Cricket: Northland beat Counties Manukau in the rain to win Brian Dunning trophy

Northland batsman Stacy Hyndman (right), seen here playing for local club City, was instrumental in Northland's winning Brian Dunning T20 trophy campaign. Photo / File

Northland's senior men's cricket team are Northern Districts T20 champions after beating Counties Manukau in the Brian Dunning trophy competition yesterday.

The Northland team, who breezed past Bay of Plenty and Hamilton on Sunday and Monday, won by 14 runs through the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method as rain interrupted their game against fellow trophy contenders Counties Manukau yesterday morning at Owen Delaney Park in Taupō.

Just as rain had cut their morning game short, Northland's final game against Waikato Valley in the afternoon was cancelled and were then crowned rightful holders of the Brian Dunning trophy.

Winning the toss and batting first for third time in three games, Northland's batting innings against Counties Manukau started in the worst possible fashion as Monday's centurion Henry Cooper was caught after four balls without scoring.

Suddenly in recovery mode, Northland's innings looked very different from the high-flying totals of 212 and 213 on Sunday and Monday. Sunday's centurion Ollie White was dismissed for just two as Northland were struggling at 60 for 3 after 9.2 overs.

Number three batsman Stacy Hyndman was main saviour for Northland as he hit 55 from 42 balls as Chris Page, Mark Andrianatos and Fletcher Coutts provided key scores of 20 or more.

All out for 141 off the penultimate ball of the innings, Northland would have been nervous having not posted above 200 for the first time in the competition.

However, any nerves were settled as left-arm tweaker David Armitt took two early wickets to leave Counties Manukau at 28 for 2 after 6.3 overs, before the rain came and the game was eventually abandoned with Northland ahead by 14 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

Northland player/coach Neal Parlane commended Hyndman on a fantastic knock and Armitt on what Parlane considered his best ever bowling spell.

"[Armitt's] plan was so very simple and clear, and he executed it perfectly, Parlane said.

"[Counties Manukau] didn't have a clue against him so it was nice to see a young guy like that do well."

The trophy's namesake, Brian Dunning, was a legend of Northland cricket and represented Northern Districts for about 20 years. Parlane said it was great to bring the trophy home after a disappointing last-place finish in 2018.

"I certainly had a goal of winning this tournament and we regard this tournament as ours, so it's always nice to bring the trophy back to what we think is its home."