Kaipara Flats paceman Josh Cunis ripped through City and set a possible new one-day club record with figures of eight wickets for 16 runs from eight overs. Photo / File
Kaipara Flats paceman Josh Cunis ripped through City and set a possible new one-day club record with figures of eight wickets for 16 runs from eight overs. Photo / File
Kaipara Flats Cricket Club bowler Josh Cunis has taken the best one-day figures for the club in recent memory in the premier team's demolition job of City on Saturday.
The 26-year-old Mt Albert Grammar School teacher went on a rampage at the Bourne Dean Domain in Kaipara, taking eight wicketsfor 16 runs from his eight overs as his side sent the visitors packing for just 36 runs in 17 overs.
With rain threatening a game abandonment, the home side quickly knocked off the runs inside seven overs with eight wickets remaining.
Kaipara's catchers behind the wicket had a busy time of it on Saturday, seen here appealing for a wicket. Photo / Carrie Jones
Cunis' figures were believed to be the best for the club in one-day cricket with other eight-wicket hauls coming in the two-day format. City's score of 36 was also believed to one of the lowest scores Kaipara had dismissed a team for.
"It was awesome, I've had a few of the boys send me a couple of messages ... I'm pretty happy I got that," Cunis said.
After the right-arm out-swing bowler picked off his first victim with a delivery clipping the top of off-stump, Cunis steamrolled through the remaining batsmen with the help of his catchers behind the wicket.
"The rhythm kicked in and it all felt really good," Cunis said.
"There were a lot of things that went in my favour, [wicket-keeper] Matt Henderson did a good job behind the stumps."
Kaipara's Josh Cunis steaming in against City. Photo / Carrie Jones
Cunis, a relation of former New Zealand cricket fast bowler and coach Bob Cunis, is in his third season at Northland's southern-most premier club as he presses for regional selection.
While he wasn't satisfied by his performance in a recent Northland warm-up game against Grafton, Cunis hoped his form would continue and translate into a regular position in the side.
"I didn't play as well as I'd like to have [against Grafton] but hopefully [Northland coach Neal Parlane] is still looking at me and I do the right things to get into the team."
Kaipara club captain and premier team captain Liam Jones was bowling in tandem with Cunis on Saturday and chipped in with a wicket of his own.
Kaipara premier team captain Liam Jones toiled away at the other end to Cunis, picking up one wicket. Photo / Carrie Jones
Jones said his fellow paceman's performance was a credit to the off-season work he'd done and added to his case for Northland selection.
"[Cunis] has put in so much effort during the winter and it doesn't surprise me in the slightest. He travels and trains every week and he was bound to get rewards like this one day.
"He's knocking on the door of those Northland selectors pretty heavily now."
In the other premier games from the weekend, Maungakaramea earned a dominant win over Northern while the game between Onerahi and Kamo was abandoned due to rain.
