Haglund, who has been overseas, gloved a club record seven dismissals, all catches, to eliminate from the record book the 10 others who all held a share in the previous mark of six. Haglund is also on the way to a match record, which stands at nine, having taken another catch in the second innings of Lancaster Park.

Another wicketkeeper Lee Germon was also to the fore, but with the bat, striking an unbeaten 160, one of the highest club scores in recent seasons, to steer Sydenham to a powerful position against HSOB.

Elsewhere, the battle between two of the top teams, Riccarton and Woolston WMC, is evenly poised while East-Shirley and St Albans hold the upper hand in the battle for first innings points against Old Collegians and Burnside West-University respectively.

Wicketkeeper's heaven

For Steve McCloy, winning the toss and putting Lancaster Park in was a matter of some satisfaction at Ensors Road. Park struggled on a pitch which gave the bowlers some assistance and wicketkeeper Andrew Haglund set a club record by taking seven catches.

He was helped by the accuracy of the Marist medium-pace attack. Glenn Muir was scored off only four times in his opening spell of 11 overs.

Only Tony Tibbotts and Mark Lane got to 20. The Park batting generally lacked application.

Marist threatened to succumb as readily as Park. After a bright opening, which realised 23, Marist lost four wickets for four runs.

Immediately after tea it was 53 for six but a stand between Mike Hannan and Jeremy Doocey saved the side. They added 42, batting with unexpected confidence.

Park was again in trouble in the second innings only 10 ahead and seven wickets standing.

Batsmen on top

Bowlers laboured and batsmen prospered for most of the day on the firm pitch at Burwood Park and only in the last hour did the ball dominate the bat.

After choosing to bat and losing three for 53, a fourth wicket stand from East-Shirley captain Scott Pawson and Craig Gibb raised 127 against an Old Collegians attack which was no more than steady.

Pawson batted elegantly, hitting strongly and with fine timing square of the wicket while Gibb also batted with some authority.

After the side's indifferent start, Mark Rountree and Mark Hudson featured in a third-wicket partnership for Old Collegians of 72 from 98 balls. Hudson mixed aggression with watchfulness and hit his 50 in as many minutes.

With the dismissal of Rountree, the bowlers came into their own. Slow left-armer Carl Anderson in his ninth over took three wickets from four balls and Old Collegians slumped from 141 for two to 144 for eight. Support for Anderson came from off-spinner Tony Gray.

Germon's day

Lee Germon quashed any doubts about his batting form with his highest senior score against Old Boys at Hagley No. 3. Germon has been unavailable for some games because of business commitments, but played a fluent innings which belied his restricted outings.

His innings was full of strong driving and wristy strokes and, with the assured Colin Wood, pulled Sydenham from 62 for three with a 151-run fourth wicket stand. Wood continued his productive run-scoring patch of late while Germon had his hundred from 140 balls. Over all he faced 179 balls, hitting 24 fours and two sixes.

Sydenham could have declared at 2.30pm on Wood's dismissal but elected to go on and batted through until it could take tea in the change of innings, allowing Germon to make merry. Richard McGuire persevered best of the bowlers.

Old Boys battled against the sizeable score with only Brendon Fahey and Sam Foley making much headway. Foley and Darin Cusack added 51 for the sixth wicket, helping to resuscitate an ailing Old Boys innings which had slumped to 73 for five in the face of consistent attack. But it is still 52 runs away from avoiding the follow-on.

Making their mark

Two bowlers, Mark Hastings (Burnside-West) and Mark Priest (St Albans), dominated the day at Hagley No. 1 where ball generally had the better of bat.

St Albans was in strife at 112 for seven until Gareth Brooks and Garfield Charles teamed for a crucial seventh wicket stand of 54 which gave the home side's score substance. Brooks made a composed first senior half-century from 74 balls and with nine fours.

The Burnside-West pace attack provided most problems, especially Hastings who again demonstrated the value of bowling an accurate line and length. He collected his second five-wicket haul in successive matches from 12 overs.

Burnside's batsmen also battled against the testing St Albans attack. Stalwart left-arm slow bowler Mark Priest again showed his experience and guile in removing most of the Burnside-West batsmen to make starts including Gerald Barrett who had stroked his way to an aggressive 49 from 51 balls with six fours.

Priest finished the day with his fifth wicket and St Albans needs one more for first innings points, while Burnside needs another 31 runs.

Docile wicket

The docile nature of the wicket at Garrick Park suggests that first innings points only will be in contention in the top-of-the-table match between Riccarton and Woolston WMC.

Riccarton needs 100 runs to pass Woolston's first innings which was disappointing in that most batsmen made a start but no-one went on.

Seven Woolston batsmen reached double figures against a steady and varied attack. Justin Paul's teasing spin complemented the pace of Neil Maxwell and both deserved their good figures.

Nevertheless, Woolston's 216 was a competitive total and the local side's bowlers demanded vigilance from the batsmen.

ScoresSt Albans 177 (Gareth Brooks 54; Mark Hastings 5-32) v Burnside West-University 147-9 (Mark Priest 5-48).

Woolston WMC 216 v Riccarton 117-3.

East Christchurch-Shirley 199-4 dec. (Scott Pawson 68no, Craig Gibb 55) v Old Collegians 150-8 (Mark Hudson 57; Carl Anderson 5-31.

Sydenham 279-7 dec. (Lee Germon 160no, Colin Wood 52; Richard McGuire 5-85) v HSOB 128-6.

Lancaster Park 105 and 22-3 v Marist 117-8 dec.