Chasing a below par Willows score of 204, LNZCC was poised to take the first Willows scalp. At 143 for 5 and with the East Shirley Senior players, the venerable Tony Gray and stylish Scott Pawson in commanding form, a tense Mike Dormer paced up and down, visualising CK Baker’s photograph pinned to the pavilion wall as the first losing captain. To relieve the stress, he prematurely lit the barbecue, allowing the smoke to waft across the wicket. It may never be known whether this was a tactical move on his part, or whether he thought that cooking sausages might take his mind off the seemingly inevitable. Whatever his motive, understandably LNZCC lost all sense of direction in the haze of smoke and wilted to 185 for 9 with two overs to go, thanks to three smart run outs and a stunning boundary catch by Phil Harris.

The Willows, taking the hint from Dormer, gamely held on to win by six runs. Derek Burrell (40) and John Mitchell (39) were the mainstays of the innings, along with useful contributions from Jonathan Bisman, James Ussher and Richard Cowles.