What a day; the thrill of The Willows game during the day plus the spectacle of the Rugby World Cup semi-final. I promised the boys that on the way home we would stop off in Kaikoura to see the New Zealand v Australia semi-final and what a match it was. The boys were finally home just after midnight making a very long day after their 5am start.

The ground and overhead conditions were perfect for cricket. The Willows batted first and went to lunch at 110 without loss. From this platform the score was always going to be big and the boys did well to contain us to 246 for 4. Features were the openers both getting well compiled sixties plus a couple of other good supporting knocks. Josh Clarkson was the pick of the bowlers only conceding 30 runs from his 10 overs. George Kenny with his off spin picked up 2 wickets for 24.

In reply, the College couldn’t get any real momentum to their batting and never challenged the required run rate while at the same time steadily losing wickets to be all out for 114 in the 43rd over. Josh Clarkson completed a good all round performance with a patient 33 before being run out, and Matthew Stretch chimed in with a hard hit 23. The partnership of 37 between Clarkson and Stretch was brief and entertaining and showed the capability of the boys given that they have three and two years respectively left at school and they could well have got away on us except for a mix up resulting in Clarkson’s run out. For The Willows we managed to use 9 bowlers over the innings, all were economical, with Burnett picking up 3 wickets and Johnstone running through the tail taking 4 for 20.

Although well beaten, the boys took a lot from the game and never gave up. The ground was at its brilliant best looking lush and green while the track was very good. We had a windless and cloudless day and the boys absorbed the history of the ground, all vowing to return as better cricketers.

It was nice to be able to defend the Arthur Cresswell Trophy but with the whole Marlborough team returning next year they will be very competitive. We look forward to the next encounter.