This is my first report as President of The Willows and I am very conscious of the quarter century of fine Presidential service by John Mitchell and Sir John Hansen. Coming in at Number 3 my role is to guide the Club in transition, in what has become a testing time for sport and our entire way of life. There has been much for me to learn, having been at a distance for some time. My emphasis is on preservation of all that is good about The Willows and securing its future as a crop of dashing young members are padded up, ready to come to the crease.
Acknowledgements
I thank the school principals, their coaches and cricket managers, with school families, for maintaining standards of performance on and off the field, which preserve the relationship between their schools and The Willows. I also thank the boards of governors and trustees, for backing cricket when sports compete strongly for participation.
We depend on having enthusiastic and competitive playing members of The Willows and in this we are very fortunate. New members bolster our stocks. The Management Committee has decided that other than Honorary and Overseas membership, there will be one class of ‘Membership’, with playing members denoted as such, if available for Willows selection. The class of Associate Membership will convert simply to Membership, and thus all who support The Willows will have the same status. The support of all Members is critical to the Club’s future, in a financial sense, and in other ways. I hope more Willowers will renew their links and take part in the collegial off field engagement at Jaguar Oval next summer.
Paul Rutledge has borne the brunt of match day selections over several years, a demanding and sometimes vexing position. This year the introduction of Match Managers who have responsibility for selection and management of teams has been tried successfully. They are vital to the future of The Willows as they will maintain the history of the Club and its traditions each match day. The calibre of the Match Managers this year, and those who have already committed to future years, means all games will be played in the same Willows’ spirit and tradition.
I thank Isabel McRae our membership secretary, working with husband John. This is no easy task as the membership register attests. We will establish a database over the winter which will ease the load and allow integration of membership data with the accounting software.
Alistair Sheard, our Treasurer, is a great support, always on time with financial reporting. Rex Hayward our omnipresent photographer at The Willows, brings a great deal to the record of the Club, and in his enthusiasm each match day. Jim Stringleman writes our newsletters and is one of the crucial match day co-ordinators at the ground with Di Woodward, at the heart of match day when everything must be just right. Di also liaises with the schools and has established herself very quickly in this role. Peter Devlin is responsible for maintaining the first-class block and wicket and such quality is central to the future of The Willows.
I must thank the members of the Management Committee: Andrew McRae as secretary, Phil Harris who is a stalwart of the Club on and off the field in so many ways, Di Woodward (the first woman on the committee), and Ben Dormer who has brought a familial vitality to The Willows. Sam Davis is a core playing and touring member as is Andrew Nuttall. The committee has been assisted by Jim Stringleman, Adrian McFedries, and Paul Rutledge in co-opted and observer roles. We have taken difficult decisions this year, in particular our response to Covid-19 which we struck at the end of January when the Hong Kong Cricket Club was to play The Willows just as coronavirus was becoming a factor in our lives, but was still poorly understood. We made urgent inquiries before making the call to play the game but informing our players, those who help at the ground, and schools with scheduled games, of our association with the touring party and its movements. The game proceeded on the principle that everyone involved would know the Hong Kong team’s travel history, and all we knew at the time from official sources, taking a lead from schools.
I have learned how much effort and detail goes into the presentation of The Willows’ beautiful ground. It is a twelve months labour of love. Peter Devlin is a tireless worker responsible for our excellent playing surface. We have the assistance of two local school pupils Riely and Brooklyn, who help early match day mornings and at the close of play. So much has depended over the years on Founder and “Assistant Groundsman” Mike Dormer (as he describes himself), to fulfil these roles and on occasions he has done so alone, which is a bridge too far. He has been at the ground as early as 6.30am and in the new season the committee will work to ensure that the necessary support is available throughout the long day from early morning until after close of play.
This season match day co-ordination has been shared between Mike Dormer, Di Woodward and Jim Stringleman, and we are looking for one or two others who will commit to this role, to maintain the very high standards of presentation of the ground and hospitality.
Sue Pritchard is our very special caterer each match day. Always cheerful and charming, even under pressure Sue has provided a first class lunch, which adds much to the day as we sit at the refectory tables under the trees. We are very grateful to Sue. Tash in The Pavilion and Wayne on the barbecue, are stalwarts too.
The umpires and scorers are vital to the standards established, and we are indebted to them. They add immensely to the day.
Cricket
A particular highlight was the first women’s game at The Willows between St Hilda’s Collegiate of Dunedin and Christchurch Girls’ High School. Hamish Loe was instrumental in arranging this, and his daughter Molly played for St Hilda’s. These two leading New Zealand teams played excellent cricket, and were a credit to their schools on and off the field. Player of the day was Olivia Gain from St Hilda’s. It was a delight to see many supporters from each school, on a fine day, and I hope this is the beginning of a relationship with women’s cricket, central to the game worldwide. The presence of St Hilda’s Old Girls, Winsome Dormer being one, added to the occasion with the first captain of the St Hilda’s 1st XI, Helen Butterfield.
White Ferns captain Amy Satterthwaite and opening bowler Lea Tahuhu were our guests, and kindly made the presentations with Sir Richard and Cran Bull.
The season came to an end after the 15 March match against Hutt International which regrettably meant we missed the Waimea College and the Umpires’ fixtures.
Of the 23 games played against the schools and visiting teams, 16 were won by The Willows. There were four centuries, three by visiting First XI players, and four bowlers took five or more wickets during the season. The Shadbolt Trophy was awarded to Liam Andrews of Timaru Boys’ High School and the ’49ers cup was awarded to Christchurch Boys’ High School. Well on the way to 2,000 career runs at The Willows are Dave Kelly (1,970) and Phil Harris (1,899), and we look forward to their reaching that milestone. Andrew Nuttall remains the leading wicket taker with 228 wickets and Richard McGuire has had a splendid season with 86 wickets now to his name.
The Kindred Cricket Competition involves more than a dozen clubs similar to The Willows throughout New Zealand. Players over 35 years play very competitive cricket against others of similar age and ability and reconnect with old playing mates and adversaries. Our team defended its Kindred title with outstanding results at the finals weekend in Wellington, including posting over 200 runs in all three T20 finals. Standout players in Wellington were Adam Hastilow and Chris Nicholson who were both selected in the tournament team. The team visited Sydney to play against old friends I Zingari, and new friends the Primary Club. The weather had its say, with torrential rain breaking a 3 year drought, but The Willows won the Primary Club game and great fun was had by all. There is something special about any cricket tour.
Old friends from the Hong Kong Cricket Club and new friends from the Old Tablelands Cricket Club in Martinborough played on two fine summer days. There is a proud tradition about these teams and they set high standards on and off the field. I was fortunate to meet the Hong Kong Cricket Club when touring long ago with many other Willowers as part of the vaunted Long Hops team. The standard of cricket was high, and very competitive. Winsome kindly made the beautiful Dormer home available for the after- match barbeque.
A youth team represented The Willows against the Wanderers Wellington schoolboys’ team on the test pitch at The Basin Reserve, where The Willows won on the last ball of the day, 9 wickets down. Evan Gray did a superb job to organise this fixture, not without difficulty, and we are very grateful to him.
Dan Vann brought a squad of years 7 and 8 boys to the ground including two from Greymouth whose mothers drove them over for the game, leaving at 7.00am. The game and occasion was an immense success.
Other milestones
The 25th anniversary dinner at St Bede’s was a spectacular night. The “founding fathers” were nearly all there, and some 246 attended. Michael Coward, that very distinguished sporting journalist and friend of The Willows spoke with fine mimicry of great commentators, and a wealth of cricket nuggets. He was followed by a tour de force when the Assistant Groundsman spoke for nearly one hour and mentioned every person with conceivable connection to The Willows. There were bravura performances, supported by exceptional musical items from Medbury School and St Bede’s, and a special mention is made of music teachers Abi King and Chrissie Badger, and 10 year Oscar Stove.
The dinner was MC’d by Andrew Gourdie, a St Bede’s Old Boy, who made for a lively occasion. There were many notable supporters of The Willows at dinner, including our First Willower, Sir Anand Satyanand, Lady Adrienne Stewart, The Hon Lianne Dalziel, and Bishop Paul Martin. Mike Dormer was presented with a sculptural piece entitled “Moving Mountains”, which allows placement of a three piece mountain chain in bronze, according to the mountains to be climbed on any given day. That seemed to fit the man.
Commemorative caps were presented to nine Willowers who played in excess of 50 games and Adrian McFedries has joined the list with 51 games and we extend our congratulations to him.
The Children’s Christmas Party was a standout on the Sunday before Christmas. There are many to thank for making this a very special day, for Riding for the Disabled, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome and the Champion Centre. The overwhelming response from the children, their families and supporters, showed how significant this is for them each year, and in the life of The Willows. Donors help make this day work as it comes at some cost, and I hope there will be further support to keep this very worthwhile tradition alive and thriving. Watch this space.
Matfen
The two Matfen scholars would have been the 35th and 36th to be hosted by Sir Hugh and Lady Blackett but they have not travelled because of the coronavirus restrictions. Josh McCarthy from St Bede’s and Fraser Buckley from St Thomas’ missed out on this opportunity, but mindful of that we will look for an opportunity to make up in some way for this disappointment.
Cricket Live
The association with Alex Reese and Cricket Live is strong, and longstanding. Through cricket it enriches the lives and education of deserving children in Asia. The Willows will support Cricket Live in whatever way it can. 750 children in Sri Lanka need kitting out with their own much prized uniform each year. That costs $20.00 per child and all Willowers can contribute in this way. I hope to assist Alex in my role as President over the next few years.
Merrill Fernando
The association with Merrill Fernando and his family of Dilmah Tea fame was highlighted by Merrill’s 90th birthday. During the year he received an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Massey University, for his services to the global food industry and his close association with Massey. Several Willowers attended a celebratory dinner in Wellington. He sent a typically gracious note after we wrote to congratulate him. There is a heartfelt association between the Fernando family and The Willows cemented in cricket and personal relationships.
Sponsors
The sponsors listed on the back page of the Annual Report are crucial to The Willows’ financial position. We are extremely grateful and I ask members to note, and support them. This year those sponsors have been supplemented by “match day sponsors” who make a major financial commitment over 3 years. They can attend a chosen fixture with their business and family supporters, to speak to those at the ground, and to be acknowledged. This is a very important component of The Willows’ financial position and the initiative of Ben Dormer who made sure it worked as he said it would.
Conclusion
This Report does not do justice to one year in the life of The Willows. The Report itself is the work of John Mitchell and Richard Cowles, and a great credit to them. It is a time of transition where the burden that has been shouldered by a few over many years must be shared with others, and it is heartening that we have so many younger members prepared to take on these roles to ensure the continuity of the Club. A Willows Trust was established many years ago independent of the Management Committee, and it is very important in the backdrop to the Club, in an always demanding financial environment. We are based on the proposition that the quality of the cricket and fellowship at The Willows, whether at Loburn or on tour, will be set to the highest standards, and the coming season at The Willows on those seemingly endless summer days is a prospect to brighten all our lives. I hope we see many Willowers and supporters come out for the day. It is an enriching experience.