Central XI gets break in series

Press, 11 January 1986, Page 6

Central XI gets break in series

PA Wellington For the first time in the Shell series the sun shone on Central Districts yesterday and its opening batsmen, Ronnie Hart and John Smith, used it to full advantage in their trophy clash with Wellington at the Basin Reserve. By the end of the first day Central, after losing its first round trophy game with Otago, had staged a big batting revival in reaching 338 for 1, and Hart stood unbowed on 188, the highest of his four first-class centuries. Along the way Hart and Smith, who scored 101, enjoyed a fair measure of luck. They started looking badly out of touch after Wellington had won the toss and put Central in but they stayed together while 250 runs were accumulated in 330 minutes for,the first wicket against a badly weakened Wellington bowfing lineup. ' After bowling eight overs for 16 runs, Wellington lost their English import Paul Allott, with a pinched nerve in the back of his neck. It may be some time before he is able to bowl again. Wellington’s bowling problems did not end there. Although Steve Maguiness got

through a body-draining 37 overs, he twice had tb leave the field, still troubled by a groin strain. At times Maguiness looked to be bowling in some, discomfort He knew that Wellington desperately needed him if it was to place some brake on Central scoring. Perhaps jaded by three days in the hot sun in its previous match' at Gisborne, the Wellington team lacked spark in the field. The ground fielding and throwing were often sloppy and making matters worse were five dropped catches, four of them offered by Hart. The 250 run stand was a landmark for Central It easily eclipsed its. previous highest first wicket partnership of 137 set by Hart and Blain last summer, and it was the highest axhieved by any provincial side against Wellington. The old record of 235 was set by Walter Hadlee and Curly Page, of Canterbury, in 1936-37 and the 250 is the best first wicket tally posted by any team since the trophy competition started. Hart conceded that luck had been with him after being dropped by Robert Vance on 19, Gavin Larsen on 91 and 132 and James Milne on 139.