Biggest senior score for many years to Old Collegians

Press, 25 October 1982, Page 13

Biggest senior score for many years to Old Collegians

An assertive century from Vaughan Brown paved the way for an Old Collegians batting bonanza against the title-holder, Lancaster Park, when the second round of the senior cricket championship began on Saturday.

Brown made 120, his first century in senior cricket — although he has two at firstclass level — and Old Collegians ended a cold afternoon at 353 for five wickets.

This was the highest total in senior cricket for about 15 years. At the start of the '1967-68 season Burnside-West scored 361 for one against Lancaster Park. Graham Dowling making 179 not out, Brian Hastings 101 not out. and lan Walter 70. In the last round that summer. East-Shirley beat this total, easily. Peter Coman scored 272 in a total of 464 for eight wickets against Sydenham. The southerly change stopped play for more than an hour at Bagley Oval, with similar breaks at the other grounds.

St Albans, the only team to win outright in the first round, was in trouble against Old Boys: East-Shirley won a commanding position against Sydenham, and Riccarton was well placed at the end of the day against BurnsideWest.

Brown’s performance provided the batting highlight of the day, but for the same side Paul McEwan scored a spectacular 68 and Peter Stubbings (Riccarton) made 50. the twenty-ninth time he has reached a half-century in a distinguished senior career. The only bowler to take five wickets in an innings was Craig Thiele, of EastShirley. Scores:—

Svdenham 113, East-Shir-ley'B7/2. Old Boys 170. St Albans 51/3.

Riccarton 208/9 dec., Burn-side-W’est 13/2. Old Collegians 353/5 v. Lancaster Park.

Lindsay Thorn (Riccarton) scored only 18 against BurnsideWest. but' it was sufficient to advance his senior aggregate bevond 4000.

The catch taken by Peter Wallace, the Burnside-West captain. took his total to 149 in senior cricket, one more than the aggregate achieved by lan Cromb. Now Wallace has only Bruce Irving ahead of him. Irving also took a catch on Saturday, to bring his tally to 154.

A feature of the day play was the appearance of three brothers in two teams. Lancaster Park had Brian. Graeme and Andrew Kench. Burnside-Wert David. Torn- and Brian Farrant.

RECOVERY

After a good start. Old Boys were set back on their heels by St Albans, but effected a good recoven' and ar the close of play St Albans was left with a considerable task.

Simon Carter - a stylish right-hander - Peter Rattray and Cran Bull all looked in good form at the start of the day, but the persistent seam bowling of Les Watson and the accurate spin of the left-hander. Andrew Nuttall, won some quick successes.

However, there was some free stroke-making from Bryan Ritchie. very useful innings by David Kerr and Gary MacDonald. to support another fine effort bv Dayle Hadlee, who again top-scored, this time with 33.

Nuttall was particularly impressive. So was the St Albans fielding. Mark Priest, at forward short leg, effected spectacular run-out - through quick reflexes — of Ross Bayliss, and Paul Rutledge gave another firstclass display of wicketkeeping. Rutledge, a very fit young man. looked’ sharp throughout the innings, as he had done in the first round. He brought off a swift stumping to dismiss Carter, and caught Cran Bull from a legitimate leg glance, with the greatest of ease. It was fine fielding, too, which thrust home Old Boys' advantage in the closing stages of the day. Kerr brought off a spectacular diving catch to dismiss Geoff Smith. This was from the bowling of MacDonald, who has started the season most impressively. RICCARTON ON TOP A typically attractive innings by Peter Stubbings took Riccartdn through some early difficulties to a satisfactory score.

Tony Farrant, bowling with life arid accuracy, made inroads into the Riccarton batting, but Stubbings. hitting the loose ones hard, had Lindsay Thorn and then Gary Straw with him to pllay minor but important roles. Then there was Geoff Miller, to make a robust 36, and at the end John Mackie and Glenn Bateman scored freely. Bateman was particularly aggressive and looked capble of going on to beat his senior best of 40 not out: his captain David Stead, thought a declaration of more importance.

Stephen Bateman began bowling erratically, but settled down to give a wOrth-while performance and Tony Farrant was all purpose. Glenn Bateman bowled particularly well at the start of Burnside-West's innings and although there is some talented batting to come. Riccarton’s bowlers look capable of taking the side to a first-innings win when the match ends today.

HAMMERING

As the weather deteriorated at Elmwood Park so did the fortunes of the visiting team. Lancaster Park, and at close of play Old Collegians had plundered the Park bowling for 353 runs for the loss of only five wickets. it was a fine team effort from the Old Collegians batsmen. Graham Sercombe and Jeff Gray started solidly and although their opening partnership produced only 39 runs in the first 25 overs they saw the Park opening bowlers off and laid the foundation for the innings. The tempo increased dramatically when Paul McEwan and Vaughan Brown came to the crease. Together they scored 105 in 71 minutes and when Richard Leggat joined Brown their fourth-wicket partnership was worth 103 which came up in 87 minutes.

McEwan's business-like, brisk walk to the crease was a sign of things to come. Soon came the booming drives off the front foot which have excited Canterbury crowds in the past. His timing was exact as was the execution and 12 fours and one six were included in his 68.

Although a little tentative at the beginning. Brown also was soon in commanding form. His driving through the covers and' square of the wicket was at times majestic and the delicate flick to leg off his toes was the mark of the batsman of stature.

Leggat’s contribution was also a worthy one. From the outset he attacked to keep the flow of runs coming. There was no relief for the bowlers with Leggat’s departure for soon Roger Fuller was in full cry to finish the day for Collegians on a high note. On the placid pitch the Lancaster Park medium-pace attack looked ordinary. There was a sameness about all the bowling and after the first hour none of the batsmen looked under any great pressure. The off-spinner, Bruce Irving, bowled only one over in the scoring of the first 200 runs, but

towards the end he was the only one to put a brake on the scoring. Although three sharp catches were taken by the Park fieldsmen. that of Irving to dismiss Leggat being the best, the ground fielding was of moderate standard and deteriorated as the day wore on. GOOD POSITION A fighting 43 by Ross McLachlan. with sound support from Howard Morel, carried East into a commanding position against Sydenham at Burwood Park. Play was delayed from 4.25 p.m. until 5.40 p.m. With only 20 minutes to play out at the end of the day, McLachlan was out in the second-last over after he and Morel had added 67 in 95 minutes for the second wicket. McLachlan had some anxious moments, particularly with rising balls outside his off stump, but he fought well and gained in stature as his innings progressed, as did Morel, who is there to continue today.

Earlier in the day, Klaus Prusas and Bob Carter helped Sydenham to 78 for three, but then seven wickets fell for 35 runs.

Craig Thiele had had a wicket with the first ball of the match, Kevin Congdon waving airily at a lifting ball outside the off stump, and he had Greg Curtain out 40 minutes later. In his second spell. Thiele took three further wickets to finish with fine figures. Murray Hartland was run out when he slipped over, for the second time, and Garry Hooper claimed the other wickets with his awkward off-cutters.

Carter batted compactly, scoring with crisp shots off his pads, but he was out to a bat-pad catch. Prusas was much looser — he was dropped early and had other streaky moments — but he served his side well.

The pair put on 59 in 104 minutes. Prusas hitting two fours and a six. and Carter two fours.