Cricket: Opening weekend spoiled by weather

Dante Mitchell bats for Whangarei South. Photo / Tania Whyte

Rain and squally showers wreaked havoc as the opening weekend of premier and premier reserve cricket got under way around the region.

At the Kaipara Flats Cricket Club the premier and premier reserve fixtures between Mid Western and Rodney were called off due to conditions being a tad heavy underfoot.

In Whangarei the conditions were better - but only slightly. They allowed Whangarei North premiers to open their season with a bang, winning in exciting fashion off the last ball.

Batting first, Whangarei South hit 182 off 46 overs, captain Henry Cooper leading the count for his team with 40-odd runs. Dante Mitchell managed 24 runs and Matthew Lobb scored 18 runs not-out.

Bowling for Whangarei North, Kieran Nelson took 3/30 in the rain-reduced innings.

Needing a single off the last ball, Whangarei North - whose target was rain adjusted throughout the day - needed to score 160 to win. Jeremy Guy scored 39 for Whangarei North and Sam Walker led the charge with 49 runs.

Bowling for Whangarei South, Matthew Lobb got 4 wickets for 27 runs off his nine overs. "They needed four runs off the last over or something and then it came down to needing one run off the last ball and Kieran Nelson hit a single and they ran and scored it and that was it, they won," said Whangarei South's Dave Lobb.

Whangarei North captain Ben Hyde said it was good to be playing cricket again even if it "wasn't a great day for cricket".

In the reserve grade match, Whangarei South and Whangarei North got through all of their overs despite the average conditions.

Winning the toss, Whangarei North batted first - scoring 129 after 36-37 overs. Whangarei South scored 131/7 in the second innings, a period of fewer showers, to sneak a win. Leading the scoring in the win was Ashton Pattenden, with 59 runs.