A partnership of 106 between brothers Ian and Chris Page was the highlight of Kamo's run chase as they salvaged an unlikely draw in the premier cricket match against City on Saturday.
The match was tied when Aaron McIntosh was caught at deep mid-wicket on the last ball of Kamo's 50th over by Andy Pratt, off the bowling of Owain Hopkins.
Kamo captain Boris Jurlina saluted the City captain for choosing to leave a fielder on the boundary when Kamo needed just a single from the final ball.
"It was a good decision but we were pretty thrilled to get a draw against City considering their line-up but there was also a little disappointment that we didn't go on to win the match," he said.
Jurlina said the Page brothers' partnership had rescued the run chase at around the 36-over mark.
"They brought us back into the game and we were looking good at that stage until Joey (Yovich) came on and made the task a bit tougher," he said.
The advantage in the match swung from one side to the other but neither was able to consolidate for long enough to win the match.
"It was good to see a senior club match as exciting as this," Yovich said. "Both sides probably thought they were in control then they were out of it again so it was a pretty good game that saw 460 runs scored, which was a lot better then the previous week."
A good opening stand between Brad Chard (32) and John Pickering (45), in his first innings of senior cricket in several seasons, saw City off to a good start. Yovich chipped in with 20 before Hopkins top-scored with 52.
But the second half of the innings was a different story with Jamie Miller coming on to bowl after the drinks break.
He bowled Yovich almost immediately and the rest of the City batsman struggled to score against him. The young team's Scottish import Gordon Drummond also bowled well and picked up a flurry of late wickets to finish with 6-20 as Kamo dismissed their opponents on the last ball of their 50th over; limiting them to under 100 runs in their second 25 overs.
City's total of 218 seemed like a winner when Drummond was bowled for just one to take Kamo's total to 75 for 4 but the Page brothers took the score through to 181 for the next wicket, swinging the match back toward Kamo.
Ian Page, who arrived from South Africa the previous day, showed some fine form to top-score with 63 before being frustrated by Hopkin's off-spinners and offering the bowler a simple catch.
After that City came back into the match before its thrilling ending.
Maungakaramea opened their season with a comfortable, if slightly rusty, win at the Maungakaramea Domain against Whangarei Boys' High School.
The students made a good fight of it and only a partnership of 59 by tailenders Lance Jessup and Steven Harris gave the home side a decent total of 183 to defend.
Jessup continued to impress when he opened the bowling, by claiming both the Boys' High openers and the only time a Maungakaramea victory looked in doubt was when WBHS's Josh Matthews cut loose at No.6, racing to 46 before being run out.
Kaipara Flats' 198 for nine in 50 overs was too much for Onerahi-Central, whose Onerahi's batsmen, with the exception of Gary Trigg (46), didn't stick around for long to be all out for 135. Kaipara opener Brad Wilson was glad to get some early season batting practice, as he top-scored with 76, with Stu Dill also getting 52.
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