Good prospects for Canterbury victory

Press, 10 February 1979, Page 60

Good prospects for Canterbury victory

By

R. T. BRITTENDEN

Although only half the Shell Series matches this season have been completed, there is every prospect of an outright decision in Canterbury’s game with Central Districts, which will begin at Nelson today. This supposition is not based on a likelihood of the pitch giving bowlers undue assistance, but on the situation of the teams, which are competing for a place in the Shell Trophy final next month. Canterbury and Central Districts each scored five points in the first round, and the third team in the section, Auckland, has 12. So in this last round of section play, the teams are faced with the prospect of going for an outright win, or tackling the difficult task of scoring eight performance points. It would mean taking nine wickets in 65 overs, and scoring 250 runs in the same time. There is always the prospect of a first-innings declaration, by one side or the other, to deprive an opponent of full bowling points. But there is also the near certainty that even as cautious a captain as Central’s Mike Shrimpton will do everything possible to get a result. Canterbury played better than Central in its first meeting, the opening match of the season, which was re-

duced by rain to two days, Canterbury must have a very good chance of success in this game, for it is at full strength, whereas Central Districts is almost certain to be without Brendon Bracewell who broke down during the first test. Central, for all that, has a very talented team. Matthew Toynbee scored a double century when Nelson took the Hawke Cup from Wairarapa recently, and the side has two other batsmen who could take charge of any New Zealand attack — Graham Edwards and lan Smith.

Roger Pierce, not available after the first round, is back again and he could be a handful too. Robert Anderi.son, who made five big scores in the Shell Cup games, is a further problem for the Canterbury bowlers. Terry Horne and Shrimpton are further batsmen of quality.

There were many who felt that the Central opening bowler, Alistair Jordan, would be in the second test team when Bracewell was injured. Jordan, strong, aggressive and durable, has a record of steady success in i n t e r-provincial cricket. Denis Aberhart is likely to be his opening partner. The main threat, however, for a team anxious to make swift progress is the leftarm spinner David O’Sullivan, who took 36 wickets cheaply in the first six Shell matches. The selection of the eleven

from Canterbury’s 12 named players provides plenty of room for speculation. Lindsay Thorn, a newcomer, might be asked to open the innings with Barry Hadlee. That would probably mean the exclusion of Philip d’Auvergne.

Depending on the look of [the pitch, it might be decided to leave a seamer out, possibly Steve Bateman, and make do with Richard Hadlee. another newcomer Steve McNally and Paul McEwan, supported by David Stead, Vaughan Brown and d'Auvergne. Barry Hadlee, who is having another very good season, will be playing his sev-enty-sixth match for Canterbury, and strong rumours abound that Hadlee will not be playing next season.

. But Hadlee said from Nelson last evening that he had made no firm decision about next season: "My time commitments are substantial at present and it is a matter which I will review thoroughly during the winter season. I don’t really want to comment further at this time,” he said. Hadlee has already this season set a new record for Canterbury players, and he now needs 97 more runs to reach 4000 for his province.

Should it be the last season for Hadlee at first-class level, cricketers everywhere will hope that he produces the form which has delighted spectators in recent years.