The young and the restless in the Central Districts Stags team wanted to learn from Sri Lanka import batsman Mahela Jayawardene.
They certainly got a masterful display from the 38-year-old retired international despite the Devon Hotel-sponsored Stags two-wicket loss last night to the Northern Districts Knights in Hamilton last night.
The opening batsman, who top-edged a deceptively slow delivery from seamer Scott Kuggeleijn for 76 runs off 56 balls, including seven boundaries and three sixes for a handsome strike rate that was a shade under 150.
It's a pity Jayawardene hadn't arrived when the Georgie Pie Super Smash campaign began or even when he was scheduled to start three rounds ago in Nelson after a flight debacle and rain robbed him of two competition-defining matches.