This annual match for the Rolie Eveleigh Trophy is a highly anticipated affair and there have been some very close encounters over past years.

Batting first The Willows mustered an impressive 288/7 with young Tim Hampton-Matehe scoring a cultured 101. There were good supporting roles from Messrs Wilson and Satterwaite and some good old fashioned slogging from the skipper at the end of the innings. The Combined team toiled manfully with their bowling supported in the field where their endeavours could not be questioned.

Chasing the imposing total the team from Oamaru were never in the hunt and ended up being dismissed for 124 with only young O’Malley showing the sort of application that was required.

James Tapper from St Andrew’s ensured the game was one sided with a devastating spell of fast bowling ably backed by classy spin bowling from Fraser Wilson. The disappointing feature of the Combined innings was the lack of ability to rotate the strike and it literally was a block bash mentality which The Willows certainly does not encourage. As the great Australian coach, Bobby Simpson said, the teams that win one day cricket are not the teams that score the most boundaries but the teams that score the most singles.

The other highlight of the innings was a very sharp slips catch by Garth Gallaway of which Bobby Simpson himself would have been proud.

Grateful thanks for the organisation of the match, for the umpiring and the catering which was up to the usual high Willows standard, as was the pitch which was a Vince Cusack special.

Thank you to the loyal band of Waitaki Boys’ High School / St Kevin’s College parents and to the boys themselves for the six hour round trip to play the game.