Cricket: Mount Maunganui fourth at club champs

TOP EFFORT: Mount Maunganui captain Dale Swan, centre, was named Bowler of the Tournament. PHOTO: FILE

Carrus Mount Maunganui missed grabbing third place in the NZCT Club Cricket Championships on the last day of the tournament on Sunday.

The championships have been hosted by the Cornwall Cricket Club in Auckland for more than two decades and brings together the best premier sides from each of the six NZ Cricket major associations.

While the first two days of the tournament were abandoned because of torrential rain, Mount Maunganui got through to the playoff for third and fourth place courtesy of a big win against the Central Districts representatives on the penultimate day of the tournament.

After winning the toss, Mount Maunganui elected to bat against Takapuna with third place on the line. The Takapuna bowlers put real pressure on the Northern Districts champions, with Mount Maunganui staring down the barrel at 84/7.

However, ND pace bowler Tony Goodin, batting at nine, changed the match momentum with an unbeaten 44. Goodin put together two useful partnerships with Dale Swan and Kyle Dovey before Mount Maunganui were eventually dismissed for 167.

Takapuna made a solid start to their target and had reached 40 without loss, before the introduction of Mount skipper Dale Swan, who dramatically changed the Takapuna innings with a stunning hattrick. But 77 from opener Max O'Dowd helped Takapuna get home with a wicket to spare with just four balls remaining.

Swan was rewarded for plenty of success with the ball over the four matches with the Bowler of the Tournament Award.

Mount Maunganui clinched the playoff for third and fourth with a clinical display on Saturday.

Bowling first against United Central, the Mount bowlers removed their opponents for 155. Led by a masterful 92 not out from Bay of Plenty captain Peter Drysdale, Mount Maunganui got home with five wickets to spare.

Drysdale's sterling innings came from just 66 balls and included 10 fours and three sixes. He was the only Mount batsman to pass 50 in the tournament.

NZCT National Club Championships April 4-9, Cornwall Park, Auckland

Day Six, playoff for third/fourth place
Mount Maunganui 167 (Tony Goodin 44no, Brenton Thompson 25) lost to Takapuna 170/9 (Dale Swan 4/30, Chris Atkinson 2/33, Peter Drysdale 2/39)
Day Five
United Central 155 (Nick Smith 3/27, Dale Swan 2/17, Peter Drysdale 2/23) lost to Mount Maunganui 159/5 (Peter Drysdale 92no)
Day Four
Albion 306/5 (Dan Hill 3/69) defeated Mount Maunganui 193 (Peter Drysdale 65, Dan Hill 34, Ben Musgrave 32, Chris Atkinson 31)
Day Three
Eastern Suburbs 239 (Dale Swan 4/27, Peter Drysdale 2/37) defeated Mount Maunganui 216/9 (Dan Hill 49, Peter Drysdale 46, Matt Golding 46)
Day One & Two - Play abandoned