Mike Dormer founded The Willows Cricket Club in 1994. His vision was to create a venue of international standing for schools cricket within an old cow paddock near a meandering brook and willow trees.
Field of Dreams
The Willows began with the following stated objectives:
- to encourage players in secondary school first elevens to play with and against experienced players, many of whom are present or past first class cricketers.
- to offer quality cricket to cricket lovers in a country atmosphere, where families may come to watch and picnic.
In the thirty seasons since our inauguration over 800 cricket matches have been played; the majority of which against school XI’s or composite secondary school XI’s.
The success of The Willows comes back to the excellent playing conditions offered at the ground. In a superb rural setting in North Canterbury it boasts a ground with full-size boundaries similar in measurement to Lord’s. Over the years many have contributed to the realisation of Mike’s dream. Groundsmen Vince Cusack and Peter Devlin both played key roles with the block. They, and of course with Mike’s constant presence, set the standard which persists to this day now with Alan Gilmour (former head of Turf at NZC) overseeing the new block.
Sadly Mike passed away in April 2021 but his son Ben has picked up the mantle since. It has been a pleasure to watch progress since at The Willows and plenty to enthuse about with recent work including 70 new pop-up sprinklers installed throughout the outfield; additional water units and tanks; a new block laid with high clay content soil used (73% Kakanui clay) on the 8 pitch block with the addition of WACA clay to follow (85% clay content) which will be a first in New Zealand. A white picket fence along with an embankment were also installed both linking to enclose the ground.
The pavilion has also been reclad and modified including a new schools changing room and library; bar and hospitality areas; an office along with increased shower and toilet facilities in line with first class requirements.
So as well as being Mike’s legacy, our ground and playing surface today, is one of the jewels in The Willows crown.
Part of the drive to assist in developing schools cricket The Willows has sent eight youth tours to Sri Lanka and throughout the subcontinent over recent years with numerous players since going on to play first class and international cricket. Our founder’s great wish was for coaching resources within schools to be increased throughout New Zealand along with international Willows youth tours to resume. Needless to say, the Board is under no illusion of what is expected of them to keep the schools dream alive.