Date-stamped : 18 Nov97 - 14:23
day 1 report- The Press

Richardson gives Southern team lead after first innings

WANGANUI -- Otago batsman Mark Richardson yesterday rescued
Southern against Central in the conference cricket match at
Victoria Park in Wanganui.

Richardson applied himself to score 67 and to give his team a
first-innings lead on the opening day of the four-day fixture.

Twenty-one wickets fell, with Southern scoring 156 in reply to
103. At stumps, at 7pm, Central was four for one in its second
innings.

The pitch, which has been relaid, favoured the seam bowlers.

Richardson went to the wicket when Southern was precariously
placed at 25 for four. He and Robert Lason stabilised the
innings with a fifth-wicket partnership of 58, and Southern had
the lead by the time Richardson was eighth out with the total
134.

Richardson batted for 166 minutes, faced 120 balls and hit seven
fours. He fell to a fine diving catch by keeper Robbie Hart.

Wellington left-arm pace bowler Stephen Hotter was on a
hat-trick after Lawson played on and Hart took a good catch to
dismiss Martin Croy, but Paul Wiseman did not have to play a
shot to the next delivery.

Warren Wisneski (26) and an aggressive Shane Bond (23 not out)
added valuable runs in the Southern tail.

Then Wisneski claimed the wicket of Craig Spearman in the course
of bowling three maidens before the close.

Hotter finished with five for 65 in Southern's first innings.

Mathew Sinclair batted well to score 45 in Central's first
innings. Central was unable to develop a worthwhile partnership,
with only Sinclair topping 20. He batted for 131 minutes, faced
105 balls and hit five boundaries.

Wisneski struck early and finished with four for 37.

Source :: The Canterbury Press (http://www.press.co.nz/)

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