CRICKET - Northland exact revenge but trophy stays south

The victory drinks in the Northland changing shed at Cobham Oval yesterday may have tasted bittersweet.
A fine partnership of 153 between Steven Knox and Jamie Lee gave Northland a moral victory, in the form of a first-innings win over against their biggest rivals Hamilton - but it wasn't enough to wrest the Fergus Hickey trophy off the Waikato side.
Neither did it truly expunge the memory of an emphatic Hawke Cup challenge defeat three weekends ago in Hamilton, Northland manager Martin Kimber said.
"At least we were very happy to be able to avenge our relatively lacklustre performance in the big game three weeks ago," he said.
The result proved to the team they had the ability to beat Hamilton, who even without their star players, are never easybeats.
"Although we've redeemed ourselves by beating them we haven't ended up by getting any silverware," Kimber said.
Northland had the most points in the Northern Districts competition but only points against the top four teams counted for the Fergus Hickey Trophy - leaving Northland a few points behind Hamilton in second place.
"It's a bit of let-down to be honest but Hamilton are a very good team and it's nice to get one over them in the last game of the season," he said.
Hamilton were dismissed for 354 on Saturday and Northland were 14 for one in reply at stumps.
On Sunday, Jamie Lee came to the wicket after the departure of nightwatchman Dan Robinson for 14 and set about carving up a relatively inexperienced Hamilton bowling line-up.
He hit two sixes and several boundaries on his way to 50, scored in just 51 balls and had reached 94 before he was adjudged out leg before wicket, somewhat controversially, by umpire Mike Elliot.
Knox was happy to sit back and support Lee's innings and, once Lee was out, he joined Bert Horner in another partnership, this time of 126 for the fourth wicket.
Horner reached his highest score for Northland with 59 and, when he was dismissed, only the rain could have saved Hamilton.
The Northland batsmen, no doubt with their eyes on the darkening clouds, pushed the pace after that, losing two more wickets cheaply before Knox, unbeaten on 141, hit a boundary to take the points.
On Saturday the Northland bowlers toiled away on the flat batting track with Jake Phillips making the early breakthrough, removing both the openers Kier Bettley and Gareth Irwin. Opening bowlers Steve Schwartfeger and Dan Robinson got through plenty of overs but were expensive, with Schwartfeger finishing with three for 74.
Darron Goodwin was the only slow bowler to gain any purchase, taking two wickets, including the valuable wicket of Sam McLeod on 85. Ryan Shute top-scored for Hamilton with 116.