Cricket St Albans snatches outright victory

Press, 19 December 1988, Page 24

Cricket St Albans snatches outright victory

The defending champion, St Albans, moved to the top of the Trust Bank Trophy club cricket competition with an outright win over Lancaster Park at Hagley 1 on the second day of the fifth round on Saturday. St Albans, bidding for its third successive title, can now relax over the Christmas break knowing it is three points clear of East Christ-church-Shirley, which took only one point from a drawn match against Old Collegians.

St Albans won with 28 balls remaining but there were closer finishes in three other matches.

Woolston W.M.C. squeezed home with four balls to spare against Burnside-West University at Garrick Park to win by three wickets. Craig Williamson, playing in his first senior match, hit the winning runs but it was a 16-run haul from the penultimate over by Greg Lewis which pushed Woolston to its first victory of the season. Riccarton pipped High School Old Boys with three balls to spare at Hagley 3 while Marist completed a remarkable turnaround to down Sydenham at Sydenham Park. A superb 101 by Greg Hills from 82 balls, including 18 fours and a six, swept Marist to victory after it had trailed on the first innings by a big margin.

Scores: St Albans 166 and 220/8 dec. beat Lancaster Park 196 and 134 by 56 runs. Sydenham 251/6 dec. and 107/5 dec. lost to Marist 120 and 239/5 by five wickets. East Christchurch-Shirley 245/9 dec. and 229/6 dec. drew with Old Collegians 246/5 dec. and 181/6. High School Old Boys 159 and 196/8 dec. lost to Riccarton 160/5 dec. and 196/6 by four wickets. Burnside-West University 223/4 dec. and 203/7 dec. lost to Woolston W.M.C. 224/5 dec. and 206/7 by three wickets. Points: St Albans 45, East Christchurch-Shirley 42, Marist 30, Old Collegians 29, Burnside-West University 28, Lancaster Park 25, Woolston W.M.C. 25, Riccarton 22, High School Old Boys 15.5, Sydenham 13. Hills was the third batsman to score a century on a sundrenched day.

Anup Nathu struck 101 not out for Woolston W.M.C. and then scored 57 in its second innings while Ray Jones recorded his second century in senior club games with 115 for East Shirley against Old Collegians. Others to pass 50 were Max Bremner (St Albans), John, Gully (Lancaster Park), Wayne Martin (Old Collegians), Gary MacDonald (Marist), Stu Gambles (Riccarton), Cran Bull (Old Boys), Andy Nicol (Old Boys) and Jon Preston (8.W.U.). The outstanding bowling analysis came from Richard Petrie, the Sydenham fast bowler, who took seven for 32 against Marist in its first innings but still finished on the losing side. HILLS PEAK Marist, inspired by a magnificent go-for-broke performance by Greg Hills, swept to a compelling victory over Sydenham on a good batting strip at Sydenham Park. After struggling to score 120 in its first innings, Marist romped to 239 with half its

batting intact and a ball under nine overs to spare.

Taking into account the benign nature of the pitch, Ash Hart declined the chance to make Marist follow-on, instead choosing to set a reasonably achievable target to give his bowlers chances against attacking batsmen. The Sydenham batsmen made heavy weather of juggling the runs-against-time ratio. Darryn Murray, for example, was half-an-hour before he scored and took 102 balls to reach 33 ' not out. Finally, Marist was set 239 in 135 minutes and 2Q overs.

Sydenham was soon back in command as hostile bowling from Richard Petrie and Greg O’Reilly, supported by fine behind-the-wicket catching, had Alan Piper and Justin Boyle removed with only seven on the board. Hills was missed in the slips from the first ball he faced, and chose to go down-or-not charging the enemy. Driving powerfully in the air and whipping the ball away on the leg side, Hills soon found the odds were not nearly as formidable as he might have imagined. With the patient Paul Bateman as a staunch ally, Hills rattled on 57 in 34 minutes for the third wicket. The blazing Marist man’s next milestone was his personal half-century, scored from 33 balls. Kit Perera then helped him add 74. When Hills departed, a run after Perera, he had scored 101 from 82 balls, with 18 fours and a six.

It was a superb, fighting performance from Hills, but there were still 100 runs needed. Into the breach strode Garry MacDonald, with him a faithful and competent comrade-in-arms in Darren Leigh. MacDonald brought up his half-century in three fewer balls than Hills, and when the match was won was unbeaten on 63, from 45 balls.

The Sydenham bowlers, and the fielders, had been mauled. Petrie, after a career-best seven for 32 in Marist’s first innings, went for 57 from his 13 overs. Stu Simpson took a pounding from Hills in his brief stint and even the normally parsimonious Ken Julian and Bob Carter, introduced late, could not stem the flow of runs. TO THE WIRE Riccarton won a well-deserved victory over High School Old Boys — but by the skin of its teeth. Only three balls remained unbowled, with Riccarton winning by four wickets.

Riccarton had little difficulty in scoring the 25 runs needed for the first-innings lead; the task was accomplished in even time. In the last act of the first day’s play, Riccarton had had as much difficulty as a player left with an X at the final stages of a game of scrabble, but David Stead on Saturday stood firmly at the helm, and Jason Kilworth showed a good defence and a ravishing cover drive.

Old Boys made a dismal start, the third wicket falling at 19. Andy Nicol and Cran Bull embarked upon a course of dutiful defence which developed into an assertive attack.

Nicol, a very correct batsman, scored with deft legglances but more regularly with elegant drives on both sides of the wicket.

Bull stroked the ball confidently in a stylish display. At 42, he seemed to find an extra gear in running some impudent singles. They added 108 in 116 minutes, each hitting eight fours. Then there was a half-hour of Chris Flanagan’s aggression; he hit sixes off successive balls from Stead. But Stead was firm of line and length, and deserved his good figures. Old Boys’ declaration left Riccarton to score 196 in 80 minutes and the statutory 20 overs.

Stuart Gambles gave the side a great start by scoring his first 50 in only 42 balls, in 45 minutes. He was particularly savage on Brett Saunders, wafting his away with lofty straight hits and cutting him high over the hapless slips. After that, Riccarton always looked likely to win, although there were some misgivings with Gambles, Dean Lund and John Wilson disappearing quickly.

But Steve McCormick and Tim Murdoch batted calmly and purposefully in a partnership of 51, Kilworth again showed he was the man for a crisis, and Riccarton came home.

Old Boys deserved credit for the enthusiastic fielding and some find bowling by Stu Roberts, who had an extra burden to bear by the absence of the injured Flanagan. Roberts was all fire and brimstone when he began, and was recalled for the last six overs. He never flagged. LATE WICKET A stubborn Lancaster Park tail threatened to deprive St Albans of its third outright win of the season with a gritty display in the last hour at Hagley 1 but the vital breakthrough arrived with 28 balls left when Andrew Kench was bowled by Mark Priest. Kench, Greg Pierce, Dean Stanton and Trevor Luke had combined in a desperate rear-guard action to try and save Park after it was seven for 86 chasing 191 for victory. Priest and Andrew Nuttall had fieldsmen grouped around the bat and their endeavours were finally rewarded when Kench did not play a shot and lost his middle stump. The St Albans bowling and fielding was of a high standard with the substitute, Ross McNally, taking a fine catch at cover to remove Rod Latham early on and the wicketkeeper, Rhys Cain, picking up three catches, one a diving effort in front of first slip to dismiss Nick Foster. Priest returned the outstanding figures of four for 37 from 18.2 overs while Nuttall was equally as effective, picking up four for 49 from 22 overs.

The only Park batsman to get among the runs was the opening bat, John Gully, who hammered 55 from 74 balls, including nine fours, but he was out trying the lofted offdrive once too often and from then Park was always struggling to stave off defeat.

Earlier in the day St Albans had rattled up 220 for seven in its second innings with Ben Harris, Geoff Smith and Max Bremner all batting attractively.

Bremner’s 58 was laced with five boundaries while Cain hit a quick-fire 25 including a six.

Kench took his bag for the match to eight with four for 93 with his off-spin while Latham enjoyed his best spell of the season at the bowling crease, taking four for 34.

PLACID PITCH A fifth wicket partnership of 90 from Richard Leggat and Wayne Martin gave Old Collegians 2 first innings lead at Elmwood on a pitch the dusty condition of which belied its benign character.

Martin, who scored his 50 off 68 balls, hitting seven fours and one six, was in exciting form. The loose ball was quickly dispatched to the square-leg boundary and with Leggat the running was always aggressive.

Leggat, who scored with neat placements and strong off-side shots was dropped twice, lapses which proved costly. Old Collegians put no pressure on the batsmen in the East second innings, being content to concede runs to hasten the declaration.

In spite of the moderate opposition, 24 overs being bowled by part timers, Ray Jones’s century was still a good effort. He timed the ball sweetly and with 14 fours and one six his 100 came off 148 balls.

Collegians were given 70 min plus 20 overs when the declaration was made at afternoon tea and the side began well with 28 scored in as many balls: Mike Hamel was again in good touch and a booming drive off the back foot was the shot of the day.

Just before the start of the 20 overs three wickets fell for two runs and that effectively ended the chase.

Craig Gibb bowled some interesting leg-spin to capture two wickets but, in the absence of the injured Paul McEwan, Collegians lacked the fire power to threaten the total. WIN FOR UNDERDOG An enthralling day’s cricket at Garrick Park ended with Woolston Workingmen’s Club defeating Burnside-West University by three wickets off the second ball of the last over of the match. The chief architect of the win was without doubt skipper Anup Nathu who amassed 158 runs for only once out. But every member of the Woolston side contributed one way or another in this memorable win. Burnside likewise deserves credit in that it gave its all in its attempt for victory. The day began with Woolston requiring 78 runs for first innings points with eight wickets in hand. Key man in the chase was, of course, Nathu, and his main support came from 20-year-old Craig Williamson who shared in a decisive 50-run partnership with his captain. This was Williamson’s first senior game — he has been playing only three years — and he proved to be an excellent foil, batting with maturity and defending when necessary with dedication. But it was fitting that the run that gave Woolston first innings points came from Nathu’s blade. Burnside started its second innings merrily; it was obvious that it was going to attack and set Woolston a realistic target.

Jon Preston was the sheet anchor, although he hit the loose balls with power, but it

was Russell Haglund, Andrew Sherwood and Mark Hastings who supplied the fireworks. All three made a meal of Woolston’s bowling, finding the slows of Russell Grant particularly toothsome. They scored their runs in quicker than even time and from the bats of the trio came four sixes and 11 fours. Jerry Bramble, not for the first time this season let down by his field, was the best of the Woolston bowlers. Woolston were set the task of scoring 203 runs to win at a rate of about five an over and for much of the last session both sides were in contention. As in the first innings Nathu was the key.

He looked to be a batsman of class in fine form.

His most attractive stroke was the cut — anything short was pounded with relish. A 68-run opening partnership with Les Robson set the platform and there was one bizarre moment when five leg byes were credited when the ball collided with a discarded helmet. Then wickets started to fall in the familiar Woolston fashion before Williamson and Greg Lewis combined in a winning partnership of 37 to seal the game. Burnside’s best bowler by far was David Farrant, but Haglund was hampered in that two of his front line

attack, Steve Hawker and Daryl Philpott, suffered injuries which considerably reduced Haglund's options. Altogether 856 runs were scored during the match for the loss of only 23 wickets. It was not a happy time for the bowlers of either side.