Williams 42) beat Marist 44 (S. McNally 4/12). Christchurch Suburban 110/5 (B. Malden 30. R. Hooper 21) beat West Coast 109 (K. Squire 27). High School Old Boys v. Buller, not played because of poor weather conditions. Sydenham a bye.