Canty cricketers impressive

Press, 6 November 1978, Page 3

Canty cricketers impressive

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

[ There were many pleasing ; points, but still a few flaws,l [in the convincing cricket! win scored by a Canterbury; .representative XI against a[ i Cheviot invitation team at ; 'the Cheviot Hills Domain. In a festival match to: j commemorate the opening of ; I a new ground in the domain? Canterbury dismissed its op-; ' position from the last ball of I fits 40 overs for 161. > Canterbury passed that. I total in the twenty-eighth over with seven wickets re-I maining although David; ! Stead was dismissed when the over was bowled out. In officially opening the ground, the immediate past) I chairman of the New Zea-1 'land Cricket Council’s; iboard of control (Mr W. A. I ’Hadlee) said that the setting I and scenery compared [favourably with the many I village greens he had seen in England. I His sentiments were | shared by the Canterbury I team who enjoyed the match |in the pleasant, peaceful, [picturesque rural arena. I The outfield was well ! grassed if a little uneven in i parts, but the pitch was ■ hard and true with 'the I bounce predictable.

Helped by some inaccurate s bowling by Gerald Cummins, 1 Cheviot started soundly, but the loss of Barry’ Hadlee at:\ [32 started a slump which < [left Cheviot 100 for six after i 30 overs. I; i Stephen Bateman was the 1 principal player in the | decline. Although inclined to? [bowl a little short of the;; ilength, he used his height ton (Whip the ball up and also-I icut it both ways. I He claimed the first three < wickets, but much of she); 'credit for his second one.;! that of Roger Sowden, wentl! [to Geoff Smith who took a.i superb diving catch at cover from a full-blooded but ae-[: rial drive by Sowden. ) Only Peter Williams, who'; [opened the innings, survived;; 'for long against Bateman 1 land David Stead, who varied i his deliveries intelligently. He was well contained for most of his innings, but i reached his half-century with a six and hit another from the next ball. His in- , nings of 58 was very valuable. There was some hard-hit-ting from the tail-enders and a special cheer for the Cheviot captain, Don Wyllie, whose rustic but effective) blows gave him third top [ I score. Bateman, Les Watson and [ ; Stead, although harshly i itreated near the end, bowled) [well for Canterbury, but the; joff-spin of John Calder was! [ineffective and Cummins

l still needs to tighten his ? line. The outstanding feature 1 was the superb fielding byi ( Canterbury. All chances!' were accepted and the? ground fielding was of a! c high standard. Canterbury moved? ; smoothly and surely to its ' [target. It reached 100 in the)' twenty-first over for the 1 ! loss of three wickets before;. Smith and Stead embarked! on a batting bonanaza. In? [less than five overs they;; !had advanced the score to? 1150 and the rest was a for- ' .mality. • Smith was unbeaten on 84? lat the finish, including three ; [sixes, but he did give four 1 [chances. Smith, Rod Fulton? land Stead took toll on some; bowling that was often too; short and badly directed. 1 Only the hapless Paul Me-1 Ewan failed to share in the.' run feast. i. Scores:— ? CHEVIOT XI P. R. Williams c Watson b | Stead ■ 33 B. G. Hadlee C Smith b Bate- j man ■ ■ HI: R. J. Sowden c Smith b Bateman ■ ■ 4: B. F. Hastings c Stead b : Bateman .. .. 12; M. H. Toynbee c Calder b j ) Stead . ■ ■ •’ IT. K Horne c Fulton b Stead 11: ‘A. H. MacFarlane run out 1; IR. N. Wylie c Fulton b Stead 15 : D I. Wyllie c Coman b ; Stead 14 . IR. C. Merrin not out 11; !C. J. Heslop std Ryan b Stead 2' Extras (bB, lb 4. nbo) .. 17 1 : Total 161 I Bowling.—G. I. Cummins «, 2, il7 (I; L. T, Watson 6,0, 15, 0;; I S. N. Bateman 8. 2, 14, 3; D. W. 1 [Stead 12. 1. 61, 6; .1. W. Calder I 6 0. 37, 0. CANTERBURY IP G. Coman c Horne b R. I W’ylie 19 I G. B. Smith not out 84 R W. Fulton c Hadlee b ; Toynbee .. 30 ■ P. E. McEwan c Wylie b Heslop * 1 O. W. Stead c Sowden b D. !( Wyllie •• 34; .[ Extras (bl, lb2, nbs) .. 8 '' Total for 4 wkts . 179; !! Bowling.—R. C. Merrill 5,0,: 17, 0; R. N. Wylie 6,1, 44, 1; R. J.; - Sowden 5, 0. 19, 0; C. J. Heslop; ?6. 0. 31, 1; M. Toynbee 5,0, 48,: 11; D. I. Wyllie 1,0, 12, 1.