The Star: August 22, 2019

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The Star Thursday August 22 2019 30 SPORT SOMETHING VERY sacred was taken from me when New Zealand Cricket released its domestic cricket schedule for the upcoming summer. Forget the Black Caps twenty20 internationals and the Black Clash cash-grab. When it comes to viewing cricket over summer, there’s nothing better than grabbing a couple of mates, filling a backpack with a box of your preferred poison and Lime scootering down to Hagley Oval for a day in the sun while sinking tins and enjoying the mediocrity of four-day domestic cricket. The best occasions would finish with a trip to the Pegasus Arms for a few more pints and a Sunday roast before passing out in bed at an earlier than respectable hour. I like to call it a dream Sunday – the best way to spend the day before going back to the grind on Monday. news online at www.star.kiwi Bowling through a sleepy start The Star looks back each week at Canterbury’s sporting icons from yesteryear. This week Gordon Findlater talks to former left-arm orthodox bowler Mark Priest FALLING ASLEEP on the first day of the job was the beginning of a long and successful domestic cricket career for Mark Priest. Priest, 58, played more than 200 first-class and one-day games between 1984 and 1999. The slow left-arm orthodox bowler took 290 first-class wickets for Canterbury – a record which stood until this year when it was broken by legspinner Todd Astle. However, after his first call-up to the Canterbury side as 12th man, Priest was better known at the time for his ability to take an afternoon nap rather than wickets. “I went up to Napier for a three-day match. I was the 12th man and I fell asleep in the dressing room, so that was it for about two years until I got another opportunity,” said Priest. He played his first cricket for his dad’s team at Harewood before joining the Papanui High first XI, where a highlight was upsetting Christ’s College. In his early years with the Canterbury squad, Priest battled for the spinner’s spot with the likes of Stephen Boock, Garry MacDonald and Andrew Nuttall. In 1990 he went on New Zealand’s tour of England. He made his test debut in a draw with England in the first test at Nottingham. He took one wicket from his 12 overs, but was not included in the two remaining tests. Priest went on to play just two more tests for New Zealand over an eight-year period. He also played in 18 one-day internationals during the same period. One of his most memorable call-ups to the Black Caps came in 1998 when he was brought into the squad the night before a match against Australia at Eden Park after Daniel Vettori suffered an injury. At the time, Priest had just finished playing with Canterbury in Timaru. “Every time the selectors rang I didn’t believe it was them because a friend of mine Joe Harrison used to ring me up and have me on. He was really good at impersonating the selectors,” said Priest. “We’d just had a couple of pints at the end of the day and I get a call. He says ‘it’s Ross Dykes here’ and I went ‘oh yeah, yeah right’ . . . I just thought it was Joe ‘Dream Sundays’ at the cricket not an option this summer One-eyed Cantab Gordon Findlater gordon.findlater@starmedia.kiwi However, it won’t be happening this summer. When the domestic cricket calendar was released last week it contained a lack of dream Sundays – none in fact. Canterbury will play just two four-day games at Hagley. One from Monday-Thursday in October and another from TRADIE: Mark Priest has worked as an electrician since leaving school and also played more than 200 first-class games. PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN being a dick . . . I got a knock on my door about 11.30 that night and it was [Canterbury coach] Garry MacDonald, who told me Ross Dykes had called him and I needed to be in Auckland tomorrow. “At about 2am, I took the team van and drove to Christchurch, got a flight at about seven in the morning and then went straight to Eden Park and played.” The lack of sleep didn’t appear to bother Priest. He produced one of his best bowling performances for New Zealand with figures of 2-32 from 10 overs, including the wickets of Steve Waugh and Darren Lehmann to Wednesday-Saturday in March. To rub salt into the wound, they will play two four-day matches in Rangiora, both of which include a Sunday. To make matters worse, Canterbury’s four home 50 over matches – which will have free entry – will all be played on week days. I understand not many people go to watch domestic cricket these days, but it’s hard to argue any effort is being made to change that with a log jam of mid-week games. We should be embracing free entry and BYO food and drink help New Zealand to a 30-run victory. Priest was also handy with the bat. He scored 3945 first-class runs, including four centuries, for Canterbury at an average of 30.58. He also scored a number of runs for Canterbury in one-day matches, but never got a century. However, he and many others at Lancaster Park thought he had scored a famous ton during a Shell Cup match, only to later discover there was an error with the scoreboard and he in fact was left on 98 not-out. “In those days you didn’t get too much opportunity to bat because when we had the full strength I used to bat 10,” said Priest. For a large chunk of his cricket career, Priest also worked as an electrician, and is still selfemployed in the trade. He also had a brief spell running a cafe on Colombo St with his wife before the 2011 earthquake. Priest says “playing cricket is the best job you could ever have” but one thing he admits he doesn’t miss is bowling to Craig McMillan during net sessions. “He was always trying to slog you out of the nets . . . I’d bowl until I got him out and then I wouldn’t bowl to him again because once you got him out he’d start slogging you over the stand,” said Priest. for our longer-form domestic cricket games. Why take a kid too footy when you can take a box to Hagley? But if you’re one of these new-age types who fizzes over twenty20 cricket, you’re in luck. The Canterbury Kings have five matches at Hagley, including three double-headers with the Magicians. However, you’ll be charged to enter due to your poor taste in preference of cricket format and pay close to $10 each time you want to wet your whistle. For this summer at least, RIP dream Sundays. Reach 168,000 readers with just one ad placement Call Shane Victor on 021 381 765 to find out how!
news online at www.star.kiwi 31 RIVALRY: Hornby Panthers half Tevin Arona and Linwood Keas captain Paul Sauni will square off when their sides decide the Pat Smith Trophy. PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN Linwood and Hornby reignite title rivalry • By Gordon Findlater FOR A FOURTH straight year, the Linwood Keas and Hornby Panthers will battle to decide the Pat Smith Trophy on Sunday. When the two sides meet at Nga Puna Wai – the new home of Canterbury Rugby League – Linwood will look to claim an extremely rare fourth straight crown, while Hornby will try to remove a growing monkey off their back. Linwood dominated the 2016 (29-10) and 2017 (34-20) finals. However, last year Hornby led by 12 late in the game before three Linwood tries saw them claim a dramatic 20-16 triumph to complete an undefeated season. Since then, Hornby have been on a mission to return to the grand-final for another shot at redemption. “We talked about it in the shed after that final. We wanted to make a commitment with each other. I was keen to stick around and the boys were keen to stick around,” said Hornby coach Jed Lawrie. In some friendly build-up to the match, teenage Hornby forward Caius Faatili – who goes to St Thomas of Canterbury College – has been rallying together a group of students to Jed Lawrie great beer, great food and great service cheer on his side. Linwood are coached by Andrew Auimatagi, who is also a teacher at St Thomas’. “In assembly on Monday, (Faatili) made a public announcement looking to get the whole school down to Nga Puna Wai dressed in black to support him against me. I thought that was quite funny,” said Auimatagi. If they win a fourth consecutive title, Linwood will join an elite club which includes Sydenham (1953- 56), Hornby (1964-67) and Papanui (1971- 74). “We haven’t talked too much about the history of the four-peat, but it will be on their minds . . . the boys are just a competitive bunch. Right from preseason, they’re always looking to be better,” said Auimatagi. This year Hornby defeated Linwood 20-12 in their first meeting in April. However, Linwood won the next encounter 20-18 in June. The two teams then met in the major semi-final, which was a mud bath at Linwood Park, earlier this month. Linwood won 12-10 great bevvies to gain automatic entry into the final. At the weekend, Hornby defeated the Northern Bulldogs 34-20 to book their spot. “They’re a dangerous team. Their style of play is pretty well known, they like to use the ball,” said Auimatagi. With both sides being well aware of what the other brings to the table and their recent record of close encounters, the Pat Smith Trophy is likely to be decided by a couple of big plays. “If you watch the last two finals, it’s been little one-on-one tackles, try-saving tackles, that have been the difference in the game of footy,” said Lawrie. The match will be one of four Canterbury Rugby League finals taking place at the same location on Sunday. It will be the first time a true finals day has been held since the 2011 earthquake. Andrew Auimatagi •Finals at Nga Puna Wai Division one: Marist Saints v Woolston Rams 11am. Premier women: Burnham Chevaliers v Linwood Keas 12.30pm. Canterbury Cup: Linwood Keas v Shirley Hawks 1pm. Pat Smith Trophy match: Linwood Keas v Hornby Panthers 3pm. new menu! great food local sport Proudly brought to you by... Thursday August 22 2019 The Star Tower JuncTion Phone: 348 6020 Open 7 days 11am to late www.speightstowerjunction.co.nz UC champs final expected to be a mud bath • By Gordon Findlater A BATTLE OF the bog is what Christchurch Boys’ High School are expecting in preparation of their UC Championship final against Nelson College on Saturday. The final was due to be played at Trafalgar Park – Tasman’s home ground – but has been shifted to Nelson College, which was left in a muddy state following their semi-final victory over Christ’s College at the weekend. “After 10min, you couldn’t tell the teams apart apparently, so it’s not going to be much of a spectacle. Obviously the forwards are going to have to prepare really well because the game will be won and lost up front,” said Rhys Archibald CBHS coach Rhys Archibald. With rain expected today in Nelson, the likes of CBHS prop Ben Lopas are expecting a heavy workload. After recovering from surgery following a knee dislocation the year 13 student returned for his school’s win against Christ’s in May. However, a dislocation to his other knee in the match meant he missed a large chunk of the season before returning for a crucial win over St Andrew’s College at the start of the month. “It was very frustrating, obviously to come back after six months recovery and then do it again, but that’s rugby,” said Lopas. Since then the loosehead has been in scintillating form for CBHS, which have recovered from a bumpy start to the season to make the final. Lopas knows if they are to win a fourth straight UC Championship title, great service wellington v canterbury 7.35pm friday 23 august this week’s action... book your function with us Packages available RECOVERY: Prop Ben Lopas has been a standout performer for CBHS since returning from a dislocated knee. the forwards will need to be at their best against an impressive Nelson unit. “They’ve got a big forward pack, that’s definitely their strength they’ve got some good players in there,” said Lopas. One of the biggest obstacles will be Nelson loose forward Anton Segner. The German exchange student made the New Zealand Schools team last year and has become renowned for his ability to create turnovers. “What he does is he picks the moments he’s going to attack the ball in the tackle and when he does it he does it really well . . . if he makes the decision to go, 80 per cent of the time he wins a penalty or he will steal the ball. He’s bloody good at it,” said Archibald. The final in Nelson kicks off at 12.40pm and will be broadcast live on Sky Sport. •Hockey finals, football semi, page 32 birthdays work do cup day - open for breakfast from 9am christmas 2 Troup Drive, Riccarton Phone: 348 6020 Open 7 days 11am to late www.speightstowerjunction.co.nz Tower JuncTion
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The Star: August 22, 2019

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