Canty left daunting target by Northern

Press, 11 January 1986, Page 68

Canty left daunting target by Northern

By

JOHN COFFEY

Canterbury’s Shell Trophy cricket campaign is falling into an ominous pattern. It again has a formidable follow-on figure to achieve when its match with Northern Districts resumes at Lancaster Park today. In reply to Northern’s first innings total of 383, Canterbury had reached 48 for two wickets by stumps last evening. There was much to admire in the performances of Lindsay Crocker, Barry Cooper, Chris Kuggeleijn and Mark Carrington, who between them accounted for 86 per cent of the runs accumulated by the Northern batsmen.

However, they were considerably aided in their tasks by a wretched Canterbury bowling display. Even when self-inflicted wounds had Northern tottering at 44 for three, the Canterbury seam bowlers seldom promised to respond to the incentive of a well-grassed pitch. Steve McNally began with an enthusiasm developed during a long stint of twelfth man duties, and Sean Tracy temporarily rediscovered his rhythm in an impressive start to his second spell. But they provided Northern with only brief periods of concern. For most of the day Craig Thiele, McNally, Tracy and Rod Latham were guilty of wasting the conditions which had persuaded their captain,

Vaughan Brown, to field first.

His decision had merit, and was largely vindicated when Russell Mawhinney was an early victim.

McNally also dismissed David White and Geoff Howarth in quick order. Canterbury should have continued to prosper but any chance of that went with the waywardnesss of the bowlers’ line and length. Cooper needed little time to settle in and accelerated his momentum with three fours from Latham’s first four balls.

Cutting crisply and favouring a flowing coverdrive, Cooper faced only 85 deliveries for his 83 runs. He hit 17 boundaries, or one every fifth time he shaped

up. The partnership between Cooper and the more circumspect Crocker was worth 125 runs in 101 minutes. Any psychological edge gained by Brown at the toss had been thoroughly dulled.

If he was out-paced by Cooper, there was nothing sluggish about Crocker’s scoring rate, and he raised his second century off 188 balls.

His particular liking for Thiele’s bowling was evident from his taking of seven of his 14 boundaries from that source.

Crocker was a man of many hats — he opened in a helmet, switched to a widebrimmed design, then bared his head for a while before

resorting to a cap — but there was no disguising the quality of his contribution. Where Cooper often used the cudgel, Crocker preferred the rapier. By the time Canterbury was rid of them, Kuggeleijn had recovered from an initial impetuosity and stumping chance. Kuggeleijn was to be a grateful recipient of numerous short-pitched balls, before handsomely hitting the leg-spinner, David Hartshorn, straight for two sixes.

The second new ball caused Kuggeleijn’s downfall and threatened to end Northern’s innings. Instead, it seemed to inspire Carrington, whose previous top score in 39 first-class innings had been 34. Shedding the rags of a No. 10 batsman, Carrington wore a cloak of quality as he drove McNally for boundaries on both sides of the wicket.

He then off-drove, pulled and cut Tracy for fours in reaping 15 from an over, McNally suffered again at the other end as Carrington took another 16.

It was inappropriate that he went to his 50 — from just 34 balls in 42 minutes — from an edge. He was caught a moment later, seeking to increase his tally of nine fours and a six. Northern had scored at better than even time, and Canterbury matched that pace in its 44 minutes before stumps. However, it could gain

confidence only from Paul McEwan’s continued fine form. There was disappointment that Peter Kennedy, for the second time in three innings, should be out in the day’s last over. Kim Hancock and Grant Bradburn had quick successes in their first appearances at Lancaster Park. NORTHERN DISTRICTS First Innings L. J. Crocker c Hartshorn b Tracy 105 R. E. Mawhinney e Hart b McNally 1 D. J. White b McNally . . 11 G. P. Howarth c Hartshorn b McNally 0 B. S. Cooper c Thiele b Hartshorn 83 C. M. Kuggeleijn c Hart b Tracy 73 B. A. Young c Nathu b Tracy 4 G. Bradbum c Hart b Hartshorn 19 S. J. Scott c Hart b McNally 6 S. M. Carrington c sub b Tracy 53 K. B. Hancock not out . . 10 Extras (lbl6, nbl, wl). . 18 Total 383 Fall: 14, 44, 44, 169, 230, 234, 273, 306, 329, 383. Bowling—C. H. Thiele 20, 3, 87, 0; S. R. McNally 29, 8, 97, 4; S. R. Tracy 15.5, 1, 70, 4 (nbl, wl); R. T. Latham 7,1, 40, 0; D. J. Hartshorn 22, 3, 70, 2; V. R. Brown 1,0, 3, 0. CANTERBURY First Innings A. Nathu c Young b Hancock 9 P. G. Kennedy c Kuggeleijn b Bradbum . ; 10 P. E. McEwan not out . . 27 Extras (bl, wl) 2 Total (for 2 wkts) 48 Falk 13, 48. Bowling.—S. M. Carrington 5, 0, 34, 0; K. B. Hancock 5,1,13,1 (wl); G. Bradburn 0.4, 0,0, 1.