Trophy match tied on last ball

Press, 25 January 1989, Page 60

Trophy match tied on last ball

PA Wellington A Shell Trophy match which barely smouldered for two days ended in a firestorm yesterday, when Wellington claimed Canterbury’s final wicket with the last ball and the scores tied.

The match produced the fifth tie in the history of New Zealand first-class cricket, the first in New Zealand in a decade and the second at home this century. Wellington emerged from the match with some regret but with brave smiles after being shaken. The Wellington captain, Ervin McSweeney, made a generous declaration late yesterday. He came to call that declaration his "supermarket special," an overt dare to a team which had played negatively until yesterday to stake everything on a bid for victory. McSweeney challenged Canterbury to score 268 from 60 overs to win, fed them runs to pique its interest, then ran out the

last batsman from the match’s final ball..

The suspense and tension surrounding the finish increased gradually as if in a well-worked play. Canterbury needed 108 runs when its last 20 overs began, 64 with 10 overs remaining, 36 with five to go and 13 from the dramatic final over.

It gave up the pursuit when the ninth wicket fell three balls from the finish but was enticed to resume the chase when Andrew Jones bowled no balls to extend the match. Nine balls were bowled in the last over, two wickets fell and 12 runs were scored.

Canterbury, almost lured into a well-set trap, could have lost or won when it needed two to win from the final ball. It ultimately shared the day’s honours and 16 trophy points. Wellington bowled the spinners, Evan Gray and Jones, through 42 of the final 60 overs and exclusively throughout the final 20 overs when Canter-

bury’s run-chase accelerated. They claimed seven wickets between them, first seducing the batsmen to play shots, then attempting to inhibit them. Jones had been a key figure with the bat before Wellington’s declaration, scoring 181 of its 250 second-inning runs but he gained even more importance in the final over bowled. When Jones began that final over, Canterbury was 255 for eight with Stu Roberts and Andrew Nuttall at the wicket. Nuttall swept the first ball behind square leg and the batsmen ran two. The score became 257 for eight and 11 runs were needed. He swept the second ball, ran one, there was a misfield and the batsmen crossed for two. The score became 259 for eight. Nine runs were needed. Nuttall played the third ball straighter, attempted a single, was beaten by Derek Stirling’s throw to

the non-strikers end and was run out for nine. With one ball to come Canterbury needed two runs to win and one to tie. Wellington needed one wicket. Mark Robinson, the last man, did not offer a shot at the last ball which hit him on the pads in front of middle and off stumps, which trickled away for leg byes. Wellington appealed for lbw but was denied. The batsmen ran one and turned for two. McSweeney pursued the ball and recovered it and hurled it to the nonstrikers end. Roberts ran hell-for-leather for the winning run, attempted to place himself between the wickets and the throw but was beaten by the ball. The first run counted, the wicket fell and the scores were tied. WELLINGTON First innings 398 Second innings ' R. Vance c Germon b Roberts 9 B. Edgar c Germon b Robinson 4 A. Jones not out 181

T. Ritchie c Hartland b Robinson 15 G. Larsen b Priest 23 E. Gray not out 12 Extras (nb2, lb 4) 6 Total (for 4 wkts) 250 Fall: 10, 15, 82, 151. Bowling: S. Roberts 6,1, 41, 1 (nb 2); M. Robinson 12, 2, 40, 2; R. Latham 13, 2, 41, 0; M. Priest 19, 4, 48, 1; A. Nuttall 8,4, 32, 0; J. Wright 5,0, 44, 0. CANTERBURY First innings 381 Second innings B. Hartland c McSweeney b Jones 20 J. Wright std McSweeney b Jones 81 P. Kennedy c Ritchie b Gray 18 P. McEwan run out 65 R. Latham c Vance b Gray. 0 M. Priest c McSweeney b Gray 33 L. Germon c Vance b Jones 22 D. Boyle c and b Gray . . 6 A. Nuttall run out 9 S. Roberts run out 5 M. Robinson not out ... . 0 Extras (bl, lb2, nb5).... 8 Total 267 Fall: 75, 123, 123, 123, 199, 231, 250, 255, 259. Bowling: J. Millmow 5,0, 25, 0; F. Beyeler 5,0, 21, 0; G. Cederwall 3,0, 18, 0 (nb 2); A. Jones 19, 0, 104, 3 (nb 2); E. Gray 23, 1, 77, 4 (nb 1); G. Larsen 5,1, 19, 0. Result: Match drawn. Both teams take eight points each from the match.