Pacemen ensure a happy ending

Northland ended their 2009-10 representative season on a high note with a captivating late victory over Waikato Valley in the Fergus Hicky encounter at Kensington Park.
Kaipara Flats' all-rounder Kevin Forde hit the winning runs late on Sunday evening to assure Northland of a four-wicket outright win to give Northland a satisfying finish to a season that promised much but in the end delivered considerably less.
The two-day match was a thriller with  a good wicket at Kensington Park contributing to Northland's win.
A fiery spell of Northland pace bowling in the first session set the tone for the match. Northland claimed an early string of Waikato wickets and only No6  batsman Rocky Hobbs (53) managed to hang around long enough to see the visitors reach 150 runs before they were dismissed in 51 overs.
While Tazz Satti and Josh Matthews both finished with the best figures with three wickets apiece, it was the return of Forde to the bowling crease that most pleased Northland selectors. Forde has been restricted to batting for most of the season, with a long-term injury, but bowled aggressively during the match with good pace to take 2/25.
The Northland batsmen knew they couldn't hang around if they wanted to earn a win from the match and at 4/31 that tactic was looking  flawed until a partnership between skipper Brett Hood and Chris Page saved the day.
The pair put on 81 before Hood perished on 49 but it wasn't easy going, with Andy Flegg leading a hostile but fairly accurate Waikato pace attack, to end the innings with 6/103. Page went on to see Northland assured at least of first innings points before he was dismissed for an excellent - but ultimately disappointing - score of 96. Forde added 24 and Satti 18 as the tail wagged and saw them to 245 all out in 58 overs.
The Northland innings was completed in the first hour on Sunday morning - putting them right on schedule - but no one told the Waikato openers Hamish Forsman (50) and Rory Kroon (21), as they started the second innings with a 50-run partnership.
Northland's pacemen struggled to repeat their first innings exploits as the wicket began to take more turn and spinners Rory Darkins and Chris Page got their chance to contribute - with spectacular results. Page took 2/26 but at the other end Rory Darkins had a day to remember claiming the last five wickets of the innings, including No7  batsman Ben Speake, who had put up good resistance with a spirited 45.
Darkins  finished with 5/46 from just 13 overs as Waikato were dismissed for 232, leaving Northland a total of 138 to chase in just 24 overs at an asking rate of just under a run a ball.
Hood started off with 19 off 17 balls, with Page continuing his form by scoring 24 off 17 but it was a handy 55 off 50 balls by Richard Kaufman that assured the team of victory with just over two overs to spare.
The win gives them a happy  ending to a season that started poorly. After their title hopes were dashed early in the Brian Dunning and the Fergus Hickey competition they have rebounded this year  to set themselves up for a shot at a Hawke Cup challenge next year - if they can start the new season as they have completed this one.