Walton, who is included in Canterbury's Cricket Max team this season, is probably vying with fellow Englishman Aftab Habib to be the overseas player.

Habib had five outings for Canterbury's one-day side last season and had the inside running again this season on the back of an impressive English county season for champion Leicestershire where he scored 952 runs at 56. But the runs have dried up for Habib with his Christchurch club Riccarton while Walton, a regular visitor to the city from Northamptonshire, has been more successful.

Coach and selector Garry MacDonald is watching the battle with interest and has been a little concerned with the lack of runs from several Canterbury candidates in the Riccarton team with the cup season just two weeks away.

Walton's 115 made from 127 balls with 15 fours and two sixes propelled Old Collegians to one of their largest scores in recent seasons, 271 for five from 50 overs. With a half century by opener Jim Blakely, the pair shared a 105-run wicket stand to lay the foundation for a substantial score. An unbeaten 61 by Rob Murphy maintained the momentum.

However, East-Shirley replied strongly and, also piled on the runs, only falling 14 short. Carl Anderson and Marcel McKenzie were responsible for its bold reply, lifting East to 178 for one by the 34th over before Anderson was dismissed.

But despite McKenzie batting through the innings and finishing unbeaten on 88, East could not maintain the required run rate losing wickets regularly while McKenzie missed the strike for periods which he needed to dominate.

High School Old Boys is the sole leader of the WestpacTrust Cup competition after three rounds following a seven-wicket success against St Albans at Hagley 1.

St Albans grafted to 163 from its 50 overs with the best partnership coming from another English professional Steven Knox who with Grant Lucas added 66 for the fourth wicket. But it was hard work against the testing Old Boys attack with Shane Bond, Sam Davis, and Regan Mitchell all carding tidy figures.

Old Boys appeared to be losing ground at 68 for three but the aggressive Sam Foley and anchor James Barrett spirited them to victory with almost indecent haste, pouring on 97 in 19 overs.

Across the Oval on No. 3 the match was finished by mid-afternoon after Marist had been routed for just 58 by Riccarton which in turn struggled, losing six wickets before achieving the paltry target.

Marist's performance was woeful with only Gareth Hopkins (14) and Dayle Shackel (13) making double figures. Surprisingly, the most successful of the Riccarton bowlers was leg-spinner Gary Stead who is often not required in Riccarton's impressive bowling battery. He took four for 14 from eight overs.

Marist medium-fast Simon Grainger bowled with fire to capture five for 31 from nine successive overs.

Yet another Englishman Jim Hindson also shone on Saturday with his quickfire half-century and partnership with John Stuart being instrumental in Lancaster Park-Woolston beating Sydenham at Garrick Park by 52 runs.

The pair blasted 91 in just 41 minutes together. Sydenham, although being up with the run rate for the first 40 overs, could not match the combined team's last 10-over blitz. Andrew Richardson destroyed the tail with four for 13.

Short scoreboards

Marist 58 (G Stead 4-14, W Stead 2-7) lost to Riccarton 62-6 (S Grainger 5-31)
St Albans 163 (S Knox 37, G Lucas 25, S Cunis 25; S Bond 3-26, R Mitchell 2-25, S Davis 2-32) lost to HSOB 165-3 (S Foley 60no, J Barrett 42no, L Howell 20)
Old Collegians 271-5 (T Walton 112, R Murphy 61no, J Blakely 53, W Wisneski 21; T Grocott 2-37) beat East Christchurch-Shirley 257-8 (M McKenzie 88no, C Anderson 75no, extras 32, M Papps 23; A Hughes 3-50, W Wisneski 2-48)
Lancaster Park-Woolston 223-6 (J Hindson 51, R Tibbotts 43, J Stuart 37no, C McGillivray 26; H Barton 2-34, T Harris 2-51) beat Sydenham 171 (H Barton 33, extras 33, S Leigh 27; A Richardson 4-13, J Stuart 3-31)

Points after three rounds:

HSOB 6, St Albans 4, Lancaster Park-Woolston 4, Riccarton 4, East-Shirley 2, Marist 2, Old Collegians 2, Sydenham 0, Burnside West-University 0