City batsman Simon Fenwick (right) put on 82 runs with Craig Elliott for the fifth wicket in the home side's first innings against Onerahi at Cobham Oval over the weekend. Photo / John Stone
City batsman Simon Fenwick (right) put on 82 runs with Craig Elliott for the fifth wicket in the home side's first innings against Onerahi at Cobham Oval over the weekend. Photo / John Stone
Duracrete Products City have found their way back to form in Northland's premier men's cricket two-day competition with a strong showing against Kensington Tavern Onerahi Central over the weekend.
City, playing at home at Whangārei's Cobham Oval, reached their second-highest total in the competition's four rounds, all out for 218batting first on Saturday.
A solid start by opener Stacy Hyndman set the tone before Craig Elliott anchored the innings with his side's top score of 79. Onerahi's Fletcher Coutts stood up with the ball to take five wickets for 56 runs from his 24.5 overs.
City's Craig Elliott (right) anchored his side's first innings with a well-compiled score of 79 from 165 balls. Photo / John Stone
In response, the visitors could muster only 121 runs with Tom Herman and Fletcher Coutts the only batsmen to record an innings of substance (43 and 26 respectively) and trailed by 97 runs.
Hyndman was the chief destroyer with ball in hand, taking five wickets for 18 runs off as many overs, supported by Brock Cameron who claimed four wickets.
Playing the game's second day on Sunday, City batted again and declared for 130/7.
James Banicevich gave the home side a chance of an outright win with a quick-fire 60 from 50 balls, while Onerahi spinner Sam Walker did his best to minimise the damage as he picked up five wickets.
Onerahi bowler Sean Daniels bursts through the crease. Photo / John Stone
Needing 228 runs to win, the visitors got to 65 for 3 before the game was ended, City taking the points for the first innings win with their highest first innings total of the competition.
"It's nice to get that [first innings score] and having Craig back in the side was good," City player/coach Scott Galloway said.
"[Craig] just held the innings together, him and Simon Fenwick, batted for a good time."
Normally a strong contender across Northland's competitions, Galloway said City's run of low scores was due to a combination of factors.
"Availability has not always been great, we haven't had the same side on the pitch for two games in a row really, but we weren't too far off our strongest side on the weekend."
Out of title contention with one game remaining against Maungakaramea, Galloway hoped his side could put in a strong performance to finish the season well.
In the other games of round four between Kaipara Flats and FMG Northern, and Motel Sierra Kamo and Westech Automotive Maungakaramea, the first day was played on Saturday with the second set to be played on Saturday, March 14.
Playing at home at the Bourne Dean Domain, Kaipara will consider themselves odds on for an outright win when Northern to resume at 93/9 chasing the 255/9 made by the home side.
Despite losing both openers cheaply, Kaipara's tail responded well with No 8 Michael O'Flaherty and No 10 Matthew Henderson scoring 47 and 63 respectively.
Their effort with the bat clearly inspired Kaipara paceman Liam Jones, who ripped through Northern's top order on his way to taking six wickets for 21 runs from his 13.3 overs.
Maungakaramea will also go into Saturday's second day in a dominant position, leading by about 60 runs after dismissing Kamo for under 100, who will continue their second innings with the bat.
