The Willows elected to bat first on a still, overcast morning at Loburn. From the opening over Tynus Huyser (101 from 75 balls) stamped his mark on the game. All were treated to an innings of rare power and precision including a huge six hooked over the pavilion. Simon Wraight was a superb foil for Huyser and they took the total to 145 off 25 overs. The pace continued with Theo van Woerkem and a score of over 300 looked certain. However, fine bowling spells from Jones-Allen (1 for 23) and Ben Gully (2 for 31), supported by fine ground fielding, restricted The Willows to 271.

The Nelson College reply started very briskly. The opening batsmen faced a still very rapid Geoff Allott, managing to keep him out while attacking the other bowlers. Nelson were well ahead of the chase at 127 for 2 off 25 overs. M Macquet was superb in scoring 76 off just 81 balls. Macquet’s innings was notable for aggressive shots and his willingness to use his feet to advantage.

The Nelson onslaught was halted by the left arm spin of Theo van Woerkem (1/10) who applied huge pressure with prodigious turn and fine control. This allowed the bowlers from the other end to make the breakthroughs which slowed the run rate. Nelson batted their 50 overs but fell short on 190 for 9.