Cricket: Tight bowling marks regional final

Kamo Intermediate's boys' cricket team are one step closer to national success after solidifying their hopes as contenders for the ActivePost Cup.

Four local teams batted and bowled their way through a two-day T20 regional competition at Kensington Park earlier this week in a bid to qualify for a Northern Districts two-day zonal competition held at Bruce Pulman Park, Papakura, on March 30-31.

Kamo proved dominant through the regional tournament, but had to dispose of Huanui A to progress through to the zonal comp.

The competitive final between Huanui College's A side and Kamo Intermediate produced a good end to the qualifying series yesterday, with tight bowling from both sides.

With one over to go, Huanui College needed 30 of the last over.

Kamo scored 109/1 in the first innings with notable performances from Kian Bird who scored 47 not-out and opener Kobe Walters (41 n.o).

Nathan Parkes led the bowling brigade from Kamo, managing to contain the Huanui side to 20-odd runs short of victory.

Northland Cricket's operations manager, Stephen Cunis, noted Kian Bird as "the stand-out batsman of the final match and of the tournament."

Other notable performers in the qualifying matches were Nathan Parkes (Kamo), Baxter Skudder (Huanui) and Will Potter (Huanui).

Kamo now head to the zonals at Bruce Pulman Park, in Counties Manakau, to play other intermediates from the Northern Districts area.

The winner of that goes to the national ActivePost Cup T20 final.

Kamo Intermediate made the national finals last year after beating Tauranga Intermediate in the Northern Districts final.