Craig Findlay smashed 27 sixes in his innings for his Complete Flooring Napier Technical Old Boys (NTOB), prompting outraged parents, players and fans to question his motives in the division one match against the St John's College First XI in Napier on Saturday.
The former first-class cricketer pummelled the Hastings schoolboys into submission with a strike rate of 266.66 as his side racked up a massive 578.
Hawke's Bay Today was yesterday bombarded with website, tweet, text, phone and email messages of complaints against the former Central Districts Stag player.
Andrew Frame tweeted: "Nothing to be proud of in that game. Tech should have declared at 300-1 at the 20-over break and saved face.
"I was playing on next pitch, almost got hit by two 6s. Felt for the St Johns' boys. Unfair contest, really."
Megan Singleton said: "Can't believe the cricket CEO retired on 300. Some of those kids were 15 and completely demoralised. What a guy!
"That CEO should be nurturing these players not trying to show off and have his score on back page."
Yesterday St John's team captain James McNatty, 16, said he pleaded with Findlay to retire after 23 overs of the 45-over affair "because it was really getting out of hand" but the former Hawke's Bay senior men's representative said he'd think about it.
"After another seven overs I asked him again but he just walked away and carried on batting," said McNatty, whose players are predominantly aged 15 and 16.
"We were just glad to get off the field but we're still determined to stay in the grade."
McNatty's mother Michele, speaking on behalf of the players' parents, said they heard even before the game that Findlay was going to "teach the schoolboys a lesson" because they were not good enough to be in the two-tier senior men's grade.
"I'm just so disappointed in the way they used our boys to prove a point. How would Finns [Findlay] feel if some day someone like him bullies his young boy [Toby, 10] on the park as a batsman or bowler?"
St John's principal Neal Swindells, who is coaching for the last time this Saturday before moving to St Pat's College in Wellington to work as rector, said St John's had earned their place in division one.
He was loathe to judge Craig Findlay's knock because the cricketer had not broken any rules.
"Craig has every right to play in the grade. We can't really complain about that. But there's something in the air that does not feel right and you can see that."
Swindells said his team were demoralised and had not learned anything from last Saturday's flogging, although they had beaten Tech when Findlay wasn't playing for them early this season.
Findlay last night said he was disappointed with the public's reaction which effectively meant they did not want him to play.
While he could still play in the premier grade Findlay said he had a young family and didn't want the commitment of training and long days at the weekend.
"I played hard so that's why I won a lot," he said, adding that was his goal as cricket boss to ensure the young built a steely resolve.
"To create champions you have to be tough. I'm not allowed to play and I have others telling me where I can bat and when not to play," he said, adding it appeared the Bay was on a slippery track to a "PC world".
Board chairman Derek Stirling, a former New Zealand international, said his phone was running hot all day from calls and texts and he had discussed the issue with Findlay.
"Did he go too far? Morally, yes."
