Few failures in pleasant day of senior club cricket

Press, 28 November 1977, Page 17

Few failures in pleasant day of senior club cricket

Matches, in the main were evenly poised after the first day of the fifth round in the senior cricket championship on Saturday: The four teams that batted first all declared in their first innings, and their opposition had all made respectable replies by stumps.

Bumside-West University — with 257 for seven declared against the bottomplaced Old Collegians — scored the best total of the day, and it provided two of the six half-century makers. John Mitchell compiled an attractive 77, and Biku Bhana was run out on 50. The only senior century on Saturday was scored by Murray Smith ’ (Lancaster Park) who had been promoted from second grade for the round. He also scored a century in the previous round. Smith scored almost half of his team’s total against High School Old Boys, the competition leaders.

With Richard and Dayle Hadlee involved in the Gillette Cup final, Geoff Allen bore the brunt of the Old Boys bowling attack, and he was one of two bowlers to claim five wickets. The other was the unwearying Gary Hooper (East-Shirley), who bowled throughout the Sydenham innings, and finished with five for 99 off 22 overs. Hooper has now taken five Wickets an innings in the last three rounds.

Other batsmen to top 50 were Keith Thomson (Sydenham), John Phillips (Old Collegians) and Peter Rattray (Old Boys). Both Phillips and Rattray were unbeaten at the finish. Scores St Albans 188/8 dec. met Riccarton 112/3.

Burnside-West University 257/7 dec. met Old Collegians 158/4. Lancaster Park 221/9 dec. met High School Old Boys 116/4.

Svdenham 201/7 dec. met East-Shirley 129/7. GOOD FINISH LIKELY The Lancaster Park captain for the day, Dave Dempsey, won the toss for his side and elected to bat in pleasant conditions on a good Hagley wicket which had just enough to be interesting for the bowlers. After a day’s play In which the batsmen had a slight upper hand, the match is poised for an interesting finish next Satur-

day. With many of its leading batsmen away with provincial teams, Lancaster Park could be well satisfied with its first innings total of 221 for nine declared. In particular, it can be thankful for the contribution made by the newly promoted Murray Smith. He scored 110 before going out attempting to push up the run rate.

Smith came to the wicket after Park had lost its first wicket cheaply. After a flurry of attacking shots from its opener, Dave Dempsey, Smith was left to provide the foundation of the Park innings. Although having some good fortune with edges that eluded the grasp of the Old Boys’ fielders, Smith batted fluently, with firm, well-timed drives, crisply executed cuts, and resolute concentration, to reach a well-deserved century in 202 minutes He was well supported by Kevin Keys, who defended stoutly for an hour, and Keith Hardie, who stroked the ball well on the leg-side in compiling an attractive 28. Although the pitch had some early life, the Old Boys bowling attack was erratic at the start of the innings. For the rest, it was seldom more than steady, with Gary Saunders showing some occasional hostility. Ricky Page bowled tidily and Geoff Allen bowled consistently for a long spell to collect five wickets. Added to the Old Boys bowlers’ difficulties was the somewhat patchy fielding. Old Boys went to the wicket to face a keen Lancaster Park attack. Wayne Wilson and Kit Chambers succeeded in capturing the first three wickets for 19 runs. Then John Calder and Peter Rattray took the score through to 77 until the veteran

spinner, Bruce Irving, managed to get through Calder’s defence. ’ For the rest of the day Rattray dominated. With powerful shots , and clean hitting he quickly . reached an impressive 70 not ’ out at stumps. MUNDANE PLAY The quality of the cricket was seldom high—at times there seemed to be more interest in • adjacent games and in proceed- > Ings at Lancaster Park—when > East achieved the reasonable dei fensive position which seemed its I main aim against Sydenham. : Sent in to bat, Sydenham began badly again, losing two early i wickets. But Bill Thomson regur larly hit boundaries —10 in all—r to take the score to 67. He saw - little of Gary Hooper’s early overs, but plundered Anton Wils, - who was having difficulty with 1 his length. : Derek Barrell drove attrac- - tlvely for 30 but the best batting • came from Keith Thomson. He drove very well and showed the - value of placements to gather - singles. His 50 took only 70 minv utes, and he always looked in - control. P Gary Hooper again bore the brunt of the East attack. He r bowled unchanged off his t bustling short run. John Langley, • once a spinner, has become more 1 of a medium-pace bowler but he • gave Hooper admirable support I with good line and length. He was a greater problem to the J batsmen without getting the re- • ward of wickets. . The East batsmen received • generous support from the Syd- > enham fielders. Both openers - survived chances in their first 1 overs. Graeme Ribley flirted suc- ! cessfully outside off stump to gather valuable runs, and frusI trate the bowlers. 1 The remaining batsmen scored 1 a few runs but the general nega--1 tive attitude which pervades East 1 at the moment meant that none looked for runs. Half volleys and ■ full tosses were treated with the ! utmost suspicion. ■ lan Wilson again bowled tidily, - though hampered by an ankle < problem, but it was Dave Gallop 1 and Warren Bell who kept Syden- ; ham in the game. Gallop gained : some turn and variable bounce 1 to keep the batsmen watchful ■ and Bell bowled a nagging length. '■ One of the major problems facing the players was the out--1 field. It made stopping firm shots • an adventure. DOMINANT BATTING

On an excellent batting pitch, and fast outfield at Burnside Oval, the bat dominated the ball to the extent that 415 runs were

scored for the loss of 11 wickets. At the end of the day honours were even between BurnsideWest University and Old Collegians. Bumside rattled on 258 runs in 200 minutes as its batsmen relished the opportunity of being sent into bat. The Burnside opener, John Mitchell, was in top form as he hammered the Old Collegians attack to all parts of the ground with a brilliant display of attacking batting. Most of his 10 fours and two sixes came from square cuts and lovely flicks off his toes. A century before lunch looked inevitable until he played one on from Lindsay Forale. Brian Hastings and Biku Bhana both contributed useful scores and the latter played some fine shots off the back foot.

The last few Bumside wickets fell chasing bonus points and Colin Blackman was able to declare with six and a half batting points.

The best of a very mediocre Old Collegians bowling attack was Forde, who surprisingly bowled only 13 overs. The Old Collegians bowlers got little support from their fieldsmen. Old Collegians started badly losing Poulson before tea with the total at six. However, Roger Fuller and John Phillips retrieved the position with a partnership of 90. A minor collapse—three wickets falling for 13 runs—followed before Keith Williams and Phillips came together in an undefeated partnership of 49. Phillips, not out on 66, played an excellent innings. He kept his concentration but was quick to punish the loose ball with good cutting and driving. Kevin Williams was the best Bumside-West bowler, bowling 15 consecutive overs. Gerald

Cummins bowled with Itttlo luck, and Peter Burgess bowled tidily on an unresponsible pitch.

SLOW STRUGGLE The first day’s play In the Rlccarton v. St Albans match at Hagley Oval could best be described as a remedy for insomnia. After Lindsay Thorn had won the toss, the pattern for a very desultory day was set by the Rlccarton medium-pace bowlers who. prior to lunch, delivered only 21 overs. St Albans struggled throughout the morning on a pitch which provided pronounced but varying lift. Only Henry Sampson was capable of overcoming the accurate, lively bowling of Glenn Bateman, Steve McNally and Paul Hammant. At lunch, St Albans was in the precarious position of being 92 for five wickets. However, a sound, sensible partnership between the reliable Nell Francis and the rapidly-maturing Donald Ambrose added 88 runs and permitted Geoff Smith to declare at 3.20 p.m. The Rlccarton openers, John Ruston and Graham Barrett, laboured throughout 100 minutes to provide an opening partnership of 52. Both were sorely tested by Norm McTaggart. The St Albans opening bowler mustered considerable pace; his accurate line and intelligent use of the short-pitched delivery deserved greater reward It was a relief, however; when Riccarton’s captain, ■ Lindsay Thorn, joined Geoff Miller at tho wicket.

Runs were scored at, a good rate during the final hour and allowed this match to rise, marginally, from the throes of a no-contest. It will take considerable manipulation to provide an outright win to either team next Saturday.