The winning of the toss was hugely important as the team batting second would have the privilege of watching David Tu'a win the heavyweight championship on the big screen (12") set up in the blinding sunlight on the balcony of the pavilion.

The day’s cricket certainly made up for the boxing non-event!

Mobil won the toss and having read the wicket well, decided to bowl. My instructions to the team were brief: “I don’t like boring cricket.” At lunch, after 20 overs, the Willows were 150 for eight.

Being not out at lunch, manager Dormer made sure I enjoyed the exceptional spread by a few comforting words: “The Willows doesn’t lose too many out here, you know. You’ll need at least 240 . “ Lovely person!

We managed 208 which wasn’t too bad an effort after such a shaky start, but Mobil did have some star players.

Things weren’t looking too good, but after the first wicket fell at 68, we kept chipping away until Latham appeared. He was batting as if he hadn’t been away from the game, piercing the field with effortless timing. No need to run ones or twos. But wickets kept falling at the other end.

In came Ben Harris looking fit as a fiddle and we were aware we had to break this partnership or my days as a Willower were over. Three quick singles did the trick. Harris had no respect for Latham’s extra girth which had grown in the retirement era. One quick single was okay; two and Rod was puffing and panting; three produced a pained expression in the eyes and mercifully it was all over for him when he missed a straight one from McFedries. This signalled the end for Mobil who ended up 16 runs in arrears.

The last word to Michael Hastings. We were together just before lunch and Hasto was hitting them pretty well. I said to him in the last over, “We have to make sure we don’t lose a wicket now. “

"No problem, “ he replied.

First ball he hits straight to cover and takes off. No response from me-run out by the proverbial mile.

He was not happy at lunch, and later, after I thought he may have cooled offa bit, I said, “Hasto, if you had been batting with your old man would you have called him for that single?''

"No I wouldn’t, because he’s a lot older than you,” came the terse reply. Couldn’t argue with that .