St Albans again strong

Press, 4 October 1984, Page 29

St Albans again strong

The well-balanced St Albans team is in a strong position to defend the Canterbury Women’s Cricket Association’s senior title. St Albans .will field much the same side as the one which won the title ahead of Riccarton last season and its blend of experience and youthful potential make it a good prospect for retaining the title this summer.

Vicki Burtt will play again after a season off and her decision not to stand on the Canterbury selection panel indicates that she is intent on regaining her impressive form of previous seasons.

Burtt will join Karen Hadlee, Catherine Campbell, Ann McKenna and Brigit Legg, who all featured prominently in the senior batting averages in the 1983-84 competition. The captain, Margaret Francis, is unlikely to play, but the side has gained the promising Tracy McNamara from Sydenham, and a Canterbury under-19 representative, Jenny Turner, from Hornby High School.

With Sarah Illingworth and Kirsty 6ond also in the line-up, St Albans will be the team to beat. Riccarton, which lost the title to St Albans so narrowly last season, will be intent on' taking revenge this year and it has a team of very competent cricketers who will give St

Albans a good battle. Lesley Murdoch, Sue Rattray, Karen Gunn, Sharee Harris and Nicki Sheriff should again be key players in Riccarton’s challenge.

Lancaster Park has scored something of a coup by employing Nicky Turner

as player-coach at the club, tempting her away from Sydenham.

. Turner will be the club’s trump card in its bid to lift itself from the bottom of the senior points table. With a batting aggregate of 759 runs from last season, she

will add confidence to a team that already includes the New Zealand captain, Debbie Hockley, and Jenny Olson, Sue Storey and Deborah Ford.

While Sydenham has been the club hardest hit by defections it has gained a player of undoubted quality in Jan Hall, from Otago. . Hall, an all-rounder who has been on the verge of selection for higher representative honours, has decided to commute from Dunedin in the search for greater competition. While Turner’s position in the side will be a hard place to fill Sydenham has players of the calibre of a New Zealand bowler, Sue Brown, the wicket-keeper, Mary Campbell, Sheryl Gardyne and Nancy Williams on whom it can rely for good performances.