Trivia Question: Which game in the Willows CC debut season was a 12-a-side match, with a fielding interchange?

Answer: This game!

The opposition certainly straggled out to our ground but once at full strength (after an over or two) had a youthful CCA Premier Grade look about them (with several Canterbury B players) under the leadership of wily campaigner Max Bremner.

Willows batted first and lost three quick wickets. A substantial fourth wicket partnership between Dayle Hadlee (45) and John Mitchell (35) and good middle order batting saw the Willows through to a handy 194 (for 11 wickets).

Wickets fell at regular intervals during the Harris innings. Sam Davis, in a quality display of new ball bowling, knocked over the top three. This was followed by a super spell by Lin Sparks, whose figures of 5/19 from 9 overs put him in line for the best bowling performance of the season. The low track suited the parsimonious Sparks.

When the last Harris wicket fell in the 34th over at 129, the Willows claimed victory – and satisfaction at putting a current crop of CCA first graders in their place.