Borrowed bat belted out the blues for opposition bowlers

Press, 23 March 1988, Page 32

Borrowed bat belted out the blues for opposition bowlers

By

JOHN COFFEY

Roger Ford’s .speciality in the. St Albans cricket team is fast-medium bowling, but he could . also claim to have greatly assisted' his championshipwinning side’s run-scoring this season.

The secret ingredient is Ford’s bat, which ■ has been used by others, and especially Ben Harris, with telling effect during a summer in which St Albans completed a rare competition ’’double.” ‘ j i Harris last week-end became only the fourth senior cricketer to exceed 1000 runs in a club season, going to that milestone with a century against Lancaster Park at Ensors.Road on’Saturday and 49 at the expense of Woolston Working Men’s Club the next day: His total, stands at 4040, with an outside chance of a second , innings against Park *• I- on Saturday. ■ , Walter Hadlee (1110 for High: School Old Boys in 1941-42) and Roger Blunt (1071 for West Christchurch in 1924-25) are the only.' players to ] have bettered Harris’s aggregate: Harris modestly observed that much more cricket is played these days ; than when .those famed internationals were at their peak. .! The previous St Albans record was 1006, established by Frank Woods. In a golden summer of 192324 Woods compiled two thirds of his runs in just three turns at the crease —- 234 against Riccarton, 223 against West Christchurch, and an unbeaten 222 against East Christchurch.

The first of those double-centuries is still the highest single innings by a ■ St Albans senior

cricketer. Woods repre.serited Canterbury between 1913 'and 11927, but the) [First World :War and 'brief representative restricted his appearance 'to 13. None 'of [those figures were on Harris’s mind when he pidked (up Ford’s bat in the dressing room at | Sydenham Park last December. (He (went out and made | an [ unbeaten 119, his first century, and added 46 in trie second; innings. ~ I . I Ij ,| ‘‘While I’was in • England during our winter] l! went to a bat-making factory and hand-picked one that felt really! good, an ideal weight for me,”. .Harris recalled.! | (■ |

: |“I came home and used it (in the first fbur or five club games anti either! I suddenly became weak or the bat got heavier, because. I could hardly lift it!- ■ •r J '. ( [ - (“So I stopped ‘ using it and began (picking up trie first bat II could borrow from the (other guys, jlt was just by chance that I had Rogers, the day we played Sydenham,” (he said. | j. J. '[j j ! But the fame of Ford’s blade soon (spread through the St AlbanS squad. Ford himself has ( averaged 25 with the bat this season from limited ' opportunities. j | ! Hi

I “My brother,! Chris, and Neil Francis! like it too. I get the bat first because I open, but| if I am still there when Chris or Neil arrive l| • occasionally suspect they! are hoping I get jout so they can! get their hands! oh it,” said Harris. I ? i ! I ! “Roger also gets toi use his own bat |sometimes.” iHe might hot have.got a bargain bat! hut • Harris credits his time with the Chichester) jcliib in ,the

Sussex League as haying a profound influence on his batsmanship. “The I standard, might not: have been all that great, ibut there were some very good players — Graham Roope,: Tony Pigott, both England representatives, and a longserving [Hampshire county irepresentative, John, Rice, among them,” said Harris. "I talked to others about Imy batting, and received excellent coach? ing from Dickie Briance, who had played a lot of league cricket. He sorted out a few faults and I worked on them,” he said. Harris, aged 24, (is just completing his fourth full senior Reason. His previous aggregates were 708, 475 and 541, and his career | average a shade over 31! at the start of the present summer. “I set myself a target of 650 runs — to get an extra ,390 was 1 a real bonus,” he said. For much of the season he was strongly pressed by the' Riccarton opener, Stu Gambles, for the distinction of being leading run-scorer. ■ Gambles reached 826 before illness prevented him from continuing his challenge to Harris] ' “I felt really sorry for Stu when I heard he had to pull out of the weekend’s games. We have had a good rivalry, and he is a good friend of mine,” said Harris. j I'. : There was no conscious pla’n in Harris’s! mind When he went out to bat against Park at Ensors Rpad on Saturday, other than to bat until lunch to give his team’s innings a solid foundation.

I'M I ' : i "The first. 20(were prob-, [ably the worst; 20 runs I 'have scored all season. I edged]a ball between the ; keeper and slips and felt I : should wander; I'off and | buy a Lotto ticket; then Tony : pollins, | who does not drop many, missed a slips catch. ( ) ,| “■lt (seemed to be my day, (and I decided to make I the most of it After lunch| (I felt really good, and enjoyed [hitting the ball dyer the top of t;he field. (Even the, shot I went out to was from the middle! of the bat, — I just forgot I Collins! had been placed! out by! trie boundary and I could not exppct a second life [from him," said Harris. ] ' j; Haryis caught the attention 1 of the | Canterbury selectors sufficiently to] be included in the provincial second XI, but j feels I he did nbt do himself justice. i | I ' jl I "I was reallyi; keen! to show] I could get runs at that [level. It ; w]as disappointing to average only 23 or | 24, and not get a

score higher than my 68 against Northern Districts. I tended to psyche myself out agaipst the (“name” bowlers' and hope to do better nejxt year. ( (“During the winter I want to] work on my backfo]ot play. I am predominantly la front-foot batsman. Thqn I will probably go back to England after next summer,” hb said.

' In his developing years, w(hen (young Ben sometimes mhdes up the numbers in (his father, Zin’s presidents grade' side, he was also something of a leg-spinner. ' I| I I ! “My |five senior wickets could be (put down to the batsmen;; self-destructing. Nutts (Andy Nuttall) tried to coach 1 me in the nets, But I think he rias given up. He reckons rihat for a leg-spinner I have got the Sorst of(rispinner?s grip .he as ever] seen,” he said..’ I ll i. j Cricket, especially | St (cricket, |has| long been part of the Harris lifestyle!. ( Ben’s]' grandfather] iparke Harris, was a firm I supporter of the club. Ziri Harris scored a test century for New Zealand, 1 and his, brother,

John was a seniqi; club player. Both also served the club in administrative positions.. Zin Harris for a time shared , the Canterbury post-Secbnd World War club aggregate record of 813' with Walter Hadlee, before it was surpassed by Brian Hastings (873) and then Barry Hadlee; (874). This season Ben Harris has been joined in the St Albans first XI 'jby one brother, Chris, an allrounder, and, occasion? ally, another, Tim, the wicket-keeping ] understudy to Paul Rutledge. “St Albans is I] a good side 'to be part of,” said I Ben Harris. “We aimed to try and win both competitions, giving thej two-day championship priority, and played positively throughout. All, (the players support ' each other and in Neil Francis we have a match-winning captain.” The summer could end; in even more of a fairy-; tale fashion if] Harris' holds one Or more catches 1 on Saturday. His season's haul of 20 is just brie short ofi Hastings’ Canterbury : club record. (I