Cricket: City edge closer to two-day title

Warren van Wyk sends down a delivery for Kamo. Photo/Tania Whyte

Duracrete Products City have put themselves within touching distance of the Oxford Trust Two-Day competition after an irrepressible day-one display against Onerahi Central.

Onerahi were sent into bat by City and immediately found themselves on the back foot as City came out firing with the ball.

Opener Hayden Keast (3 for 11) accounted for Todd Beehre and Tom Keogh in quick succession before Kieran Nelson (4 for 14) provided some fireworks.

Nelson ripped through the Onerahi middle order and very quickly the batting side found themselves in a huge hole at 40 for 7.

Onerahi snuck up to 66 before Keast took the last wicket, a total far away from where they would have been aiming.

City took their momentum into their batting innings and, after losing opener Bert Horner early after being caught behind off Sean Doel (1 for 25), they cruised past their first innings target with no issues.

Joey Yovich (52) and James Thompson (66) put on 107 for the second wicket before Beehre (2 for 32) grabbed two wickets in two overs.

However, it was a minor speed bump as Ian Page (33) and Harry Darkins (66) continued City's charge, ending the day at 249 for 6 and holding a lead of 183.

Keogh (3 for 19) had the best figures for Onerahi Central, removing both Page and Darkins.

Meanwhile Westech Automotives Maungakaramea grabbed first innings points in their match against Kamo.

Maungakaramea batted first and were buoyed by a good lower order performance.

Tyler Lortan (26) made a start at the top of the order but Kamo bowled tightly to stop the top five from doing much damage.

Lakhvir Singh (3 for 27) and Ben Hyde (2 for 21) led the attack well.

However, Joseph O'Sullivan (35) and Neal Parlane (41) added vital runs in the lower order to take Maungakaramea to 187 for eight declared.

Kamo started their reply in good form as the top three of Ben Hyde (43 off 19 balls), Rhyce Brittain-Clark (15) and Leon Cross (62) all got starts.

But the bowling of Mark Southee unravelled their hard work as he and Tyler Lortan (3 for 25) tore through Kamo's middle and lower order.

Southee in particular was damaging as he grabbed five for 54.

Kamo ended up just 19 short of first innings points.

Heading into day two, Maungakaramea are 106 for five in their second innings with BJ Cochrane (51) and Parlane (29) at the crease.

In the final match Whangarei Boys' High School got first innings points in a tense match against Kaipara Flats.

Kaipara Flats were led well by Jack Beaven's 50, but only efforts from the lower order saved them from a small total as they managed to reach 151.

Sam Webb (3 for 57) and Campbell Jones (2 for 14) were the leaders for the high schoolers.

In reply Caleb Boswell-Smith scored 50 of his own as the WBHS top order all got starts.

However, good bowling from Kaipara Flats, headed by Rhys Jones (2 for 13) and Kyran Dill (2 for 32) made reaching 152 a chore for WBHS.

Boswell-Smith and the tail snuck past Kaipara Flats' total to end the day on 160 for 9.