News & Opinion

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  Christine Leighton

  Stepping stones to a better world

  I believe, young people today have a mission, indeed a responsibility, which is really no different from the generations before them – and that is to…
  30 Apr 2013
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  Joe Bennett

  I’m just watching the test match

  ‘You’re an addict,’ said the voice. I ignored it. ‘A hopeless, feeble addict, a dupe, barren of purpose, barren of willpower, a life-form in…
  30 Apr 2013
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  Q&A with former NZ bowler Dayle Hadlee

  John Mitchell has initiated this section in response to requests seeking comments from first class players of yesteryear.
  30 Apr 2013
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  Hon Sir John Hansen, KNZM

  President’s Report 2011/12

  “Willowers All,”
  30 Apr 2012
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  Sir Anand Satyanand

  Visit to Sri Lanka and Malaysia cricket

  Introduction - I was invited to join a team of 13 secondary schoolboys drawn from school teams from Wellington, Christchurch, Waimate, Dunedin and…
  30 Apr 2012
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  Joe Bennett

  Never trust a chucker

  Cricketers today are expected to abuse each other. Commentators call it ‘a bit of chat’, or ‘passing the time of day’ or some similar euphemism. I…
  30 Apr 2012
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  Grant McMillan

  Helping to grow fine young people

  The members of the older generations in every society appear to lament the circumstances and behaviour of the young people they observe around them…
  30 Apr 2012
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  Q&A with former NZ captain Graham Dowling

  John Mitchell, former President of The Willows, has initiated this new section in response to requests from current players seeking comments from…
  30 Apr 2012
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  Hon Sir John Hansen, KNZM

  President’s Report 2010/11

  “Willowers All,”
  30 Apr 2011
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  Judge Andrew Becroft

  Sporting hero: Clive Currie

  Boys always want heroes. When I entered the third form at Rongotai College, Wellington in 1971, I was no different. The sixth and seventh formers…
  30 Apr 2011
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  Clive Rennie

  Just let the kids play

  Aside from his role at OBHS, Clive is also Chairman NZ Secondary Schools’ Sports Council and was an All White in 1967.
  30 Apr 2011
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  Hon Sir John Hansen, KNZM

  President’s Report 2009/10

  “Willowers All,” - Cricket at The Willows ended on a spectacular note. A warm autumn led to the final game against the Governor General’s XI. We were…
  30 Apr 2010
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  Sir John Key

  Opportunities for youth who are prepared to do the hard yards

  Judging by most of the young people I meet, New Zealand’s future looks bright. As I travel around the country I’m constantly impressed by the…
  30 Apr 2010
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  Joe Bennett

  Test cricket is more than greatest hits

  Test cricket is like Mozart. Twenty20 is the Bee Gees. I once had a neighbour whose idea of a fun Sunday was to play the Bee Gees’ Greatest Hits on…
  30 Apr 2010
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  Connection with the past – Godfrey Evans

  I recently came across a Godfrey Evans book written early in his career which fitted in with the stories my uncle had told me about the early career…
  30 Apr 2010
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  Hon Justice John Hansen

  President’s Report 2008/09

  “Willowers All,”
  30 Apr 2009
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  Robin Butler

  Commentary Corner

  Lord Butler is a former president of Oxford University Rugby Football Club.
  30 Apr 2009
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  The Venerable Canon Craufurd Murray

  A loud appeal

  I can still remember my first cricket bat. In a rush of enthusiasm my father bought it long before I even had the strength to lift it! Cricket was a…
  30 Apr 2009
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  Joe Bennett

  You just have to watch him play

  I spy Jesse Ryder. I could hardly fail to. He’s a big boy. When Ryder was picked for New Zealand, Adam Parore scoffed. ‘You’ve only got to look at…
  30 Apr 2009
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  Obituary

  Peter Nancarrow

  Eulogy given at St Mary’s Church, Merivale
  30 Apr 2009
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  Obituary

  Bill Duncan

  The sudden and unexpected passing of Bill Duncan on 10 August 2008 at the age of 74 came as a shock to the Canterbury cricket community and was a huge…
  30 Apr 2009
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  Obituary

  Major Bob Millar

  The Willows lost an important friend last year with the death of Major Bob Millar of The Salvation Army. Bob was often amongst the spectators on a…
  30 Apr 2009
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  Bob Cunis’s fighting qualities

  One of the most satisfactory features of the 1968/69 season was the success of Bob Cunis, whose career, only a year before, had seemed likely to be…
  30 Apr 2009
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  WP Bradburn – a stickler for cricket etiquette

  Remember, fellow Willowers, back to your selection and first game for your respective high school 1st XI. For many it came in Year 10 (the odd freak…
  31 Mar 2009
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  Verdun Scott: triumph over adversity

  In April 1937 the Auckland Rugby League Gazette noted the versatility of Verdun Scott, a young North Shore Albions outside back who had dashed off…
  31 Mar 2009
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  Hon Justice John Hansen

  President’s Report 2007/08

  Willowers All, I start this year’s President’s report on a sad note. Firstly because of the passing of Merv Wallace, a member of the 1937 and 1949 New…
  30 Apr 2008
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  Gary Baxter

  Availability of umpires should not be taken for granted

  The pressures of modern life are such that people are becoming busier and having less time for leisure (with demands of work, trading hours and…
  30 Apr 2008
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  The Very Rev Mike Hawke

  “More yap, boys, more yap”

  My brother-in-law insists I only work one day a week and another mate reckons that I am invisible during the week and incomprehensible on Sundays…
  30 Apr 2008
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  Joe Bennett

  Here’s why sledging is wrong

  Once upon a time when the world was young, it was a point of debate whether keepers should ‘talk’. Talk meant just that. Should keepers talk to the…
  30 Apr 2008
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  Inspector John Price

  Young people need a coach

  It is a great honour to be asked to write an article for this year’s Annual Report. I am not an accomplished cricketer, but what I know is that The…
  30 Apr 2008
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  Obituary

  Walter Hadlee

  Walter Hadlee achieved a wide experience of the practicalities of the game of cricket in the course of his remarkable career. Few men have held so…
  30 Apr 2007
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  Joe Bennett

  What’s in it for the bowler?

  As I write the World Cup’s going on. No one’s sure whether Bob Woolmer died or was killed, whether the Pakistanis lost their game against Ireland or…
  30 Apr 2007
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  Mike Coward

  The Spirit of Cricket

  In quieter and gentler times there was no need for the game’s governors to prescribe what is meant by the “spirit of cricket”. If you were breastfed…
  30 Apr 2007
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  Hon Justice John Hansen

  President’s Report 2006/07

  “Willowers All,”
  30 Apr 2007
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  Hon Justice John Hansen

  President’s Report 2005/06

  Willowers All,
  30 Apr 2006
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  Hon Justice John Hansen

  President’s Report 2004/05

  "Willowers All,"
  30 Apr 2005
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  Joe Bennett

  An Esperanto without words

  L.L. Zamenhof, a Polish doctor, bemoaned the lack of a global language, so he made one up. He called it Esperanto and he published it in 1887. It…
  30 Apr 2005
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  Roger Moses

  School sport is a powerful teacher

  Notwithstanding the gloomy weather and even more desultory performance by the Black Caps, the second test match against the Australians at the Basin…
  30 Apr 2005
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  Brian Aldridge

  How umpires move through the ranks

  New Zealand has had a national body, the New Zealand Cricket Umpires Association (NZCUA) , in existence since April 1957. The NZCUA co­ ordinates…
  30 Apr 2005
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  Hon Justice John Hansen

  President’s Report 2003/04

  Willowers all,
  30 Apr 2004
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  Dr Graham Stoop

  Commentary Corner

  Last year’s ‘Commentary Corner’ was written by Jonathan Hensman then of Wanganui Collegiate School. He wrote of the need for schools to be…
  30 Apr 2004
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  Joe Bennett

  A vision of the future

  First slip was called Matt. He was young, keen and attentive. That was the problem. I have played 50 games at The Willows and I have kept wicket after…
  30 Apr 2004
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  Lindsay Kerr

  Umpire retention is a top priority

  Umpire retention and recruitment have often been the focus of many associations’ annual general meetings. This year will be no different, especially…
  30 Apr 2004
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  Obituary

  Godfrey Evans: England’s finest ’keeper

  On a recent trip to the United Kingdom, MED met the Rev. Barry Morrison who conducted the funeral service for Godfrey Evans CBE on the 20th of…
  30 Apr 2004
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  John Mitchell

  President’s Report 2002/03

  Willowers all,
  30 Apr 2003
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  Jonathan Hensman

  The role of Wanganui Collegiate as a lighthouse in our society

  Life as an adolescent is an extended period of vulnerability and is somewhat different from even twenty years ago. Back then, respect for adults was…
  30 Apr 2003
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  Joe Bennett

  Funny thing, memory

  February 23rd and the Forty Club of London came to Loburn. They turned out to be the Fifty-five-and-over Club. Their throwing was even more feeble…
  30 Apr 2003
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  Lindsay Kerr

  Keeping the spirit alive

  A cricket umpire is an odd sort of person, standing out in the middle of a park counting six balls at the bowler’s end then wandering off to square…
  30 Apr 2003
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  John Mitchell

  President’s Report 2001/02

  Willowers All, March 16, 2002 was a proud day for New Zealand cricket. Nathan Astle scored the fastest double century in test history at Christchurch…
  30 Apr 2002
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  Joe Bennett

  Cricket’s beautiful

  "Sorry but no,” I said into the receiver. “It’s kind of you and I’d really like to go. I just love Bulgarian films, especially from the fifties, those…
  30 Apr 2002
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  Chris Ineson

  Peak Performing Organisations

  “It’s a mental thing.” “It’s 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration.” “It’s all about goal-setting.” We all discuss it from time to time... what enables…
  30 Apr 2002
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  Obituary

  Bert Sutcliffe: the dominant figure of NZ post-war cricket

  In the 1950s, with John Reid, he carried a huge burden as New Zealand fought to reach some degree of parity with its international opponents after the…
  30 Apr 2002
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  Obituary

  Maurice Hallam

  Former Leicestershire captain Maurice Raymond Hallam died on 1 January aged 68. A stylish opening batsman, he played for Leicestershire from 1950 to…
  30 Apr 2001
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  John Mitchell

  President’s Report 2000/01

  Willowers All, The Cusacks, father and son, have had a strong impact on the success of the Willows throughout the 2000-01 season. We thank the senior;…
  30 Apr 2001
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  Joe Bennett

  A universal language

  Cricketers share a universal language. It is a language that speaks of character. I used to play cricket with Jon. He was a stylist. He loped. When…
  30 Apr 2001
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  Joseph Romanos

  Commentary Corner

  I’ve been fortunate to be involved in the writing of books on Waiter Hadlee, Merv Wallace and John Reid over the past few years. While all have been…
  30 Apr 2001
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  Obituary

  The Don

  Sir Donald George Bradman was the greatest cricketer of all time, dominating all bowlers to an extent that no one else has done before or since. He…
  30 Apr 2001
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  John Mitchell

  President’s Report 1999/00

  Willowers all,
  30 Apr 2000
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  Joe Bennett

  Blinded by greed

  Fat people are good people. No one ever saw a fat terrorist. Most sport discriminates against fat people. One of the virtues of cricket, however, is…
  30 Apr 2000
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  Jack Kerr: a lifetime cricketer

  I was 11 when I first heard of J ack Kerr; he was in Auckland, a newcomer to the Canterbury Team and he scored two half­ centuries. I saw him at…
  30 Apr 2000
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  Obituary

  Martin Donnelly

  Extracts from a Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Martin Paterson Donnelly
  30 Apr 2000
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  Don Cameron

  Commentary Corner

  Cricket has charted a fascinating, if idiosyncratic course, over its first 250 years, and so we might have expected that in this highly organised…
  30 Apr 2000
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  John Mitchell

  President’s Report 1998/99

  Willowers All, The inauguration of the new river stone entranceway to the ground on Sunday 6 December 1998 in honour of our Patron, Mr Waiter Hadlee…
  30 Apr 1999
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  Peter Roebuck

  WG 150

  W. G. Grace was a cricketing colossus who bestrode the sporting world. In his pomp he was the most famous and recognisable man in Victorian society…
  30 Apr 1999
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  Joe Bennett

  Minimum physical exertion

  I used to play cricket with Keith. He was intelligent, idle and fat. I loved him. When Keith left university with a degree in Politics, Philosophy and…
  30 Apr 1999
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  Obituary

  Michael Henderson

  Nelson author Michael Henderson gave up a public service career to dedicate himself to the art of writing without achieving the commercial success or…
  30 Apr 1999
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  Obituary

  Clive Geary

  Willows member Clive Geary established a fine record in both rugby and cricket in Otago, including captaincy of the New Zealand Services rugby team…
  30 Apr 1999
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  John Mitchell

  President’s Report 1997/98

  Willowers All, Two features stand out if one takes a retrospective glance back on the past season. First, the emphasis on family participation and…
  30 Apr 1998
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  Don Neely

  Commentary Corner

  In his poem “The Waste Land", T.S.EIIiot wrote “..... April is the cruelest month”. That may be so in the Northern Hemisphere, but during this April I…
  30 Apr 1998
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  John Mitchell

  President’s Report 1996/97

  Willowers All, On 18 February 1995 the Club had the honour to play a match against the Forty Club, founded in 1936, in England. Since then ties have…
  30 Apr 1997
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  Sprio Zavos

  1946ers reunite

  While the furore over some New Zealand players staying out late during the second test against England at Wellington was erupting, officials were busy…
  30 Apr 1997
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  Dayle Hadlee

  Some philosophical thoughts

  * Through sport you can learn about life. * Life is about riding highs and lows, taking the positives out of disappointments, remaining optimistic and…
  30 Apr 1997
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  Obituary

  Ross Bailey

  At the end of the season, Club members were saddened by the news of the sudden and tragic death of Dr Ross Bailey who drowned in Sri Lanka. Ross…
  30 Apr 1997
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  MED

  President’s Report 1995/96

  Willowers All, The enjoyment and camaraderie experienced by so many throughout the season was due to the efforts made by those members who…
  30 Apr 1996
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  lain Gallaway

  Commentary Corner

  In recent months followers of sport have watched in ama:tement as Rugby League set out on a precipitous path to self destruction. It reached the cliff…
  30 Apr 1996
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  MED

  President’s Report 1994/95

  Willowers All, In the first two seasons it has been decided the founding members will act as the Club’s committee, with an AGM to be planned after the…
  30 Apr 1995