COVER POINT - Weston Creek Cricket Club

cricket as we give to our outstandingyoungsters who are on the way up. Ourfuture equally depends on them so by allmeans bring on the youngsters but let'skeep on the oldies.Don BrookerCOMMENT:This is the last edition for the season andthe Editorial Committee takes the opportunityto thank the contributors and theadvertisers for without them there wouldbe no "COVER POINT".SappHmmc*FILM LABORATORIES Pty. Ltd.DEVELOPING & PRINTING37 TOWNSVILLE STREET, FYSHWICKSPONSORSCLIVE JONESJOHN CARR DOES IT AGAINFew of the oldtimers at Stirling Oval couldremember an innings to compare with JohnCarr's 173 not out against ANU.Even President Don Brooker couldn't suppressa smile in acknowledging the strengthand power of John's innings. "Not bad fora bloke who doesn't hold the bat properly",Don said.Many have joked at John's unorthodoxstance at the wicket, but the oppositionbowlers had little to laugh about as hepowered his way to a hundred in about 140minutes and added the rest in little morethan an hour. Few doubt that he wouldhave made it 200 had the game gone onto the finish because there were still adozen overs left of the 20 required to bebowled in the last hour.Has there ever been an innings like it atStirling, or anywhere else in Canberracricket? Powerful it was, and compiledunder pressure, as Weston Creek was introuble at lunch with Col Kelaart, PaulEvans and skipper Greg Irvine back underthe showers with barely 30 runs of therequired 286 needed for victory. And theANU bowlers had the smell of success intheir nostrils and could be excused forthinking that the match would be over byteatime.But the Oxford, Middlesex and WestonCreek wonder had other ideas. Comingin at the fall of Irvine's wicket at 12.55,Carr took it easy during the last two oversbefore lunch. No one could have foreseenthe entertainment that was to come duringthe afternoon. With the help of CliveJones, who was in sparkling touch, Johnpushed the score along, adding about 70in the first hour after lunch. The partnershipdeveloped with fine strokes and snappyrunning between wickets and soon it becameapparent that the match could be saved;perhaps won. When Jones holed out at deepfine leg the pair had added 111 in betterthan even time. Chris Burgess figures ina near 50 partnership and then, 15 minutesafter tea, Carr reached his century.There was now plenty of time to get theruns. All it needed was for someone tostay with Carr. Hugh Abrahams steppedinto the supporting role, and played hispart admirably.The ANU bowlers stuck to their task butthere was little they could do to stop theflow of runs.When the umpires pulled up stumps theCarr-Abrahams partnership had put on 99.Abrahams had a six and a handful of foursin his valuable 39 while Carr's 173 included17 fours and two sixes, one of whichcleared the sightscreen at the northern endby a long way.It was as if Carr's battered Newberry bathad been made without edges; it seemedall middle. Mid-off, mid-on, mid-wicketand the bowlers had their work cut outas his power-laden drives tested them.No surprise if the groundsman found scorchmarks on the turf in the arc between mid--wicket and extra-cover. Towards the endof his innings John unleashed his ownspecial, a front foot pull shot thatdeposited the ball to a spot just inside theboundary. And his placement was suchthat fieldsmen had a lot of chasing to do.For those beyond the boundary it was asheer delight.This was the -second first grade hundredfor the Club on Stirling Oval this season.It was a pleasure to see John score thefirst one, and it was even more of apleasure to see him make the second. Itwas something we will all remember forlong time.JohnRingwood