The Star: January 25, 2024

20 The Star Thursday January 25 2024
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Metro competition heats up
as top teams set to do battle
• By Sam Coughlan
BIG TOP-FOUR clashes
headline Christchurch Metro
premier cricket matches on
Saturday.
Competition leader Burnside
West Uni take on fourthplaced
Heathcote at Heathcote
Domain, while Old Boys
Collegians in second host
third-placed Lancaster Park at
Elmwood Park.
Only two bonus points
separate the teams who all
have three wins and a loss
from their first four 50-over
games.
Burnside captain Matt Hay
said the table is a reflection of
how close the competition is.
“Anyone can beat anyone on
their day.
“I feel this year, especially
with the Black Caps in the
Canterbury squad at the
moment, a few more contracted
Canterbury players are
playing club cricket, which
just adds quality and matchwinning
ability.”
Hay said Burnside would
enjoy the services of their
university students returning
from summer break in the
next few weeks.
“Obviously the group at the
moment getting are results,
but also the students coming
back will make it competitive
to find places in the team.”
Hay said Heathcote’s batting
line-up loomed as a
potential threat.
“Playing down at Heathcote
Domain, they’re a very threatening
side out there, obviously
it’s a very small ground,” he
said.
“Tyler Lortan’s having a really
good season, scoring lots
of runs, and obviously Dan
Stanley can hurt you, especially
on an especially small
ground with his power.”
Hay said top-four rivals Old
Boys and Lancaster Park are
having good seasons as well.
“Old Boys are obviously a
strong side, especially when
their Canterbury players are
playing, they’ve got a lot of
class so they’re taking it along
well and are generally thereabouts
at finals time.
“And Lancaster Park’s having
a really good season as well,
they beat us in a narrow game
before Christmas and have got
some guys scoring consistent
runs and guys taking wickets
so they’re obviously a dangerous
side as well.”
Old Boys captain Jack Lewis
said their match against Lancaster
Park won’t be easy.
“They’ve got a good bowling
attack, and a solid batting
group, you know, Michael
Davidson coming off 128 not
out last week.
“So they pose a threat all
over the park, and they’re
always a competitive unit.
“So we’re definitely wary of
them.”
Old Boys are defending
champions in the competition,
having beat Burnside in
last year’s final, but Lewis said
the team aren’t getting ahead
of themselves in their quest
for success.
“We’re just trying to take it
one game at a time.”
In the other games of the
round, East Shirley will look
to bounce back from a big
loss to Burnside last week and
put themselves back in finals
contention when they take on
Merivale-Papanui at Burwood
Park.
Winless Sydenham will
try and salvage something
from an unsuccessful 50-over
campaign, hosting St Albans
at Sydenham Park.
• Aussie tour 50 years on,
page 22
Points
Burnside 32; Old Boys
32; Lancaster Park 31;
Heathcote 30; East
Shirley 21; St Albans 11;
Merivale-Papanui 10;
Sydenham 0
TEAM: Matt Hay (2nd left)
celebrates a wicket with
his Burnside West Uni
teammates.
PHOTO: ELIZABETH INGLIS
PHOTOGRAPHY ​
Below – Old Boys captain
Jack Lewis with the
Christchurch Metro one-day
trophy after last year’s final.
PHOTO: EMMA BREITMEYER
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