Canty, Auckland in dour struggle

Press, 5 January 1980, Page 36

Canty, Auckland in dour struggle

Canterbury, the defending champion, and Auckland were locked in a dour struggle when play finished last evening on the penultimate day of the 1979-80 Hal-lyburton-Johnstone national women’s cricket tournament in Christchurch. . .

At stumps last evening, Auckland had notched four performance points from its fifth-round game against Wellington to finish the day on 38, while Canterbury — which also finished the day on 38 points — still has the chance to pick up two more if it can winkle out the remaining batsmen to cojhe in North’ Shore’s first innings.

Auckland can still win if it presses home its advantage against Wellington and scores ah outright victory, and Canterbury collapses in its second innings .to give Shore a target'to chase. ■ It hvhs a dramatic and -absorbing day’s play at Porritt Park?-yesterday.- While most interest centred on the fluctuating fortunes of the two front runners, the woodenspponers —Central Districts and’ Q.ta'go-fought out a lively and entertaining contest. .

Of the two leading sides; Canterbury was- expected to have the slightly easier task igainst fourth-placed North Shore, but j it-, was only a ■> p Ije ti d-i d . seventh-wicket partnership that rescued the home team.

Auckland struggled to 152 for eight, and a batting ■joint,, against the tight y 7 ?'/ 'ingtpn bowling attack, 'but

had dismissed the capital team for a paltry 123 by stumps. A total of 21 wickets tumbled in the game between Otago and Central Districts, and at stumps ‘ Otago had lost a wicket for 15 runs, still 82 . runs in arrears and with a hard task in front of it today. Canterbury began badly against some excellent leftarm bowling 1 by Eileen Badham, who got the ball to move through the air and off the wicket.

The odd delivery popped up as well, and it was such a ball that dismissed Jenny Olsen. She stabbed at one from Badham and /Helen Smyth held a brilliant catch in the gully. • Ann McKenna and Vicki Burtt, the - Canterbury openers, : had been dismissed cheaply and when Debbie Hockley pulled a ball to square leg and was caught, Canterbury had slumped to four for 33.

Sue Rattray’s appearance at the crease seemed to herald a revival but she, too, fell to Badham and Lesley Shankland went to a lovely caught and bowled to the same bowler.

Canterbury was reeling at 63 for six, but Sue Brown and Nicki Turner put their heads down and rescued the side with a -forceful and elegant seventh-wicket partnership that realised .113, runs in 107 minutes. -j/ '

Badham in particular suffered, but she was tiring after: bowling virtually- un-

changed throughout’ the innings. At one stage, she had the figures of five for 31 from 25 overs, 11 of which were maidens. North Shore had reached 94 for four at stumps. Auckland batted first against- Wellington and just managed to gain a battingpoint before the 70 overs expired. Heather Shale was the saviour of Auckland with a fine knock of 68 in the. total of 152 for eight. Auckland continued to attack when Wellington batted, and fight accurate, bowling by. Carol Marrett, Glenys Page, and Shona Gilchrist restricted the Wellington total: of 123. Pru Hyman made a well-compiled 32 for Wellington. Otago and Central Districts fought out a giddying tussle which has dominated by the' bowlers.- . j ; Otago won the toss and, perhaps surprisingly, batted on a damp wicket. It moved to be a somewhat dubious decision, for Central- Districts ran through the Otago batting lineup and the southerners were all out. for a paltry 65. ~ - .V Canterbury 176/6 (N. Turner 63 n. 0., S. Brown 48 n.oj E. Badham 5/57) met North Shore 91/4 (K. Plummer 25, E. Miller 21, Badham 20). _■ Auckland 152/3 (11. Shale 68 n. 0., K. Simon 21; D. Atterton 3/53) met Wellington 123 (P, Hyman 32, C. Shearer 20; G. Page 4/44,- C. Marrett 3/42. S. Gilchrist 2/19), ■ _■ Otago 65 (G. Tipa 21; L. Signal 4/22, C. Leighton 3/3;, L. Fraser 2/2) and 15/1 met Central Dis : -nets 162' (J; Blair 43. V. ct<»nheiis. 26 L.: Fraser: 25; R. White 4/33, R; Joyce 2/45).. .