Lincoln scholars get beaten in tight encounter

The Lincoln University Scholarship XI went down in a closely fought 50-over match on Tuesday against the Crusaders Cricket Club from Victoria, Australia at Hagley Oval.

This is the third time these two sides have met and the first time the Crusaders have taken the victory.

The Crusaders are on a week long tour of Christchurch, playing against Secondary School first XIs, the Lincoln Scholarship XI and the Willows Cricket Club. The purpose of the touring club is to provide young cricketers the encouragement and opportunity to develop their interest, improve their standard of play and promote the time honoured traditions of the game.

In Tuesday's match James Biddick, captain of the Lincoln side, won the toss and elected to bat first. The Lincoln batsmen played shots freely early on and this resulted in the quick loss of early wickets. At 32/3 the side were teetering on the brink before opener Peter Carey and Brendan Lucas added 50.

Carey batted expertly and, apart from Tim Fisher with 15 and Lucas with 16, no other player made double figures in the face of some hostile bowling. When Carey was dismissed with the score at 178, for a brilliant 98, the tail was polished off quickly and Lincoln was all out for 195 in 45 overs.

The Lincoln opening bowlers Tim Fisher and Michael Rea put the early pressure on the Crusaders. They both bowled with pace and managed to pick up regular wickets in the first 20 overs.

Fisher ended with 4-54 and Rea 2-45 off their respective 10 overs and after 20, the Crusaders were 73/6. While the back-up bowlers were tight, they did not have the penetration of the openers and runs began to come easily, helped by 42 extras.

The game came down to the wire when the ninth wicket fell at 190, leaving the last pair to score the final six runs, which they did with two overs to spare.

Short scoreboard:

Lincoln Scholarship XI 195 (P Carey 98, B Lucas 16, T Fisher 15, extras 34; C McKay 3-20) lost to Crusaders Cricket Club 196/9 (L Edwards 33*, D Russ 31, extras 42; T Fisher 4-54, M Rea 2-45, R Foulds 2-26).