Farrant blocks Wgtn path to victory

Press, 13 January 1987, Page 11

Farrant blocks Wgtn path to victory

Another fine innings by the Canterbury batsman, David Farrant, ensured that Wellington was denied outright points when their national second XI cicket match ended at the Hutt Recreation Ground yesterday. Farrant followed up his score of 87 against Norther Districts B last week with an unbeaten innings of 134. ' His hard-hitting century included 18 fours and one six. He took 18 off one over from the Wellington B spinner, Paul Christian, and reached three figures in 170 min off 177 balls. Wellington B had batted on in the morning to reach a total of 448, giving it a first-innings lead of 158. Both Graeme Burnett and Tony Rohrs had

scored centuries on the second day.

With Farrant leading the way Canterbury B was able to comfortably make up the deficit and the competition leader had lost only four wickets at the close. Scores: Canterbury 290 (B. Hartland 93, J. Boyle 50, M. Priest 66; F. Beyeler 2/66, B. Williams 3/45, P. Christian 3/ 71) and 222/4 (Boyle 23, J. Preston 31, D. G. Farrant 134 n. 0.; H. Skipper 2/5) drew with Wellington B 448 (G. Burnett 104, M. Warner 25, A. Rohrs 123, G. Cederwall 26, J. Murtagh 87; R. Ford 2/65, Farrant 2/72, Priest 4/122, R. Carter 2/72). The Northern Districts second XI all-rounder, Derek Beard, must have given the Shell series

selectors food for thought with a match-winning display for his team in the game against Auckland at Devonport yesterday. Beard, batting at No. 7, steadied the Northern Districts second innings with a well-compiled 68, setting Auckland a chase for 289 for victory. Stephen Brown (35) and Richard Reid (58) led the Auckland chase before Beard struck a vital blow, having Reid caught at the wicket just before tea. Martin Pringle batted well for 78,, but he gradually ran out of partners as the spinners, Beard and Mark McKinnon, made inroads into the tail. Beard finished with four for 32 off 15 overs, and McKinnon had four for 107 Off 26.