A year older, a year wiser, Mt Maunganui head to the New Zealand club cricket championship in Auckland next week with a cabinet already bulging with silverware.
Mt Maunganui, indisputably the best club side in Bay of Plenty, will represent Northern Districts at the national club champs, which begin at Auckland's
Cornwall Park on Tuesday.
It is successive trips to Auckland for Mt Maunganui, although last year's maiden voyage was less-than-memorable, with only a couple of wins late in the week when the Bay champions were well out of the hunt for the title.
Mount skipper Daniel Hill said they were better prepared for the rigours of six days of one-day action this year after again dominating the Baywide competition at all levels.
"It'll be a big test for us regardless, but it's fair to say we went up last year and were fairly star-struck by some of the players were were up against, being our first time there.
"We didn't do ourselves justice, but this year I see no reason why we can't go up and taste some success."
The club championship matches the provincial club champions from each of the six major cricket-playing associations throughout the country.
Mount earned their second successive crack when they defeated Northland's Kaipara Flats to win the Eric Petrie Cup, winning by four wickets chasing 137.
Next week they're up against Howick-Pakuranga (Auckland), New Plymouth Old Boys Marist (Central Districts), Karori (Wellington), East Christchurch Shirley (Canterbury) and University Grange (Otago).
Mount's reserves grade teams have taken the Western Bay championship and the McNaughton Trophy.
"That's a big thing for us this season - we enjoy each others' company, not just premiers but across all teams.
"It's something we've consciously tried to foster, which is a focus for all Mount teams and plenty of sideline support."
With Northern Districts away playing their final Plunket Shield 4-day game against Canterbury from Monday, Mount will be without former Black Caps batsman Daniel Flynn for most, if not all, of the week, with ND spinner Jason Donnelly's involvement also uncertain.
