It was a pleasure to welcome Otago Boys’ High School to The Willows for the first time, and an even greater pleasure to beat them!
The Willows fielded a number of hairy young quicks and a sprinkling of hoary old wiseacres. On a day of standard Loburn weather with a plumb looking track and a shaven outfield The Willows duly won the toss and chose to bat.
Darin Cusack, batting at number three, is a selector for the Canterbury Under-19s. Josh Coll and Ian Robertson who opened the batting were both vying for spots in that team. Robertson briefly impressed but tossed his wicket away, whereupon Coll tried even harder to impress by calling his venerable new partner for a quick single. Mr Cusack leant on his dignity and his bat and Coll was run out by a margin.
Enter a hoary wiseacre called Phil Harris who compiled a typical 26 by alternately blocking and bludgeoning. He then gave way to Adrian McFedries who smacked the ball regally around for 48 while Selector Cusack compiled a patient 58. Merry blows from Jason Pawson and Andrew Ellis took the score to 238 for five. It looked at one stage as if OBHS would be facing a far more formidable total, but bowlers and fielders persevered commendably beneath the beating sun.
A battery of hairy young quicks was then unleashed on the schoolboys, bowling at times to a field reminiscent of the bodyline series of 1932/33.
Opener Sam Wells stood up to everything we could throw at him, drove delightfully through the offside and, had he not lost his head on 79, could have taken his side to a position which threatened the Willows total.
At the other end wickets fell regularly despite the bizarre ruling that no batsman could be out first ball. Three were, but the umpires recalled them to the crease. Perhaps, in a gesture of defiance, Dr John Campbell lobbed a ball from the outfield square onto the cranium of Umpire McLisky, who was led from the field remarking that not only could he see stars but that there were several new constellations he couldn’t name!
Anyway, in the 47th over, OBHS were finally dismissed at 210 for 13 and it was time for beer and sausages. A splendid new fixture and a good time had by all.