The President’s first, and last, essay into captaincy at The Willows ended in a predictable disaster.

Batting first, The Willows made a disastrous start losing the openers with only four runs on the scoreboard. There then followed an outstanding 138 run partnership between Phil Harris and Alan Smith. Smith, a visiting English professional, started slowly but just as he was accelerating his scoring rate was run out, which was a disastrous end to a fine partnership. The middle order and tail fell away and contributed virtually nothing to the ultimate total of 176/8 at the end of 50 overs.

It was the visiting team’s opening bowlers that caused the initial onslaught and the later capitulation Vince Barry, length and line as immaculate as always, took 3/6 from three overs. The other opening bowler, Steve Chambers was almost as parsimonious, taking 2/11 from his six overs.

The Willows defence of a relatively meagre total started well thanks to a tight start by Burt Walker and Jacob Wolt. At 57/3, The Willows were still well in the hunt, but then an outstanding partnership between Ross Bayliss and Grant Sinclair put paid to the faint hopes the President may have had of scrambling out of the game with dignity intact. 101 came in a quick fire partnership. Ross Bayliss, playing some elegant shots off the back foot through the offside, scored a cultured 64. Young Grant Sinclair, a protégé of the Albion Club in Dunedin, smashed a belligerent 62 off only 58 balls. Bayliss was dismissed just before the required total was reached but the damage had been done, particularly by Sinclair’s all out assault. By the time the visitors had reached the required total only 34.4 overs had elapsed which led to The Match Manager scrambling, in an undignified fashion, to have the usual after match activities prepared in time.

This was one of the few Masters’ games on The Willows calendar. It is perhaps important for the older playing members of the Club, that we ensure such fixtures in the future are truly Masters’ games While The Willows is all about promoting youth, the introduction of young players in this fixture over the last two years, by both sides, has led to uneven contests. Something that can be rectified in the future.