It’s a wonderful feeling being able to welcome our visitors from Invercargill to a beautiful morning at The Willows. It was great to see the boys well dressed and proud in their school uniforms and accompanied by a number of parents, grandparents and friends of the school.

The Willows batted first and progress was slow with the opening bowlers, Matheson and Jordan Tooby bowling with accuracy on a pitch that offered some early movement. At the twelve mark The Willows were in trouble at 45/4 and with a lightening quick outfield. However some solid batting from SBHS Coach, Hamish Skelt and Grant Dickson steadied the ship. Grant then combined with Jack Mockford, an old boy of SBHS. Mockford was finally dismissed to a superb caught and bowled by Jordan Tooby for 56. The Willows captain was pleased to observe a fine spell of left arm spin bowling by a young Aaron Hart and an excellent 6/41 by Tooby.

After another excellent Willows lunch the visitors batted well and lost their first wicket at 67. They were always ahead of the required run rate with a display of attacking batsmanship. Standout was Braden Thomas (51) followed by a quick fire 68 by Benji Culhane. Josh McCarthy, the recipient of a Willows Scholarship to Matfen, bowled a fine spell and was unlucky not to gain a wicket, while Jack Mockford completed a good double taking 3 for 47. SBHS overtook The Willows’ total in the 39th over. Our congratulations to them as they outplayed The Willows with both bat and in the field.

Our thanks to Southland for making the big trip north. It was a pleasure to be involved in a fixture with a fine group of young men who played with enthusiasm and enjoyment. Thanks also to Ian Mockford who was able to play with one son and against another and to Hamish Skelt for playing against the team he coaches.