Stead has the final say in own benefit match

Press, 23 November 1987, Page 44

Stead has the final say in own benefit match

By

JOHN COFFEY

Few cricket careers have been so appropriately closed as that of David Stead for Canterbury at Hagley Oval yesterday. With his last delivery as a Canterbury representative, Stead accepted the catch from his own bowling which not only completed a 15-run victory over Wellington but also clinched for himself the "man of the match" award. The annual “DominionSunday Times” fixture had on this occasion been sub-titled the David Stead Benefit Match, and it was just that.

Stead, in typical fashion, had brought stability to Canterbury’s innings after the sixth wicket had fallen at 129.

He personally contributed 24 runs from 28 balls in an unbroken stand with the hard-hitting Chris Flanagan (40 from 41 balls) which saw the home side through to 195. The Wellington batsmen, and especially Bruce Edgar, had their team close to the required runrate until Stead was recalled to pull his bewildering array of tricks from his leg-spinner’s bag. Almost Immediately he caused Gavin Larsen’s downfall and in his next over captured the prized wicket of Edgar.

Between those two reverses Wellington had also lost Ervin McSweeney to the bowling of Andrew Hintz, and at 87

for six its task on a pitch playing progressively slower was most improbable.

Grant Cederwall and Steve Magulness struck out bravely, but 30 runs were needed from the last two overs. Stead had been left with one over in reserve, and it was time for his final farewell.

The Middlesex professional, Angus Fraser, bludgeoned 14 runs from four balls before falling to the wily Stead. At 40 years of age Stead proved that he could still keep pace with his younger team-mates and rivals, and organisers were pleased that the day’s activities raised in excess of $5OOO for the benefit fund.

From a trial point of view, Canterbury had more cause than Wellington to look with confidence towards the Shell Cup series late next month.

Canterbury’s opening batsmen, David Dempsey and Justin Boyle, mustered 64 runs before they were separated. They were contrasts — Dempsey reached 40 In 45 balls, Boyle scored only two more runs from 62 more deliveries — who complemented each other particularly well. Consequently, Wellington’s quicker bowlers were rendered rather Ineffective, Maguiness redressed some of the balance by stemming the flow of runs and removing the free-scoring Dempsey

and Paul McEwan. Max Bremner did his prospects of promotion, from the second XI no harm, though he will no doubt be instructed to burb his hooking habit. Dropped once from such a shot, he was caught twice, the first time from a no-ball. But it was Stead’s stroke-play and placements and Flanagan’s more forthright methods — he smacked consecutive balls from Fraser’s final over for sixes to mid-wicket — which gave Canterbury’s total some authority.

There was for Wellington the consolation of an efficient effort in the field, the captain, Robert Vance, leading by example and winning an award for his two athletic catches and several fine saves.

Edgar apart, the Wellington top-order failed to master an Increasingly difficult situation. Bill Lawrence continues to impress with the new ball for Canterbury. A howling tall wind further boosted his considerable pace and such was his accuracy he three times hit the stumps — the only bowler in either side to do so. Excellent down-wind support came from Hintz,i while Flanagan (12 runs off his first seven overs) and Stead. (15 from his first nine) demanded respect Only the legspinner, David Hartshorn,

did not take a wicket, but two catches were spilled when he was bowling. McEwan would rue one of those misses. A firm hit by Tim Ritchie split the webbing of McEwan’s left hand and he faces a !.Oday rest while the wound heals. Scoreboard.— CANTERBURY J. G. Boyle c Burnett b Ormiston 42 D. A. Dempsey c Burnett b Magulness 40 P. E. McEwan c Vance b Magulness 2 D. J. Boyle run out 1 M. C. Bremner c Larsen b Fraser 26 D. J. Hartshorn c Vance b Cederwall 6 D. W. Stead not out ... . 24 C. W. Flanagan not out .. 40 Extras (lbB, w3, nb3). ... 14 Total (for 6 wkts) 195 Fall: 64,66,70, 113,125, 127. Bowling.—J. P. Millmow 10, 1, 37, 0; A. R. C. Fraser 10, 0, 48, 1; G. N. Cederwall 10, 2, 37, 1; S. J. Magulness 10,4,28,2; G. R. Larsen 5,1, 17, 0; I. W. Ormiston 5,0, 20, 1. WELLINGTON G. P. Burnett b Lawrence 4 B. A. Edgar c sub b Stead . 45 R. H. Vance c McEwan b Flanagan 6 T. D. Ritchie b Lawrence. 14 G. R. Larsen c D. Boyle b Stead 11 E. B. McSweeney c German b Hintz. 2 G. N. Cederwall b Flanagan 38 I. W. Ormiston lbw b Hintz. 5 S. J. Magulness b Lawrence 28 A. R. C. Fraser c and b Stead 20 J. P. Millmow not out. .. 0 Extras (lb 6 nbl) 7 Total 180 Fall: 11, 28, 70, 85, 87, 87, 102, 144, 166, 180. Bowling.—C. W. H. Lawrence 9,1, 31, 3; C. W. Flanagan 10, 2, 39, 2; A. J. Hintz 10, 0, 37, 2; D. W. Stead 9.5, 1, 29, 3; D. J. Hartshorn 10, 0, 38, 0.

umpires: B. L. Aldridge and R. L McHarg.