Three cricket hopefuls

Press, 28 February 1981, Page 60

Three cricket hopefuls

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

The main interest in the last round of section play in the A.N.Z. Bank senior clut cricket championship today will be concentrated on the second section where three of the four teams have ; chance to reach the grant final.

Lancaster Park, the outstanding side in the com petition, will almost certainly be the top qualifier from the first section. It meets the second-placed Old Colle gians but Park starts with a lead of almost 12 points and even though Old Collegians are at full strength, it would take a minor miracle .for them to oust Park from ths top spot. However, the situation-is

not so clear-cut in the second section where St Alban: holds the lead with 23.61 points. Its opposition al Ilam today, Burnside-West University, has 15.99 points. Riccarton is second in the section with 17.10 point and it has strong prospects of gaining a victory againsl the disappointing Sydenham team (10.96 points). If Riccarton beats Sydenham both St Albans and Burnside-West University will have to play positively to achieve a result for one of them to outpoint Riccarton.

St Albans appears to be ir the happier position. The only change from the -tean that beat Sydenham on the fir&6 innings ja the last

round is Miles StapyltonSmith for Greg Cowles. Cowles, a medium-pace bowler, has not met wit! much success recently and the introduction of Staply-ton-Smith will give St Albans a third spinner. Andy Nuttall and Mark Priest have served St Albans admirably in the spin department.-

Burnside-West University has been placed in a difficult position through illnesses and injuries to key players. John Mitchell, Rob Kinsey, Tony Farrant, Justin Boyle have all been selected but are subject to fitness tests and Kevin Collins is another struggling to get fully fit. The problem i s a worrying one for the team’s captain Peter-Wallace,