Wellington holds C.D. to draw

Press, 10 February 1986, Page 23

Wellington holds C.D. to draw

PA Napier The chase by Central Districts for victory faded with the light, and its Shell Trophy cricket clash with Wellington on Napier’s Nelson Park ended in a draw on Saturday. With five of the mandatory 20 overs in the last hour remaining, Central Districts, with a target of 276, was 233 for eight when an appeal against the conditions was upheld by the umpire. Central’s second innings began in promising fashion with Scott Briasco (6) and John Smith (18) having an opening stand Of 61. While Smith became one of four McSweeney catches (and he missed by 17 runs beating Otago’s Ken Rutherford as the season’s top Shell Trophy scorer) Briasco looked confident as he moved to his half-century. Three boundaries in a Steve Maguiness over had Briasco through to his third 50 in the last two games. The scoring dropped when Briasco and Smith were back in the pavilion but Central was given fresh hope by the skipper, Richard Hayward, and lan Smith (2) who pegged the rate down to six an over for the last 20 with a brief 35-run partnership. Derek Stirling joined his skipper and two fours and two sixes in a hardhit 37 kept the run rate up. When Stirling and Gary Robertson went in the same over the task became tough. When Hayward, playing his last game for Central Districts was caught on the boundary, the chase was over. Hayward scored a richly deserved halfcentury to signal his retirement from first-class cricketWellington controlled

play for the first session with the man-of-the-match, Evan Gray, unbeaten on 44 overnight moving steadily to his century and Tim Ritchie falling one run short of his 50. Their fifth-wicket partnership of 128, easily the best of the game, placed Wellington in a position to declare at 246 for six and leave Central a target of 276 in 215 minutes plus 20 overs. Gray hit seven boundaries in his 109, an innings Of 239 minutes and 194 balls. Ritchie was run out on 49 after called for a sharp single and being correctly sent back by Gray. Scoreboard.— WELLINGTON First innings 179 Second innings (114-4 overnight) E. Gray c Visser b Stirling. . . . . . . . . . . 109 T. Ritchie run out. . . . 49 E. McSweeney n. 0.. ... 20 G. Larsen n. 0.. ...... 1 Extras (lb 7 nbl) ... 8 Total (for six dec.) 249 Fall: 219, 234. Bowling: G. Robertson 19, 2, 57, 2 (nbl); P. Vissser 17, 5, 46, 1; W. Martin 20, 4, 65, 0; D. Stirling 18, 2, 69, 2; S. Duff 4,2, 5, 0. CENTRAL DISTRICTS First innings 153 Second innings 5. Briasco c Verry b Gray 60 J. Smith c McSweeney b Maguiness 18 S. Robertson c McSweeney b Allott ..... 11 T. Blain c McSweeney b Allott 18 R. Hayward c Maguiness b Gray . 58 I. Smith c McSweeney b Gray 20 D. Stirling c Maguiness b Allott 37 G. Robertson run out . . 0 S. Duff n.o. . . 7 Extras (lb 4 .. 4 Total (for eight wits) 233 Fall: 61, 83, 103, 116, 151, 206, 207, 233. Bowling: P. Allott 15, 4, 46, 3; E. Chatfield 16, 5, 33, 0; S. Maguiness 11, 5, 32, 1; E. Gray 28.4, 5, 99, 3; R. Verry 5,1, 14, 0; R. Vance 2,0, 5, 0.