Hardy Sydenham takes cricket title

Press, 24 February 1986, Page 27

Hardy Sydenham takes cricket title

The Sydenham Cricket Club pavilion on Saturday evening was the scene of much bonhomie. The joyous mood and smiling faces told the story: Sydenham had won the first-grade title for the Trusteebank Trophy with a round to spare. Sydenham’s thrilling last-over victory against High School Old Boys in the eighth round of the competition gave it the maximum 16 points from the contest and, because Lancaster Park A lost outright to St Albans, Sydenham was in an unassailable position: Sydenham’s captain, the English professional, Bob Carter, predicted three years ago, when appointed, that he would lead the side to success. He did not have too long to wait.

Carter paid tribute to his players. “It was a team effort and I am proud of the way the players have given me 100 per cent. For the youngsters coming through this is a proud moment for the club.”

Fittingly, it was Carter and a recent recruit to the senior side, Darren Murray, who shared in a match-winning partnership at a crucial time. Carter made 45 and Murray picked the right time to compile his highest first-grade score, 62. Sydenham has shown itself a good side under pressure all season when chasing runs. It was the fourth time that it had gained an outright win when seeking quick runs in the final innings of a match.

The first-grade title was Sydenham’s fifteenth in the C.C.A. championship and its first since the 1976-77 season. It was a popular win and many representatives of other senior teams stopped at Sydenham during the celebrations to offer congratulations. The two survivors from Sydenham’s last championship win were the wicket-keeper, Ash Hart, and the opening batsman, Kevin Congdon. Congdon was in his first senior season when Keith Thomson’s side took the championship in 1976-77. Sydenham’s success overshadowed other matches in the eighth round. St Albans did an excellent demolition job on Park A and Old Collegians gained an outright decision in a tense finish against Marist, which recovered well after being five wickets for two runs (leg-byes) in its second innings. Riccarton had to make do with first innings points against Park B, and Burnside-West University took first innings points against East-Shirley, but in doing so removed all interest from the match for the second two periods of play. In contrast to the previous Saturday, pitches

were dry and favoured batsmen. Eleven batsmen scored half-centuries, with David Grocott (East-Shir-ley) leading the way with 89 and Lindsay Thorn (Riccarton) reaching 81. The bowlers to prosper most were Garry Hooper (Marist, six for 77) and Wayne Wilson (Park B, six for 90).

Points, subject to penalties for slow over-rates, are:— Sydenham 78, Marist 53, Lancaster Park A 51.5, St Albans 50, Old Collegians 46, High School Old Boys 44, BurnsideWest University 43.5, Riccarton 27, East-Shirley 21, Lancaster Park B 10. Scores:— Marist 86 and 140 lost to Old Collegians 62 and 165/8.

East-Shirley 188 and 266 lost to Burnside-West University 192/7 dec. and 78/2 on the first innings.

Lancaster Park A 100 and 147 lost to St Albans 102/6 dec. and 146/4.

Lancaster Park B 154/9 dec. and 219/8 dec. lost to Riccarton 165/1 dec. and 195/9 on the first innings. High School Old Boys 67 and 213/6 dec. lost to Sydenham 68/4 dec. and 216/8. INTEREST WANED Once Bumside-West elected to press for first-innings points against East-Shirley, the match lost all Interest as far as an exciting finish for an outright result was concerned. Burnside-West scored briskly on a good batting strip at Burwood Oval, but although it added 154 in 117 minutes to pass East-Shirley’s total of 188, It took most of the morning period. There was no chance of East-Shirley scoring runs quickly enough to set Burn-side-West a realistic target. Conditions favoured the batsmen and several took the opportunity to improve their aggregates and averages. Burnside-West was in some trouble, resuming at 38 for three, but a positive approach by David Boyle and Russell Haglund was maintained by Kevin Collins and Chris Marks, and all made sound contributions as they took their team’s score past EastShirley’s total. The East-Shirley bowlers strayed down leg too often and the Burnside-West batsmen helped themselves to 22 boundaries in the run feast. It was a long, hot afternoon in the field for BumsideWest, however, as East-Shir-ley’s batsmen also appreciated the even bounce of the pitch. David Grocott played a gem of an innings and was unfortunate to be deprived of what would have been a richly deserved century. He played many classical off-side drives and his 89, scored in 109 minutes and off 129 balls, was a cultured innings. Colin Hight, too, hit powerfully for his 47. Burnside-West started its second Innings after 5 p.m. in what was a pointless exercise. But Justin Boyle, the Wellington Shell opening batsman, redeemed himself for a duck in the first innings with a quick and elegant 47 not out. JOYOUS OCCASION Old Boys had two early reversals in their second ' innings against Sydenham, with both openers dismissed

for only 11, but David Bull and Peter Rattray steadied the innings and added 50 before Rattray was run out by slick fielding by Stuart Simpson in the covers. Bull, who had been out of form for much of the season, struggled through the morning period and into the afternoon to reach 64, his highest ■score of the season. His 170minute stay ended when Darren Murray accepted a hard chance.

Bull’s tenacity rubbed off on the next batsmen, and Ross Bayliss and James Leggat shared half-century partnerships with him for the fourth and fifth wickets.

Sydenham’s fielding fell away as Leggat and Chris Flanagan went on a full-scale attack. They added 83 in 38 minutes, enabling Rattray to declare and leave Sydenham to score 214 in 110 minutes and 20 overs.

Sydenham’s run chase started poorly. Wayne Higgins went without scoring and Peter Rattray was stupidly run out with the score at 39. At 75, Kevin Congdon fell to a good catch, by the wicket-keeper, Bayliss. The Sydenham captain, Bob Carter, and a senior newcomer, Darren Murray, then combined in a matchwinning partnership. Murray made 62 and there were 11 fours in his delightful innings, which lasted 88 minutes.

Sydenham needed 111 off the final 20 overs and it kept chasing, finally sewing up the championship with three balls remaining. Six runs were required when Dayle Hadlee began the last over, and Simpson rose to the occasion, hitting two boundaries behind square leg. LOST ON FIRST DAY

Lancaster Park A virtually lost its match against St Albans on the first day. It started the second precariously placed, still behind the home team’s first innings, and having lost two of its

more potent batsmen, Dave Dempsey and James Shipley, each for a duck.

The fight-back was only really apparent when Balvant Bhana and Rod Latham added 78 runs for the fourth wicket, but once they were separated, wickets fell steadily.

Latham’s attractive halfcentury was scored off only 63 balls. Lyn Sparks was probably the best of the St Albans bowlers, although Roger Ford spectacularly polished off Park’s innings with four wickets in 12 balls for only four runs. Although eight of the wickets fell to catches, St Albans has had better days in the field.

Bob Cusdin and Alan Lindsay both reached the 20s but neither batsmen’s tenancy of the crease looked to be anything but temporary.

St Albans were left almost four hours to score the necessary runs for victory. Ben Harris and Mark Priest made the game safe with an excellent partnership of 85 for the second wicket Priest was by far the more enterprising, scoring regularly behind the wicket on the leg side, but Harris’s contribution was valuable. His 24 runs were scored in 103 minutes off 94 balls; Priest’s innings lasted about the same time. Craig Thiele was the only bowler to cause any great concern.

FINISH PROLONGED When Marist had lost five wickets without scoring a run from the bat in its second innings the chances of the game lasting until afternoon tea looked remote, but it was not until well inside the final 20 overs and with only two wickets in hand that Old Collegians claimed the victory it had held in its grasp all day. Marist resumed the day at three wickets down for two runs and immediately lost two further batsmen before Mark Hastings and Duncan Wild took some of the initiative away from the Old Collegians attack, ably led by Lindsay Forde and Bill Lawrence.

Wild played some crunching drives in his half-century, while Hastings was less flambuoyant in his 35. After this partnership was broken, Ross Cunningham and Garry MacDonald both added useful runs, but the loss of the last three wickets straight after lunch negated some of the good batting of the morning. Lawrence snapped up four wickets in a lively display, while Robert Wilson deserved more than his one wicket. With a fast out-field and plenty of time, conditions favoured Old Collegians in its chase for 165 and outright victory, but throughout its innings it was never able to

completely seize the advantage as a regular fall of wickets always put pressure on a new batsman.

Graham Sercombe played a good anchor role in his 33, and there were some delightful strokes from Paul McEwan and Vaughan Brown, but the innings that gave Old Coliegains its most important thrust towards victory came from Richard Leggat, who played some lovely drives in his 23 in only 32 minutes.

Garry Hooper was a danger for the batsmen as he got both turn and lift, and backed up by some good catching, he made sure that the Old Collegians’ advance was always going to be difficult. POSITIVE DECISIONS

Positive captaincy by Dennis Aberhart and Trevor Luke ensured a result was possible up until the last ball of the match at Ham between Riccarton and Lancaster Park B. Set 209 runs in 60 minutes and 20 overs, Riccarton made a strong start with another good opening partnership between Stuart Gambles and Lindsay Thorn. The 71 runs came in 50 minutes with Gambles hitting the ball powerfully, straight and through the off-side. The loss of three quick wickets at aninopportune time resulted in Riccarton losing its momentum.

At the start of the 20 overs the experienced pair of Wayne Wilson and Trevor Luke bowled in a very tight line, giving Park B the upperhand.A handsome innings of 57 by Danny Halligan, batting at number 8, enabled Riccarton to pick up the run-rate again. Halligan’s innings included one six and brought up his 1000 runs in senior cricket. The dismissal of Halligan and his able partner, Brent Glanville, in the eighteenth and nineteenth overs, had the Lancaster Park fieldsmen clustering around the last batting pair for the final nine bats of the match.

Trevor Luke bowled tightly for Park B while Wayne Wilson aimed six wickets with his slow left-arm deliveries, bowling throughout the innings. Wilson flighted the ball well and effected a very good caught-and-bowled. The Ilam wicket changed from the previous Saturday’s rain-affected pitch into an excellent cricket pitch. Riccarton capitalised on this with an opening partnership of 140 runs by Lindsay Thorn and Stuart Gamble before Thorn was run out for 81. A feature of . the partnership was the fine running between the wickets, while both batsmen played attractive shots on both sides of the wicket. Gamble’s innings of 75 not out included 10 fours.

Riccarton took first innings points with only one wicket down.