Wellington hammers C.D.

Press, 28 January 1988, Page 31

Wellington hammers C.D.

PA Levin Wellington defeated Central Districts by an innings and 82 runs in the Shell Trophy cricket match at Levin Park Domain yesterday.

The highlight of the match was the New Zealand record fifth-wicket partnership of 341 by Ervin McSweeney, who scored a magnificent 206 not out, and Gavin Larsen, who contributed an almost faultless 161 to Wellington’s total of 435. Both players batted with power and aggression. McSweeney gave four chances including a comparatively easy catch to the C.D. captain, lan Snook, when he was in the forties. To the surprise of many, Larsen was judged player of the match by; the Mayor of Levin, Sonny Sciascia, a cricketer in his own right in his younger days. Many thought that the

award should have gone to McSweeney. However, Larsen not only batted beautifully but fielded superbly and bowled well to take two wickets for 22 runs. Central Districts was never in the game after the Wellington captain, Robert Vance, won the toss and put it into bat. Its batting in the first innings was hesitant, and it could put together only 131 runs. The Wellington fielding on the other hand, with the exception of a couple of blemishes, was nothing short of brilliant. The Wellington bowling in both innings was also excellent with all bowlers maintaining a good line. The young Wellington paceman, Jonathan Mill-

mow, got six wickets in the match, bowling with plenty of fire and getting plenty of life out of the wicket particularly in the closing stages of Central Districts second innings. Evan Gray also showed his class as a bowler in C.D.’s second innings when he made the vital breakthrough to take Richard Harden and Derek Stirling’s wickets in the first hour of play. Apart from Steve Robertson, the C.D. opener who played some controlled shots in his double of 30 in the first innings and 40 in the second, and Mark Greatbatch, who looked good in making 47 in the second innings, the Central Districts batting was disappointing with the lack of

aggression most noticeable. WELLINGTON 435/5 dec. CENTRAL DISTRICTS First innings 131 Second innings S. Robertson b Gray .... 40 C. Smith lbw Millmow. . . 27 M. Greatbatch c and b Gray 47 R. Harden c Ritchie b Gray 25 D. Stirling c Ormiston b Gray 14 I. Guthardt b Cederwall. . 18 S. Duff c Larsen b Cederwall 9 I. Snook b Millmow .... 13 S. Gill c Gray b Millmow 8 G. Robertson not out. ... 0 S. Walton c Vance b Millmow 0 Extras (nbll, b 4, lb 6) ... 21 Total 222 Fall: 49, 107, 129, 163, 167, 183, 207, 220, 222. Bowling: J. Millmow 16, 4, 48, 4; G. Cederwall 17, 4, 52, 2; R. Holland 12, 4, 28, 0: S. Maguiness 13, 7, 16, 0; E. Grav 30, 9, 63, 4; G. Larsen 3,1, 5," 0.