Toppin gives Spartan edge over Wanderers

REYDON TOPPIN’s maiden First Division hundred helped SuperCentre Spartan to first innings points and a narrow first innings lead of four runs over Wanderers yesterday. The tall, elegant right-hander came to the crease last week after the Parkites lost their night-watchman without a run on the board chasing Wanderers first innings 250. When he departed after 279 balls and 279 minutes with the score on 237, he had compiled 106 with nine fours.Toppin’s rescue act started from the time he lost his overweek partner Andre Small caught and bowled by Diego Stuart for a duck with the day’s third ball. Toppin was next joined by veteran Wayne Blackman, who gifted his wicket caught at mid-on off left-armer Chad Clarke-Reifer for 13 with Spartan now deep in trouble at 28 for three.It took a magnificent partnership of 151 runs off 248 balls between Toppin and Maradon Bend for the fourth wicket to wrest the advantage completely away from the Wanderers men. Toppin, with support from Bend played with maturity and patience and also with lots of class as he played the spin and the pace with equal ease.  Bend (74) was the more aggressive in the stand with a pugnacious 74 with seven fours and two sixes. Those two sixes were struck over long-off into Dayrell’s Road off Clarke-Reifer and over deep mid-wicket off Gary Belle.