The home side (on the advice of grass and dirt expert R McEwan) chose to bowl first, a decision which was quickly vindicated when in the second over Chris Mugford reduced the visitors to 1 for 2. A twin spin partnership was brought on, both taking the ball away from the very short clubhouse boundary (the match being played on the nearest wicket), Harry Fitzpatrick and Will McFarlane pouring more misery on their country counterparts. The rescue party came in the form of two brothers, Ryan and Michael Hughes (representing the Malvern District of Canterbury Country), who rescued their side from 71/6 with a 116 run partnership. Mugford came back strongly to finish the tail with two overs to spare and confirm what could have been a niggly target to chase. It wasn’t, and an opening partnership of 103 between James D’Arcy and Fitzpatrick took the game away from Country Schools, with Mugford and captain Reed knocking off the total with seven overs to spare.

Side note, it was good to see the clubs of whom their senior sides now compete in the Canterbury Country Premier Competition represented in both teams on the day, with the Malvern clubs leading the way with bat, ball and in the field.