St Albans well placed for championship

St Albans took hold of the two-day premier grade Christchurch club cricket crown as Old Boys-Collegians let theirs slip on the penultimate day of the championship on Saturday.

St Albans is in command against Marist-Harewood. The hosts are powerfully placed to dictate terms after having already banked first-innings points from the first day of the seventh and final round.

After restricting the visitors to just 116 at Hagley 1, St Albans piled on 183 for one by stumps on the back of a maiden century by opener George Earl who finished unbeaten on 102 with 14 fours and a six, his hundred being hoisted in the second to last over before stumps.

Earl shared a 156-run unbroken stand for the second wicket with Gus McLean who posted 59.

The top order batsmen complemented the bowling attack who kept Marist-Harewood's batsmen tied down as they battled to post a significant score.

St Albans had trailed OBC by just 0.37 of a point starting the day and has already overtaken them with OBC in deep trouble against Burnside West-University at Burnside Park.

Sent in under favourable bowling conditions, OBC was dismissed for 137 with the BWU pace bowlers relishing the assistance as Scott Inglis, Peter Vorster and Matt Farrant bagged three wickets apiece.

The home side gained control of the match through Ryan Cutts who struck a half century and shared in productive stands with Jonny Rea and Mark Harding.

BWU declared 90 runs ahead then Inglis chipped out two quick wickets in the six overs before stumps.

Third-placed Riccarton had a healthy 98-run first-innings lead over Lancaster Park-Woolston to be dominant at Garrick Park.

LPW chose to bat first but struggled against Riccarton's seam attack and was 103 for nine until No11 James Ferris swung lustily for 28 from 12 balls, which included five fours and a six all taken from a Chris Mugford over.

That put a dent in Mugford's otherwise outstanding figures. He along with Josh Reeves captured four wickets apiece Reeves delivering 10 maidens in his 16 overs. Riccarton's advantage was secured by a well struck 82 by Carl Frauenstein which came from 96 balls with 10 fours and three sixes, backed by the lower order.

Troy Scanlon toiled industriously to spearhead the LPW attack bagging six for 59 from 18 overs.

His fine figures were eclipsed by East-Shirley opening bowler Michael Vermeulen.

He produced a career-best effort of seven for 65 in his team's match against Sydenham at Burwood Park.

Vermeulen bowled impressively in tandem with Ryan Burson for two long spells and eventually dismissed Sydenham for 213

The Sydenham innings was highlighted by a 92-run fourth wicket stand between promising teenage opener Andrew McCracken and Liam Crowley who both hit half-centuries. It was given more impetus by Craig Ross who cracked 49 from just 43 balls with four fours and four sixes.

In reply East-Shirley was 182 for seven at stumps from 42 overs, Tim Muir leading the way with 44 after all batsmen made starts but only Muir carried on.

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