Wgton, Otago Central on top in cricket

Press, 5 December 1979, Page 48

Wgton, Otago Central on top in cricket

I PA Wellington ! Bruce Edgar of WellingI ton. and Otago's Geofi i Blakely, both left-handers i and opening batsmen, each hit unbeaten centuries for their respective sides in the national under-23 tournament at Kaorori Park yesterday. Both took advantage ol similar situations where opposing sides had been dismissed relatively cheaply. Edgar won the toss for Wellington and sent Northern Districts in and with a greater improvement from his bowlers and in the field, saw the Northerners bundled out for 151. Otago, forced to field first, had Auckland on the run from the start and hustled the side out in only 50.1 overs for a miserable 61. With Blakely leading the way with a punishing 14 fours and three sixes Otago held the whip hand oyer Auckland by stumps, being 224 for four. The opener received strong support from the wicketkeeper, Stu McCullum, who belted 70, including two sixes. Otago still has 13 overs to face and looks to be in a position to force an outright win today in the Rothmans sponsored tournament. After taking two for 19 in Northern’s first innings, Edgar led the Wellington reply with a near immaculate, rarely flamboyant innings. He reached 50 in 106 minutes and his century right on stumps off 194 balls in 216 minutes. After its fighting last minute win over Auckland on Monday, Canterbury might have been expected to be better placed than 100 for seven at stumps. The top bowling return of the day was Otago’s John Bracewell. His first ten overs against Auckland were maidens and the off-spinnerl

i; finished with four for 10 off 116 overs. 13 of which were maidens CENTRAL DISTRICT.' 1 First innings I. Smith c Brown b Bate,|C. Jayasingha c Janes b Chamberlain 14 ’ E. McSwecnev c Nut tali b Cummins 54 f M. Toynbee e Chamberlain b 1 Nuttal ij iA. Jones c Brown b BateI man §6 ■P. Dailey c Brow n b Chamberlain 30 W. Hodgson c Rattray b Bateman 4 ,;S. Briasco not out 23 [ G. Robertson c and b Baterm. n 8 hR. Thomas c Gordon b Bate1] man s j Extras . 19 Total (for 9 dec.) 286 | Bowling.—G. Cummins. 15. 3, 55, 1; M Chamberlain, 21, 4, 78, 2; S. Baleman. 25, 4, 79. 5: A. Nuttal. 18. 5. 47, 1; V Brown, I, 0, «, 0. CANTERBURY First innings • , IR. Jones b Aberhart 0 ■ R. Deans c M eSweeney b Thomas 4 P. Rattray c Smith b Robertson 26 V. Brown lbw b Aberhart 0 R. Leggat lbw b Thomas 0 R. Latham c Dailey b Robertson 35 S. Bateman c Aberhart b Toynbee 12 IM. Chamberlain not out 6 G. Gordon not out . 0 Extras 17 Total (for 7 wickets) 100 Bowling.—W. Aberhart, 7,3, 10. 2; R. Thomas, 12. 3, 41. 2; G. Robertson, 8,2, 19, 2; M. Toynbee. 5,3, 6,1; S. Briasco, 1,1, 0,0; A. Jones, 3,2, 6, 0. Points: Central Districts 11 (3 bowling), Canterbury 4 bowling. Auckland 61 (J. Bracewell 4/10, R. Hoskin 2/1) met Otago 224/4 (G. Blakely 102 not out. S. McCallum 70: M. Sneddon 3/59). Points: Otago 9 (4 bowling), Auckland 2 bowling. Northern Districts 151 (W. Fowler 37. L. Crocker 30; A. Telford 3/12) met Wellington 237/2 (B. Edgar 100 not out, R. Reid 81 not out, P. Holland 40). Points: Wellington 10 (4 bowling), Northern Districts 3 (1 bowling).