The eagerly anticipated match between The Willows President’s XI and the Willows Development XI took place at the picturesque Round Hill Oval. After some early rain, which eventually lifted, the players were treated to a delightful lunch from Country Feasts. The match, a slightly delayed 40-over fixture, promised an exciting encounter. A large crowd of parents, willows supporters and Willows President Nick Davidson KC were present for the day.
Development XI captain Jeremy Benton won the toss and elected to bat on the new, hard, and fast wicket. The opening partnership of Kavya Shukla from Christ’s College (29) and Lauchie Munro from Timaru Boys High (55) got them off to a strong start. Hamish Caird from Timaru Boys High School was the pick of the President’s XI bowling attack, finishing with figures of 2/24. Former All Black Andy Ellis (1/35) and veteran bowler Andrew Nuttall (1/19) also contributed with crucial wickets. Jack O'Rourke, the 16-year-old St Andrews student, displayed his talent by top-scoring with an unbeaten 58*, following his impressive knock of 160 the previous day for Heathcote. The Youth XI finished their innings at 206/5 in their allotted 40 overs.
In reply, The Willows President XI got off to a solid start with Kelvin Scott (NZ Over-50s), impressively scoring 50 runs. Captain and Northern Districts legend Joey Yovich also played some fantastic shots, contributing 35 runs to the chase. Will Bretherton from Oxford/Rangiora bowled well for the Willows, as did Andy Ellis, who highlighted his skills once again. Ryan Withell from Shirley Boys High, took 2/21 in a great opening spell from the left armer. Again, the talent of Jack O'Rourke, who shone with the new ball with bowling figures of 4/24 off 8 overs made the run chase tough. Young leg-spinner Gus Eglinton also created chances on the batter-friendly wicket. Oliver Linton played a crucial knock of 27 and Bradley Scott played some great shots keeping the match exciting until the end. With the President’s XI needing 34 runs to win off 7 overs, Andrew Nuttall joined Canterbury representative Matt Hay for the final partnership. It was Hay (20) and Nuttall (13) who calmly finished the job off the penultimate ball, securing victory for the President XI in a nailbiting finish.
The presence of current and former domestic and international players, including Andrew Ellis, Matt Hay, Nick Horsely, Bradley Scott, and the exceptional leadership of Joey Yovich, added to the grandeur of the occasion. A big thanks to these former players who made themselves available for the fixture which really added to the occasion, Especially the likes of Scott who travelled up from Dunedin and Yovich who made the big trip down from Whangarei. The young players had the incredible opportunity to mingle with such experienced cricketers and gain valuable insights from them, which is what The Willows CC is all about.
The players were honoured by the presence of former Governor General Sir Anand Satyanand, GNZM, QSO, KStJ, who took the time to meet each player individually before the match and throughout the day.
A special thanks goes to the Shadbolt Family for their support as the Match Day Sponsor, making this memorable event possible. Also, a big thanks to the groundsman, scorers, umpires and everyone who made the day what it was. We eagerly look forward to the next edition of this fantastic encounter next season!