Thanks to Dion Ebrahim and his Canterbury U17 boys who helped in our time of need. When Gore High School 1st XI were unable to field a side, the local representative youth side jumped at the chance to play instead.

The match went down to the wire. Four players (two from each side) stood out.

The best batting came from the respective number fours – Louie Chapman (Christchurch Boys’ High School) and Willie Lyons. Louie scored a run-aball half century. He is a classic stroke-maker who uses his feet superbly, manipulates the bowling and rotates the strike well. Highest score on the day came from the bat of Willie Lyons. Willie had a rich vein of runs prior to Christmas and again impressed with his stylish shot-making. Both showed a good understanding of how to pace an innings.

The two dominant bowlers were Luke Murray (St Andrew’s College) and Paul Miller. Luke opened the bowling for Canterbury U17, gained a wicket in the first over, and thereafter his tall rangy delivery action proved a challenge for subsequent batsmen. He generated lively pace and finished with an economical 4/20 off ten overs. Paul Miller, a tidy right-arm medium pacer, finished with similar figures for The Willows with 4/26 from his allowable ten.

In the end only three runs separated the team totals with the youngsters coming out on top – a good sign for their tournament aspirations.