New Zealand: Music raises tempo in race for club title (15 February 1999)

15 February 1999

New Zealand: Music raises tempo in race for club title

The Christchurch Press

The race for the WestpactTrust Trophy senior club cricket championship took another interesting twist when leader Riccarton conceded first innings points to East Christchurch-Shirley.

Riccarton's runaway lead in the early rounds had been slashed to nine points when the competition stopped in early December.

By giving further ground to East-Shirley, when the two-day competition resumed on Saturday, Riccarton has provided not only that side but also second-placed Old Boys with greater incentive. However, the Old Boys side has to decide whether it wants to seek first innings points against Marist, which could take some time, or declare behind in pursuit of the 12 outright points at stake.

Riccarton (69) has yet to have the bye with just three rounds to be completed while challengers Old Boys (60) and East Christchurch-Shirley (53) have.

A maiden century by Tom Music was the telling factor in East Christchurch- Shirley's first innings lead over Riccarton at Burwood Park. Music hit 17 fours and his stand of 114 for the third wicket with Scott Pawson took 128 minutes.

Music batted with fine control against the Riccarton attack which was steady but lacked penetration.

Riccarton chose to bat on an excellent wicket but faltered against the accurate medium pace of Dave Neill and Leith Johnstone. Within six overs the visitors were 16 for three.

A fourth-wicket stand of 77 in 85 minutes between Aftab Habib and Andrew Reid settled the innings with Habib striking 11 fours in his 63 from 104 balls.

David Grocott's innocent slow-mediums accounted for the partnership and then slow left-armer Carl Anderson finished off the innings taking three wickets for four in his final two overs.

Marist's Sean McWhirter hoisted the second century of the day when making his highest senior club score against Old Boys on Hagley 1.

The left-hander had to battle in the early stages with the ball seaming around and pace bowler Sam Martin provided particular problems. After lunch McWhirter played some fluent cover drives before reaching three figures in the last over before tea from 162 balls and with 16 fours.

Useful support came from the Marist middle and lower order with 46 being added with skipper Steve McCloy for the ninth wicket.

Martin was the pick of the bowlers who had the visitors struggling in the first session.

Old Boys made a solid reply in the remaining session getting through to stumps with only the loss of one wicket, Jeremy Innes and Darin Cusack progressing soundly.

The match at Garrick Park between Lancaster Park-Woolston and St Albans was left interestingly poised; the home side needing 73 runs for first innings points with five wickets standing. It was a day of curious scoring, the bad balls were rapidly dispatched but there were many lulls.

St Albans, winning the toss, batted rather timidly and when the fifth wicket fell at 59 it seemed a very modest score was in prospect.

But Garfield Charles seemed oblivious to the crisis: he batted as though he had been in all week and scored 69 with nine fours from 93 balls. His driving was particularly impressive. He and Richard Preston, who defended stoutly, shared a sixth wicket stand of 69.

John Quinn took four wickets and was the most accurate bowler. Cleighton Cornelius distinguished himself in the field taking two spectacular catches, one of them to end Charles's innings.

Robert Tibbotts showed fine form. He made 57 with ease from 74 balls with six fours and a six before being dismissed on the last ball of the day.

Sydenham, with some steady batting, mustered a handy tally against Burnside-West University which was battling to stay in the game at stumps at Burnside Park.

The home side sent Sydenham in and by lunch, with the visitors 130 for six, could have felt satisfied. But the lower order, led by Ken Julian, added another 80 for the final four wickets.

Dominic Maxwell was rewarded for a marathon bowling stint of 30 overs of his medium-slow deliveries with a five-wicket bag.

Burnside's batsmen struggled against the Sydenham pace attack. Kieran White, better known as a slow bowler, was converted to a wicketkeeper and took three catches behind the stumps.

Marist 210-8 dec (Sean McWhirter 106no) v HSOB 97-1

Riccarton 147 (Aftab Habib 63) v East-Christchurch Shirley 182-5 (Tom Music 100)

Sydenham 210 (Dominic Maxwell 5-85) v Burnside West-University 96-6

St Albans 209-9 dec (G Charles 69) v Lancaster Park-Woolston 137-5 (Robert Tibbotts 57).

Source :: The Christchurch Press (https://www.press.co.nz/)