Father and son relishing 'unique' situation as they prepare to face off in Junior Cup final

Luke has long been one of Cooke’s star batsmen, winning this competition back-to-back in 2011 and 2012, while 18-year-old Max is an emerging fast bowler who celebrated Schools’ Cup glory with RBAI earlier this summer alongside being selected for Ulster Schools.

With Cooke and Instonians’ seconds both reaching the showpiece decider at Sandy Bay in Larne, two generations will face off for the first time in the competitive arena with the pair closely tracking each other’s progress throughout the season in hope of setting up this very fixture.

Luke’s daughter Ava, who like her older brother also plays for Instonians, has already made her allegiances clear, but his wife has taken a more neutral position, sitting firmly on the fence.

"It's unique,” Luke told the News Letter. “I was talking to my wife about it...the Junior Cup is more than 130 years old and I was wondering has a father ever played against his son before?

"I'd say fathers and sons have played on the same team, I'm sure that's happened on numerous occasions, but I'd say it's very unique being on opposite teams.

"There's been a bit of chat and one thing to Cooke’s advantage is I know a lot more about the Instonians guys than Max knows about our team!

"I'm down at Shaw's Bridge a lot watching Max and Ava playing. There's been a lot of banter going back and forward and I'm sure that will continue into Saturday as well.

"I don't know how Friday evening's meal at the Willmott household is going to go! It'll be interesting to see if Max is still chipper or if it'll all be becoming a bit more real for him! I'm sure either way on Saturday evening the banter will be flying.”

While Saturday will mark their first competitive meeting, Luke and Max warmed up for the showdown last month – Luke playing for the RBAI Principal's XI and Max lining out alongside his Schools’ Cup-winning team-mates.

There was a sneak preview of what could be to come this weekend with the pair highly likely to directly compete against each other as Luke is a top-order batsman and Max opens the bowling.

The showdown provides an added dimension for Luke as a father, who wants his son to relish playing on the big occasion, but doesn’t want to see ‘L Willmott b M Willmott’ on the scorecard.

"It will be interesting,” added Luke. “I've played against Max twice before but not in a competitive sense.

"When he was in P7, so aged 11, I played against him in a parents vs kids match and then I played against him again last month.

"I faced him then and he tried to bang one in and he did catch me on the thumb! I didn't get out to him which was the main thing.

"I don't think he was quite off his full run but this is a competitive game so it'll be a whole different animal.

"It's a big occasion, I've played in it twice before and it'll be interesting to see how Max handles that.

"There's two sides to it because I'll be worried about him from a father's point of view on the big occasion, but I could be standing at the other end and he's trying to get me out, which I don't want him to do! The emotions will be flying around big style on Saturday."

Following an afternoon battling it out on the pitch, Luke will return to his role as father and one of Max’s biggest supporters, watching on proudly as his son continues to impress at Shaw’s Bridge.

The next step on his journey will hopefully be establishing himself in an Instonians senior side competing for major honours, but whatever the future holds, the Willmotts will always have this special afternoon to reflect on.

"He's really coming of age now,” said Luke. “I have to thank all the coaches he has had over the years at Instonians, right from when he started around nine.

"He has got older, matured and I have to say James Shannon is doing a great job with him. He's really encouraging and positive with him.

"I'm really proud of him. It's great we're facing off against each other here, but he's on the cusp of hopefully playing first team cricket for Instonians and will be challenging for Challenge Cups and Premier League titles, which is way above anything I've ever won.

"A lot of things had to fall into place for this to happen and they have. It’ll be something we can look back on, regardless of result, with a lot of pride.”