Walker and Hills shatter Canterbury cricketers’ hopes

Press, 28 December 1987, Page 13

Walker and Hills shatter Canterbury cricketers’ hopes

PA Dunedin Peter Hills and Derek Walker have not had much to smile about in recent weeks but they made amends on Saturday when they played key roles in Otago’s 25-run win over Canterbury in the Shell Cup cricket match at Carisbrook.

Both went into the game under a cloud, Hills because of a hamstring injury and Walker because of dismal batting form during the club season and in lead-up matches. But both ended the day with their confidence and stature enhanced as Otago inflicted a surprise defeat on the much-fancied Canterbury team. Otago made 179 for nine wickets in its 50 overs after it was sent into bat when, all the conditions — including the likelihood of rain later in the day — were in favour of the side batting second. But Hills, playing his first Shell Cup match for two seasons, broke through to take the wickets of Dave Dempsey, Justin Boyle and Paul McEwan in his opening spell and Canterbury was 19 for three. David Boyle and Max Bremner stopped the decline with a stand of 74 for the fifth wicket in 65 minutes during which they put the game back on an even balance. But Boyle suddenly lost patience and drove straight to mid-on where Hills accepted the catch to end a dangerous partnership. This triggered a Canterbury slide and, apart from a flurry of 31 runs between Andrew Hintz and Lee Germon for the ninth wicket, it was effectively the end of Canterbury’s challenge.

Hills was brought back for his second spell and he ended the match when he had Bill Lawrence leg before wicket with a yorker which struck him painfully on the toe. Canterbury was dismissed for 154 in 47.4 overs and it was a morale boosting win and sweet revenge for Otago, which had been comfortably beaten by Canterbury by six wickets at Oamaru 20 days ago. Hills finished with four wickets for 23 off 8.4 overs (his previous best in the Shell Cup had been three for 48) and he won the man of the match award. It was the first time he had stretched out at the bowling crease for six weeks and, apart from troubling the batsmen with his pace and his leftarmer’s angle, he held a fierce return drive to dismiss Justin Boyle. "I felt quite stiff throughout,” Hills said later. “I hadn’t really bowled properly for six weeks. “But I was pleased with my figures and, especially, with the result. It has been frustrating having to watch Otago play in the lead-up matches.” Walker’s contribution with the bat was invaluable for he anchored the second half of the Otago innings after he arrived with the team precariously placed at 62 for four. Walker top-scored with , 35, made in 101 minutes

from 74 balls with only one four. But it was an admirable innings for he farmed the strike intelligently, ran like a hare between the wickets and ensured that Otago batted out its 50 overs when it seemed it could have been dismissed for about 120. He eventually left at 1.74 for eight after having a fling at Michael Holding in the last over. Walker combined in stands of 39 in 28 minutes with John Wilson for the seventh wicket, and of 51 in 45 minutes with Neil Mallender for the eighth. Mallender, who invariably looks an accomplished batsman, began with 14 consecutive singles and later produced one of the strokes of the day, a cover driven boundary off Holding. He made his 25 off 36 balls before he was run out in the last over when he slipped when turning for a second run. Otago’s last four wickets added 114 runs — riches indeed on a day of modest scoring — and, after Warren Lees had made a quick 14, John Wilson provided the main entertainment. Wilson scored his 30 in 28 minutes from 25 balls with two 6s and two 4s before Dempsey held a return catch from a fiercely-hit drive which threatened his well-being. Wilson had taken 10 runs off two balls from Dempsey, including a big 6 over mid-wicket to the

back of the terrace, and Priest also come in for some harsh treatment from the big Southland left-hander. OTAGO S. J. McCullum c Lawrence b Hintz 9 K. B. Ibadulla c D. Boyle b Lawrence 13 K. J. Bums c Germon b Hintz 0 B. R. Blair c sub (Hartshorn) b Dempsey 14 R. N. Hoskin c Germon b Priest 19 D. J. Walker b Holding. . 35 W. K. Lees c Germon b Holding 14 T. J. Wilson c and b Dempsey 30 N. A. Mallander run out . 25 P. W. Hills not out 4 S. L. Boock not out 1 Extras (b2, lbB, wl, nb4). 15 Total (for 9 wkts) 179 Fall: 27, 28, 28, 62, 65, 84, 123, 174, 175. Bowling: C. W. Lawrence 10, O. 37, 1 (3nb); M. A. Holding 10, 2, 26, 2 (Inb); A. J. Hintz 8,0, 27, 2 (lw); C. W. Flanagan 3,1, 8,0; M. W. Priest 10, 2, 32, 1; D. A. Dempsey 9,0, 39, 2. CANTERBURY D. A. Dempsey c Lees b Hills 4 J. G. Boyle c and b Hills. 10 D. J. Boyle c Hills b Blair 36 P. E. McEwan c Lees b Hills 0 M. W. Priest b Boock ... 7 M. G. Bremner run out. . 46 C. W. Flanagan c and b Blair 6 A. J. Hintz not out 13' M. A. Holding c Burns b Blair 2 L. K. Germon run out. . . 16 C. W. Lawrence lbw b Hills 1 Extras (lb 9 wl, nb3) ... 13 Total 154 Fall: 8, 19, 19, 34, 108, 118, 118, 121, 152. Bowling: N. A. Mallender 9,3, 21, 0; P. W. Hills, 8.4, 1, 23, 4 (2nb); T. J. Wilson 10, 0, 35, 0 (Inb, lw); S. L. Boock 10, 2, 30, 1; D. J. Walker 5,0, 15, 0; B. R. Blair 5,0, 21, 3.