Points main aim

Press, 3 October 1987, Page 92

Points main aim

By

JOHN COFFEY

Neil Francis, the St Albans first grade cricket captain, is keen to keep to last summer’s winning formula when the Canterbury Trust Bank Trophy championship begins today.

"Our immediate aim is to compile as many competition points as we can before Christmas,” said Francis yesterday. "Hopefully it will work out like last season, when we had three outright wins before the holiday break.”

St Albans has a littlechanged line-up from that which broke the club’s long title drought in 198687.

Andrew Nuttall was overseas for a good part of last summer and will further strengthen the side when he returns to Christchurch next month. The opening batsman, Richard Brazendale, has returned to Auckland, and the all-rounder, Lyn Sparks, is to play for Woolston Working Men’s Club. Taking their places against Marist at Hagley

Oval today are the seam bowlers, Henry Richards, a national age-group representative from High School Old Boys, and Brett Harrison, whose startling analysis of nine for 12 was the most remarkable single individual feat of the last club season.

"Greg Olliver will be promoted to open the innings and given the chance to establish himself there,” said Francis. Francis is confident that St Albans will not plummet down the points table as the two previous trophy holders, Sydenham and Marist, did last summer. “We are fortunate that seven of our players have been in the Canterbury squad undergoing courses in fitness and the psychology of winning. They will all want to perform well early on to earn representative selection. “Sydenham and Marist were also inclined to rely on two or three outstanding players, whereas St Albans won because of a real team effort with everyone contributing. I

would be disappointed if we suffered the same fate.”

Francis expects particularly formidable challenges from Lancaster Park (“traditionally hard to beat”), Marist (“might be tougher with Garry Hooper back”), Old Boys (“if they get their act together and justify being the strongest side on paper”) and Riccarton (“with Steve McNally to lead a powerful mediumfast attack”).

First grade cricket starts 30 minutes earlier at 10 a.m. this season and up to one hour may be made up after 8 p.m. if poor weather causes stoppages. Two-day games which do not start before 4.30 p.m. on the first day will be decided on a oneinnings basis. Today’s other fixtures are between Riccarton and Wools»on W.M.C. at Hagley 3, Sydenham and East-Shirley at Sydenham Park, Bumside-West and Old Boys at Burnside Park, and Lancaster Park and Old Collegians at En-_ sors Road.