Fulton’s bat in top form for Old Collegians

Press, 6 November 1978, Page 17

Fulton’s bat in top form for Old Collegians

Some strange developments occurred on the first day of the third round of the senior cricket championship, a bleak occasion on which mainly batsmen prospered. The competition leader. St Albans, was on the back foot against Lancaster Park until its captain. Henry Sampson. came in to play a splendid innings of 85 not out.

But of more moment was the showing of Old Collegians against the pennant holder, Burnside West. Rod Fulton, with 93, the day’s top score, lead Old Collegians to 175 and Burnside at the close was struggling at 116 for five wickets. Riccarton managed to top Old Boys but only by a single run. In the fourth game Sydenham’s declaration gave East-Shirley a lead of 38, which was increased to 54 without loss. Fulton and Sampson led the scorers but three others passed 50: Michael Johnston (77) and Murray Smith (64) batted most ably for Lancaster Park and Bill Thomson continued his run of form with 53 for Sydenham. Only Burnside-West’s Stephen Bateman had as many as five wickets in an innings. SCORES Old Collegians 175, Burn-side-West 116/5. Lancaster Park 220/7 dec, St Albans 14674. Old Boys 186, Riccarton 187. East-Shirley 167 and 16/0, Sydenham 129/4. BRIS KOPENINGS East Christchurch-Shirley began well against Sydenham on an easy-paced wicket at Burwood and 91 was reached for the loss of only two wickets. Ray Jones and Allan Albertson batted capably against a Sydenham opening attack that was ho more than steady and a good score seemed likely. However, the entrance of th m -duim-paced Peter Visser. playing his first senior game, spelt disaster for East-Shirley: in an accurate spell he captured four of the top five batsmen. He bowled with the wind at a lively pace and kept the ball well up to deserve fully his good return. The opening of the Sydenham innings was also encouraging as George Carnoutsos and Bill Thomson treated the East bowling with scant respect. In their

opening partnership of 87 they maintained a scoring rate of more than five an over. It was entertaining batting with fine running. Carnoutsos is a young i i batsman of promise and he i played some well timed i shots on the off. Thomson was in typical aggressive! ;form. , The scoring rate fell j sharply when these two left (the crease and when three (wickets fell for 14 runs thei Sydenham captain, Dave. Gallop, declared at 5.35 p.m. Ito deny East further bowling! (points. SAMPSON IN FORM St Albans got away to a .good start when Miles iStapylton-Smith held a (blinder of a catch to dismiss (Dave Dempsey at Lancaster Park. But there was a longi and profitable partnership (for the third wicket between’ I the former Le Bons Bay' I player, Michael Johnston, and! (Murray Smith. Watchful and cutting well,! Smith plated an impressive! (innings. Johnston took a (minor toll for some time (but when the scoring tempo (increased after lunch he produced some splendid strokes to contribute to a stand of 103. He was also the pacemaker as he added 57 with Maurice Ryan. St Albans, in turn, started moderately but Sampson played a commanding innings. It started with boundaries from his first six scoring strokes and he had 18 fours in his unbeaten 85. He had 12 fours in his i first 50 runs, manj' of them from lordly cuts and well-i (timed drives. Wayne Wilson (bowled tidily for Lancaster (park. The unluckly bowler (was the lively Alan Barnes, (who deserved more than his (single wicket. FINE INNINGS It was as well for Old Collegians that Rod Fulton chose to make his highest; score in Christchurch senior! club cricket, on Saturday; (against Burnside-West University at II am. If he had not the chances (are that Old Collegians

would have struggled to: reach three figures. Burnside-. West won the toss and sent! Old Collegians in to bat on a good, greenish pitch. Coming in at the. fall of the first wicket, and with the! total at 12, Fulton was the ;only batsmen to bat with anyassurance and his innings of ■ 93, including two sixes, was, (in trying circumstances, an exceptionally good one. With five of the first, eight Old Collegians batsmen (totalling eight runs between ■ ■ them, Fulton was unable to ifind himself a partner for any length of time. I He was the ninth batsman (out with the total at 161, ; having scored 93 of the 149 (runs made while he was at ■the crease. His innings in- 1 (chided 15 fours. I Tony Farrant was the pick' (of the Burnside-West bowling : attack, taking three of the; first four wickets and: generally keeping a tidy line.! Stephen Bateman bowled well; and was supported by a good! team of fieldsmen. B u r n s i d e-West began soundly but had a brief. slump before being rescued by an attractive and positive innings by Brian Hastings. Both openers, John Mitchell and Mike Fisher, were cut with- the score' at 38-. and, Barry Thomas followed soon ' after. However, Hastings arrested this decline and played several well timed shots both in front of and square of the wicket. He was out to a good catch by Lindsay Forde, clutching the ball over his head at long on. Hamish Wright was Old Collegians' most successful bowler, picking up three fairly cheap wickets. After two overs he had taken two wickets for two runs. DAY OF RECOVERIES ; The middle-order and tailend batsmen were responsible for High School Old (Boys and Riccarton finishing (with respectable totals and (on very even terms at Hag(ley No. 3. Only one of the I top five batsmen in each Iside reached double figures.

Some of those who mustered meagre scores were deeply suspicious of the oualitites of the pitch but the trend began in the morning largely as a result of particularly lively bowling from the Riccarton seamers. Glenn Bateman, Steve McNally, and Barry Lindsay. Barry Hadlee batted attractively as wickets fell at the other end until . the promising Lindsay enticed him to probe outside the offstump. Consolidation was not achieved until Martin Hadlee was joined by the youthful John Bierwirth, who had the misfortune to be out, hit wicket, while scoring his fiftieth run. Bierwirth shared an eighth-wicket partnership of 66 with Brian Ritchie. The pace of Bateman was disconcerting to his rivals. In quick succession he had John Calder caught behind, one of three catches held by John Mackie., and forced Cran Bull back on to his stumps while trying to avoid a bouncer. McNally and Lindsay, both left-armers, also required careful attention. If Old Boys occupied the crease from the start to tea, Riccarton was to need only the last period of play to

nudge itself to a one-run advantage. The quickness of the scoring was the product of some hard hitting by Geoff Miller and McNally, Who had two sixes each in their valuable contributions. Gary Saunders was the cause of Riccarton’s early batting woes and Dayle Hadlee had four cheap dismissals with his off-spinners until McNally surged into action and took 15 runs from one over. There would have been time for one over in the Old Boys second innings but once ah the players had reassembled on the field the umpires decided that the light was too poor. The (game will be completed on ‘Friday.