The pressure went on Riccarton when its closest pursuer, High School Old Boys, completed an emphatic victory over Burnside-West across Hagley Oval. At first, Riccarton responded well by claiming first innings points by the most slender of margins, but it was all downhill when it batted and fielded.

All four sides which batted second cruised home. East Christchurch-Shirley beat Old Collegians at Elmwood Park, and St Albans lost only two wickets in overhauling Marist's first innings and achieving its outright victory target at Warren Park.

Riccarton rattled

It could hardly be said that Park-Woolston surged to its success over Riccarton at Hagley 3. The combined side fell one run short of Riccarton's first innings total after nudging 14 runs from 15.2 overs in the morning. Later, it needed all but 1.3 of the available 48 overs to achieve the modest winning target of 119.

Park-Woolston was more dominant when Riccarton batted. Seamers Wade Cornelius and Anthony Timpson made early inroads and returned to clean up the tail, after off-spinner John Stuart had severely dented the Riccarton middle order.

Stuart was on a hat-trick after dismissing Andrew Reid and Wayne Stead. John Quinn and Cleighton Cornelius also chimed in with timely wickets, Cornelius removing Gary Stead who, with Aftab Habib, provided what substance there was to the Riccarton run-scoring.

Opener Mark Lane gave Park-Woolston a solid start to its second innings before the Stead brothers caused three wickets to tumble between 49 and 57. Had Robert Tibbots not been dropped, first ball, off Wayne Stead Riccarton might have regained the initiative. Instead, Tibbots helped Carlos McGillivray add 47 for the fourth wicket to put the issue beyond doubt.

East in charge

Old Collegians might already have had first innings points in safekeeping, but East-Shirley was in total command on the second day. It removed the last eight batsmen for the addition of only 92 runs, then swept to victory.

Carl Anderson spearheaded the East attack with his off-spin. Old Collegians collapsed after James Blakely and Tim Walton had accumulated 36 runs for the fourth wicket.

Only when medium-pacer Simon Harding gained two quick wickets was there any doubt about the outcome. Anderson and Michael Papps had opened with a 61-run stand, and Scott Pawson and Craig Gibb combined in an unbroken 80-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Left-hander Pawson was especially impressive, reaching a half-century, from 80 deliveries.

Burnside-West crumbles

Old Boys had no trouble beating Burnside-West at Hagley 1. The match was over more than an hour before lunch.

Only Matthew Everest offered much resistance, his 34 standing out among the side's wreckage. Shane Bond, Sam Martin, and Sam Davis all bowled well.

A feature of the morning play was a fine catch taken by Old Boys wicketkeeper Ben Yock from an edge by Everest. It was travelling at express speed but Yock took it very low with an outstretched right hand.

Marist exposed

On a good pitch at Warren Park the St Albans bowling exposed the frailties of Marist's batting when the home team succumbed for a double figure total in the second innings.

A hard-hitting knock from Stephen Cunis, who made 43 from 27 balls, enabled St Albans to declare five runs ahead.

Then Marist batted tentatively against the medium-paced trio of Cunis, Chris Martin, and Garfield Charles, and the accurate slow left-armer, James Ward. A solid innings from Craig Cumming set St Albans up in the chase for 90.

Short scoreboards

Burnside-West 101 and 111 lost to Old Boys 203-5 dec and 12-0 by 10 wickets;
Marist 141 and 94 lost to St Albans 146-4 dec and 92-2 by eight wickets;
Old Collegians 162 and 113 (C Anderson 5-34) lost to East-Shirley 113 and 163-3 (S Pawson 57no) by seven wickets; Riccarton 169 and 117 lost to Lancaster Park-Woolston 168 and 122-4 by six wickets;
Sydenham bye.

Points:

Riccarton 69, Old Boys 60, East-Shirley 49, Park-Woolston 33, Burnside-West 25, St Albans 24, Old Collegians 22, Marist 16, Sydenham 5.