Club cricket today

Press, 20 January 1979, Page 6

Club cricket today

Lancaster Park and BurnsideWest University will be attempting to consolidate their positions of prominence when the eighth round of the Canterbury Cricket Association's first grade championship begins today. With 31 points. Park is four points clear of Burnside-West, which has a similar margin in hand over a tightly bunched group engaged in an intriguing tussle for third position. The return of the Canterbury captain, Maurice Ryan, will bolster Park’s middle-order batting against Sydenham at Svdenham Park. It would be somewhat surprising if there was not a freescoring nature to the match. More than 400 runs were reaped from the Sydenham Park pitch in last Saturday’s one-dav round, and both sides have batsmen capable of making quick progress. Sydenham suffered an unexpected reverse agaffest Riccarton

a week ago, when only Nicl; Dierck of its usually’ reliabi three-pronged medium-paced at tack kept his opponents con tamed. The lapses in lii.i and length by lan Wils.., and Peter Visser are likely to b temporary, though, and Sydvr ham will also be seeking a mor [consistent batting effort, The absence of two of fits mos : seasoned batsmen, Brian Hasting and John Mitchell wifi mak Burnside-West’s task a little mor difficult against East-Shi rle. a flam. There was also some doub about the availability 'of Pete Sharp and David Trist, and Da'. Bovle is to stand bv as tweitt man. If East has displayed mor jsolidity this summer — and ha ; a most interesting opening con bination of Peter Coman and Ra [ Jones — jt is atill ahead of on! ! the very disappointing Old Cd pegiana XI on the competitio I table.