No unbeaten teams in 50-over premier series

The Christchurch Metro premier one-day competition is wide open three rounds in.

Previously unbeaten Lancaster Park and Burnside West Christchurch University were handed their first losses of the 50-over campaign on Sunday, which leaves six sides holding two win-one loss records.

East Christchurch Shirley, who crushed BWCU by 66 runs on Sunday, hold a one point lead at the top of the table from defending champions Old Boys Collegians, Riccarton and BWCU.

In a topsy-turvy double round of matches over the weekend only Easts and Riccarton won both games. Riccarton batsman Nick Kwant was the star performer of round three, smashing 103 from 67 balls to lead his side to an eight wicket thumping of winless Marist Harewood.

Jared Cookson, who hit 50 against Sydenham on Saturday, was in the runs again, clubbing an unbeaten 67 from 54 balls.

Those knocks allowed Riccarton to chase down their target of

218 inside 26 overs, gaining what could prove a valuable bonus point come the end of round-robin.

Easts backed up Saturday’s win over Marist Harewood with an impressive victory over BWCU.

Openers Tim Hampton-Matehe

(61) and Nick Johnston (51) set the platform with a 62-run opening stand in their total of 219.

Easts received a strong team bowling performance with Jared

Van Eyk Menkman, Darren Broom, Ben Michel and Mark Otley all nabbing two wickets to restrict BWCU to 153.

Led by 49 not out from James Southby, St Albans stuttered to a three wicket win over Lancaster Park in a low-scoring duel.

Park were defending just 134, but had Saints in strife at 80-6, until Southby and Matt Holstein added 52 for the seventh wicket.

Ben Ward (81) and opener Tom Taylor (78) were instrumental as OBC set Sydenham a challenging

273 to win on Sunday. English batsman Tom Hewison

(75) provided resistance, but Sydenham were undone by OBC quick Morgan Jeffery, who took 5-33. It was a successful weekend for Jeffery, who also snared 4-30 against Lancaster Park on Saturday.