Cricket youth

Press, 22 February 1978, Page 24

Cricket youth

A determined effort by its younger batsmen put Linwood High School in the lead in the first innings and maintained its top position in the table on the second day of the eighth round of the Canterbury Boys Cricket Association’s premiergrade competition. Shirley Boys High School took full advantage of a tempting declaration to gain an outright victory and moved into second spot, while Burnside High School lost its match and consequently slid to fourth position.

Competition points for the minor plackigs are closing in and the final two rounds carry real significance. Linwood has 56 points, Shirley 50, St Thomas’s College 46, Burnside 43, St Bede’s College 27, Cashmere High School 26, St Andrew’s College 19, and Xavier College 5. After the first day, St Bede's College appeared to hold the advantage in its match with Linwood High School. Linwood lost three wickets before stumps and faced a big struggle on the second day. But its batsmen finally won through to take a first-in-nings lead. These young batsmen have nearly all been Canterbury representative players in recent years and their talents were put to the test in this match. Fourth former A. Kench batted three hours and a half for his 34 runs and provided a backing for the older team members. This was a good effort in only his first appearance for the first 11, batting at no.

6. J. Sansom continued his recent good form to topscore for the team, supported by G. Gibson, who persists in staying at the crease and fighting doggedly for his runs. St Bede’s bowlers, C. Kennedy and S. Smith, each sent down 25 overs while the main bowler, J. McGuire, bowled 28. In all 85 overs were bowled and Linwood did not reach the required total until 5 p.m., after which there was no point in beginning a second innings.

A lunchtime score of 175 for five by Linwood gave hopes of batting brightly after the spell and making something of an issue for the outright result but the tight bowling and defensive field setting denied Linwood easy runs.

Xavier College showed real spirit in gaining its first victory of the season. Seventy-three runs were still required with only four wickets standing when play resumed. After losing the seventh wicket with 10 further runs on the board, R. Withers and G. Davison batted with determination to bring the score through to the firstinnings lead. The wicket dried and became placid but the two batsmen had to survive some oressure.

Burnside High School came to the crease at 12.30 p.m. and raced to a score of 202 for five to give Xavier the big task of scoring two runs a minute. It could not have been expected to take up the challenge.

D. Farrant batted strongly to score 66 for Burnside and A. Malden

followed a sound first-in-nings effort with 40 not out. G. Gilmore, the new captain for Xavier, was the best bowler and P. O’Brien batted rapidly in the second innings.

Resuming at 70 for 2, the Shirley Boys’ High School batsmen took the score through to 208 to gain the lead in the first innings.

The rising star for the team, S. Howarth, topscored and remained undefeated while B. Glanville showed consistency in his innings of 42.

St Andrew’s College did not perform too well in its second knock, with only J. Shipley and G. Sidey getting established at the crease. Once again S. Howarth was the leading figure for Shirley.

G. Neilson was unlucky enough to see four chances from his bowling go to ground, three in slip. J. Shipley gave a good declaration to Shirley Boys of 119 runs in 65 minutes, which included the regulation 15 overs in the last hour. At 89 for 5 there was some doubt about continuing the fight but the two not-out batsmen at the crease fought gamely to gain the victory. They struck 15 runs from the third-to-last over, 10 from the second-to-last and five from the final over to achieve the success. St Thomas’s College elected to bat on at the resumption of play to go further ahead and declared at 11.35 a.m. with a lead of 60 runs. Two wickets were spent in the chase for quick runs. Cashmere High School seemed to

have no answer to the , bowling of C. O’Malley and M. Cawthorn and was all out before lunch. All but two of the batsmen were bowled. O’Malley was particularly difficult as he used the head wind to make his deliveries most deceptive. Two good catches effected the remaining dismissals. Results:

St Bede’s College 250/9 dec Linwood High School 253/8 (R. Latham 30, G. Gibson 39, J. Sansom 63, A Kench 34 n. 0.. R. Winkleman 21 n. 0.; S. Smith 3/71, C. Kennedy 3/77. A win on the first innings to Linwood High School. Burnside High School 185 and 202/5 dec. (D. Farrant 66, A. Malden 40 n. 0., R. King 29; G. Gilmore 4/41). Xavier College 208 (R. McKendry 23. R Withers 52. G. Davison 46: D. Farrant 4/48. R. Polanski 3/49) and 118/2 at stumps (P. O’Brien 53 n. 0., S. Clegg 52). A win to Xavier College on the first innings.

St Andrew’s College 194 and 132/8 dec. (J. Shipley 34, G. Sidey 22; S. Howarth 4/60, Shirley Boys’ Hiel School 208/5 dec. (S. Howarth 63 n. 0., B. Glanville 42, M. Eder 4/43) and 119/5 (H Morel 28. G Andrei! 24, M. Eder 4/46). Outright win to Shirley Boys’ High School by five wickets.

Cashmere High School 152 and 38 (C. O’Malley 6/9, M. Cawthorn 3/23), St Thomas’s College 214/6 dec (M. O’Neill 68, D. Boyle 67, P. MacDonald 22 n. 0.; C. Eathorne 3/93). Outright win to St Thomas’s College by an innings and 24 runs.