Wellington humbled by enterprising Canterbury side

Press, 12 January 1981, Page 26

Wellington humbled by enterprising Canterbury side

By

R. T. BRITTENDEN

Canterbury improved its chances of a place in the Shell Cup cricket final with a convincing win over Wellington at Aorangi Park, Timaru, yesterday.

Canterbury scored 265 in its 50 overs, its. best total in the series, and even with the assistance of some very friendly bowling and fielding in the last half hour, Wellington reached only 152. Wellington succumbed with surprising meekness for the pitch was a good one and the outfield lightning fast. Canterbury batted, bowled and fielded better and after establishing its ascendancy in the middle of its innings, it never left room for a Wellington revival. Dave Dempsey (61), Vaughan Brown (56), Rod Latham (44) and Richard Leggat (36) led a spectacular batting charge. Most of the Wellington bowlers invited destruction with their inability to find a containing length, but Peter Holland was one who managed to apply the brakes significantly. It was a great day for the South Canterbury Cricket Association. It had a crowd of some 2000 for the first major match at its new ground. It is a lovely setting for cricket — a hilltop amphitheatre, . with seascapes for background. Canterbury made excellent use of the opportunities

offered when in the first 15 overs, when only two fieldsmen may be placed beyond 30 yard limits, Dempsey led the assault making his 61 in 56 minutes. It was a strange innings. In fact it was like two innings. In the first one, he swung with primitive savagery, missing far more often than not. Then he began to play really well, and it was thrilling stuff. Swift footwork took him yards down the pitch and he drove the faster bowlers magnificently with a high backlift and splendid followthrough. These were the strokes of which old men boast to their grandsons, although they were in fact probably capable of little more than an inquiring prod. Dempsey was in tremendous form. He has now made 230 runs in his four Shell Cup innings. He hit 13 boundaries and shared a stand with Brown which yielded 86 in 14 overs. After the first few minutes, Brown shared Dempsey’s mood and there were magnificent strokes from him too. Then Brown found a similarly pugnacious partner in

Latham, and these two scored 83 in 14 overs. Latham’s square cutting was perfection and two elegant shots to midwicket off Evan Gray each brought him six.

With one ball left of the twenty-ninth over, Canterbury was averaging six an over and a score of 300 seemed possible. But this brilliant partnership ended on a ludicrous note. A ball came off Latham’s pads and they set off for a leg bye. Brown, racing down the pitch, inadvertantly intercepted the ball with his right foot and it shot as if from a soccer striker straight back to the wicketkeeper’s end, leaving him well short of safety. Moments later, Latham himself was run out and he was followed quickly by David Stead and Peter Rattray. So 174 for two had become 180 for six. Cran Bull and Richard Leggat batted sensibly at a critical time, adding 42, and in the final overs, Leggat again showed particular flair with some audacious shots. Wellington’s hopes of matching Canterbury’s substantial score were almost extinguished in the first half hour, mainly because of

some particularly tight bowling from Glenn Bateman. In his first five overs, he conceded only a single. After the departure of Peter Holland and Graham Newdick, there were some productive strokes from Robert Vance and John Morrison, but Wellington was only 43 after 15 overs and thereafter the chase was never pursued with any conviction. Vance batted very stylishly but it was the sort of innings which needed the complement of out and out aggression at the other end. It became so comfortable for Canterbury, that at 120 for eight of 40 overs, Bull was able to give Leggat a bowl, then Rattray. Canterbury bowled and fielded really well. Wellington was lacking in both departments — too much loose stuff, some rather elderly fielding and a few catches put down. Bateman bowled particularly well, the inviting spin of Stead cost only 20 from 10 overs and Latham put in a very useful spell. Dempsey won the man of the match award and Rattray was adjudged the best fieldsman.