Canterbury confirms top-of-table position

Press, 13 January 1986, Page 38

Canterbury confirms top-of-table position

PA Hamilton Canterbury confirmed its place at the head of the national second XI cricket competition yesterday with a four-wicket victory over Northern Districts at Morrinsville. The match continued until 7.43 p.m. after a deluge in the early afternoon interupted the game for over four-and-a-half hours.

On Saturday Canterbury established a first innings lead of 71 because of a ninth wicket partnership of 87 between the opening batsman, David Boyle, who batted throughout the innings for 139 not out, and the young wicket-keeper, Barry Ward (40).

Paul Hodder headed a brisk Northern effort to score enough runs to set Canterbury a realistic target yesterday but nine wickets had fallen by the time of

the rain interruption. The left-arm spinner, Andrew Nuttall, had collected seven of them and another of the same type, Mark Priest, finished off the N.D. innings 13 minutes after the evening resumption.

Canterbury needed only 123 for victory but was in difficulties when it lost six wickets for 87. A third slow left-armer, Northern’s Glenn Dickinson, captured three cheap wickets. Then Chris Flanagan and Steve Bateman hit out and Canterbury won the match without further loss and with 6.4 overs in hand.

Canterbury has now had two outright victories and two first innings leads.

Scores.— Canterbury B 291 (D. J. Boyle 139 n. 0., B. Ward 40, C. W. Flanagan 22, A. J. Shipley 20; T. Boyle 3/7, L. Doull 2/63, G. Dickinson 2/77) and 123/6 (K. Congdon, 32; P. J.

Rattray 30, Flanagan 23 n. 0.; Dickinson 3/27) beat Northern Districts 220 (G. McKenzie 130, P. Hodder 27; M. Priest 4/52, S. J. Roberts 3/40) and 193 (Hodder 83, C. Presland 37, M. J. Wright 21; A. J. Nuttall 7/45, Priest 3/69) outright by four wickets.

• The Canterbury women’s team won its first match but lost its second at the second Xi’s cricket tournament which started in Auckland on Saturday. Against North Shore, Canterbury dismissed Shore for 49. H. McKnight took 4 for 10, S. Weaver 3 for 7 and B. Carr 2 for 22. Canterbury scored 51 for six.

Canterbury scored 92 against Wellington yesterday. T. Watts made 19 and D. Sherriff 22. Wellington scored 96 for four in reply. Weaver took 2 for 16 and P. Stuart 2 for 4. The matches are limited to 60 overs.