Upon winning the toss on a wet day and looking at a greenish hard pitch, I decided to bat first believing our batting line up was strong enough, and high scoring recent games would indicate The Willows could set a demanding target.

After taking an early lunch it was agreed we would play a 45 over game. Our openers looked set to get us off to a brisk start. After losing our first wicket at 20, opener John Garry backing up from a match winning 70 the previous day, was equally impressive scoring an elegant 61 before being stumped, the second of three consecutive such dismissals.

He was ably supported in two solid partnerships with Danny Dowds and Aaron Gale and with the score at 90 for 2, I was more than happy with proceedings. But for The Willows this was as good as it got, as from this position we somehow managed to lose our last eight wickets for a mere 32 more runs, also committing the cardinal sin of not batting out the full number of overs.

Needing just 123 runs to win, King’s set about their task in a very positive manner and although we picked up one early wicket, opener Chris Gibbons played a very confident innings using his feet very well to our spinners in scoring an excellent 66. For The Willows, young Michael Vorster from Christchurch Boys’ High School bowled very well and was unlucky only to pick up one wicket. Our leg spinner Alex Reese created several chances and bowled well in testing conditions with the new ball.

So to King’s College the Gillette Cup winners, a well deserved win. The boys also a great credit to their School both on and off the field. And for the skip, I suppose it will be off to the gallows with only that yellow rubber bath toy to remind me of my first “stumped” duck and my first and only time as a Willows captain.