Northland premier cricket: Maungakaramea learn in tight win over City

Maungakaramea's South African import Mark Andrianatos scrambles across the wicket to field the ball off his own bowling on Saturday at the Maungakaramea Domain. Photo / John Stone

As is always the way in cricket, it's not how you get the runs, it's that you get them in the first place.

This classic idiom would have been running through the minds of the Westech Automotive Maungakaramea premier cricket team as they escaped with a four-wicket win over Duracrete Products City on Saturday with the final runs coming off the last ball of their 40-over innings.

Needing about six runs from the final over at the Maungakaramea Domain, Maungakaramea's Sean West was left to score three from the last ball to complete the chase of City's 242 score.

After a tough loss to FMG Northern last weekend, Maungakaramea were quick to recover with an excellent chase of City's 242 in their 40 overs. Photo / John Stone

Fortunately for the home side, the ball clipped West's pads and streaked through third man to the boundary for four leg byes. It finished what had been a game full of runs on a glorious day in Maungakaramea.

Batting first, City recovered well after losing opener Simon Fenwick in the first over of the game with captain Stacy Hyndman and number three batsman James Banicevich putting on 103 runs for the second wicket.

After Banicevich was dismissed for 42 in the 17th over, Hyndman carried on alongside Craig Elliot as they put on a further 90 runs for the fourth wicket. The City captain eventually holed out to long off just three runs shy of his hundred to the bowling of West.

City batsman Stacy Hyndman was despondent after holing out to long off just three runs shy of his hundred on Saturday. Photo / John Stone

With Elliot reaching his 50 in addition to a couple of lusty blows from middle-order batsman Terschwin Raubenheimer, City finished strong at 242 for 6.

Whatever momentum City took with them into the break quickly evaporated in the second innings as the home side's openers, Tom Lovegrove and Chris Page, put on 116 runs for the first wicket.

City batsmen Stacy Hyndman (right) and Craig Elliot put on 90 runs for the fourth wicket. Photo / John Stone

When Lovegrove departed in the 16th over, it brought Ian Page out to join his brother and the pair carried on as if nothing had changed. Chris, fresh off a hundred the weekend before, almost made it two from two weeks only to fall for 96 after his brother was removed for 40.

At 190 for 1, the home side were cruising but it seemed the quick departure of the Page brothers sent Maungakaramea into a state of panic and were reduced to 228 for 5. Luckily, the home side composed themselves to complete the chase.

Interestingly, Maungakaramea lost in very similar circumstances last week to FMG Northern, who chased down Maungakaramea's 243 with just three balls remaining.

While Maungakaramea skipper Neal Parlane was glad to secure his side's second win from four rounds of the Lion Red Cup, there was plenty to improve on for round five.

"We bowled pretty poorly, not much energy in the field... which is something we pride ourselves on and [City] batted nicely," he said.

Maungakaramea captain and coach Neal Parlane was able to lead his side to victory. Photo / John Stone

"We've got so much to work on and I'd like to say we'll be better next week but the way it's going at the moment, we are just playing some dumb cricket."

Parlane, who was dismissed for a three-ball duck, said he was as much to blame as anybody and hoped his side could raise the standard in all facets of the game.

"As I said to the boys [on Saturday], we are a good side but if you're a dumb side, which we are at the moment, you're not going to win any games or competitions so hopefully we learn from it."

Saturday's game between City and Maungakaramea was as close as you can get between two talented teams. Photo / John Stone

City captain Hyndman said he was confident his side's effort in the first innings would get them through.

"I felt 242 was a great score but [Maungakaramea] just came out and gave us nothing really," he said.

"We did drop a couple of catches, but I thought 240 was enough."

Now sitting at the bottom of the table, Hyndman said his side needed to be better in the field if they were to win the tight games being played out early in the season.

Competition leaders Kaipara Flats also played out a close game at home against visitors Motel Sierra Kamo at the Bourne Dean Domain on Saturday.

The visitors started proceedings with the bat but lost wickets at regular intervals to be dismissed for 158 after 36.2 overs. Kamo opener David Armitt top-scored with 48 as the rest of the team struggled in the face of Kaipara bowlers Liam Jones, Michael O'Flaherty and Matthew Taylor, who took two wickets apiece.

As so often happens chasing low totals, Kaipara struggled early on and found themselves three wickets down for just 22 runs inside five overs.

The pressure was still on Kaipara as Kamo had them 121 for 7 with eight overs left, but an unbeaten 50 from Byron Jollivet and a crucial 24 from number nine batsman Rhys Jones, saw Kaipara over the line with 10 balls remaining.

The Kensington Tavern Onerahi Central premier team claimed their first win of the season over Northern on Saturday at Kensington Park. After losing early wickets, Northern managed to score 134 for 8 off their 40 overs with Onerahi's Sam Walker taking three wickets for 22 runs off his eight overs.

In reply, Onerahi took their time in chasing the total, finally reaching the target four wickets down with only two overs remaining. Returning Northern Districts A batsman Henry Cooper steered the chase with a well-compiled 60 from 91 balls. Northern's Kian Bird was the best with the ball, taking all four of Onerahi's wickets.

Round five Lion Red Cup fixtures (Saturday, 12:30pm, on grass wickets)

Onerahi vs Maungakaramea at Kensington Park 1
Kaipara Flats vs City at Bourne Dean Domain 1
Kamo vs Northern at Kamo Recreation Ground 1