Captain’s high-quality knock

Retired: Central School’s Patrick McInnes goes in to strike the ball on his way to notching up 84 not out, before retiring. Makauri wicketkeeper Jasper Sutherland keeps a watchful eye out. Picture by Liam Clayton

Patrick McInnes was superb.

The Central Stags opener made a magnificent 84 not-out from No1 in Central's successful defence of the coveted, 85 year-old MCC (Marleybone Cricket Club) Bat at Nelson Park on Wednesday.

McInnes' knock, an innings which featured a number of high-quality drives, cuts and pulls was the highest individual score made in an MCC Bat fixture since another No1, last season's Kirk Cup-winning Poverty Bay men's captain, then-Te Hapara skipper Thorn Parkes' unbeaten 98 in their victory against holders Central on the Harry Barker Reserve representative wicket in 2011.

In those days, the games were 11-a-side, without batting retirements. But for retirements, Central captain Jack Williams having won the toss and the holders having posted 169-3, McInnes (13 boundaries) might well have reached three figures. He received excellent batting support from Indie Nikora (15), with whom he shared a second-wicket stand of 82. Gloveman Archie Gillies' game-sense, placement of the ball and hard running between wickets for 17 not-out off 19 balls from No5, also impressed.

Left-armer Jasper Sutherland (1-27) and his fellow paceman James Weston-Arnold (1-29) were Makauri's two successful bowlers, though their captain Reuben Walsh asked questions with the new ball in addition to setting the field intelligently and holding a great catch at mid-wicket to dismiss second-drop Williams (11) off the bowling of Sutherland.

Makauri is a new young team and Williams (2-2) took two wickets in the first four balls of the second innings. Walsh (eight runs as first-drop) led a mini-fightback for them, from 5-16. Makauri was all-out for 36 in 10 overs but they have a number of good young players in their ranks; they enjoy their cricket and have the potential for great improvement.

Grant Walsh, who umpired the first innings of the match, said: “This was Makauri's first challenge for the bat in a number of years - with a team young in age and experience - against a strong Central side. A number of Makauri players such as Micah Searle, Rory Gifford, Ryan Phillips and Jack Buchanan are in their first year playing cricket.

The experience gained for the Year 4 and 5 players will be valuable for next year, when Makauri will definitely mount another challenge for the MCC bat.”

Coach of the victors Cam McNaught was delighted that the bat could now be engraved with Central's shield for this title run.

“It was an awesome day and opportunity for the kids to be outside of the classroom playing cricket - the players had a blast. The MCC bat is a great piece of local sporting history,” said McNaught. “Central have been promoting cricket pretty hard for the last couple of years and our kids are stoked to be able to keep the bat over the summer.

Thank you to Poverty Bay's Dave Castles for assisting with gear and facilities. Makauri displayed some fantastic skills in the field - their well-coached team will be a lot harder to beat next year - and as for our retiring Patrick on 84, he said to me “I could have gotten to 100 from the balls I faced - and I still wanted my mates to have a bat.”

He's a pretty special kid, to say that.”