As club cricketers around New Zealand transition into their winter codes, what better time to look back at the club cricket season in Auckland and Northern Districts.
AUCKLAND:
Record setting rainfall threatened Auckland’s club summer, however teams persevered and completed all but the men’s 50-over premier competition.
East Coast Bays CC enjoyed a profitable season throughout the premier men’s competitions, taking out the Twenty20 competition in front of a home crowd, and edging out Grafton CC in the Minor Two-Day campaign with a final innings victory over Waitakere on the last day of season.
In just his first season with East Coast Bays Premier Men, coach Nick White picked up ACA’s ‘Coach of the Year Award’, turning ECB into a formidable unit with their “bazball” style of play.
35 years since they last won the competition, North Shore CC managed to take out the Major Two-Day competition.
NSCC established themselves at the top of the ladder early on and never relinquished their spot, bagging an outstanding five wins through superb team performances, two more than the next best team.
NSCC leg-spinner, Tendai Chitongo, was a key asset in his side’s successful Hedley Howarth campaign with his leg spin bowling and middle-order batting.
Chitongo was awarded ACA’s Laurie Schnauer Cup for Player’s Player of the Year.
- North Shore CC (Hedley Howarth Two Day Competition),
- East Coast Bays CC (Tom Hellaby Two Day Competition),
- East Coast Bays CC (Premier Men’s T20).
This season’s Prichard Cup 50-Over Women’s competition was a two-horse race between powerhouse clubs – Cornwall CC and Takapuna CC.
There could only be one winner though, and this year the silverware went to Takapuna Premier Women, who took out the final thanks to fine performances from bowler Taila Hurley (3-33) and Auckland Hearts’ batter, Lauren Down (63*).
ACA’s Pearl Dawson Twenty20 Trophy was taken out by the form team of the competition, Howick Pakuranga Premier Women.
In front of their home crowd at Lloyd Elsmore Park, Howick Pakuranga won their final – bowling Cornwall out for 90 runs and chasing down the score five wickets down.
Amberly Parr (3-16) and Ayaan Lambat (2-16) were the pick of the HPCC bowlers, while Saachi Shahri (21) top scored with the bat.
- Takapuna CC (Women’s - Prichard Cup – 50 Over),
- Howick Pakuranga CC (Women’s – Peral Dawson - T20).
NORTHLAND:
Kamo Cricket Club hold Northland Club Cricket bragging rights, after winning both the Men’s One Day and Twenty20 titles.
Kamo CC edged past Maungakaramea Cricket Club in the One-Day final thanks to a match winning 71* runs from competition top run-scorer Curtis Cherrington.
Kamo CC also won the men’s T20 as a rain abandoned top qualifier with four wins from four games.
Onerahi Central CC ruined Kamo CC’s chances of a clean sweep, taking out the Two-Day competition with three wins.
Sam Walker was vital to Onerahi CCC’s Two-Day campaign, taking 25 wickets throughout the Two-Day competition, while captain Todd Beehre added a handy 178 runs and seven wickets.
- Onerahi Central CC (Oxford Trust Comp - Premier Men’s Two Day)
- Kamo CC (Lion Red Premier Men’s One Day)
- Kamo CC (Men’s T20)
COUNTIES MANUKAU:
Karaka CC had a season to remember in the Counties Manukau club competition, taking home the local men’s 50-Over competition, as well as the Spark Regional 50-OverCup.
The Spark Cup is a highly coveted competition, played for by clubs within the Counties Manukau, Hamilton, and Waikato Valley Regions.
In their Spark Cup final against Pukekohe Metro, KCC top order batsmen, Luke Williamson (123) and Marcel Marconi (101) powered their side to victory.
Pukekohe Metro CC put together a strong showing in the Men’s Twenty20 competition, tallying eight wins in pool play, before knocking over Manukau City CC in the final.
Bowlers Blair Lovett (4-24) and Reid Somani (2-3) made short work of MCCC’s batting order, claiming six wickets between them and bowling Manukau out for 61 runs.
- Manukau City CC (WH Taylor Shield - Men’s Two Day),
- Karaka CC (Duthie Cup - Men’s 50 Over),
- Karaka CC (Spark Regional Competition – Men’s 50 Over),
- Pukekohe Metro CC (Men’s T20).
HAMILTON:
Men's Two-Day winners, Hamilton Old Boys' CC
Hamilton’s Club Cricket season saw three different teams winning each of their premier men’s competitions.
Hamilton Old Boys’ CC finished atop the Two-Day table with 46 points, with 2 outright and 3 first innings victories.
In their final against Marist Suburbs, a first innings century from Kendall Nolan (113 runs), and a second innings century from captain Anurag Verma (112 runs) ensured HOBCC lifted the title.
Marist Suburbs CC claimed victory in a rain affected 50-Over final against Hamilton Star.
Michael Dodunski (93*) and Peter Bocock (52*) lead their team to silverware with an unbeaten partnership for the fourth wicket - capping off MSCC’s unbeaten run in the One Day competition.
Hamilton Star CC finished unbeaten through four games to take out the RM Dodunski Men’s T20 Trophy.
In the final, openers Kuwyn Price (59) and Joshua Dinan (43) set a platform for HSCC, while Suwan Wijetunge’s (3-12) helped to see Marist Suburbs bowled out 60 runs short of the total.
- Hamilton Old Boys’ CC (E Marr Bowl - Men’s Two Day)
- Marist Suburbs CC (AHS Holland Plate - Men’s 50 Over),
- Hamilton Star University CC (RM Dodunski Trophy – Men’s T20
- Hamilton Old Boys’ CC (Alpha Sports Premier Women’s T20) – Waikato Valley & Hamilton combined.
- Morrinsville Piako CC (Alpha Sports Premier Women’s 35 Over) – Waikato Valley & Hamilton combined.
WAIKATO VALLEY:
Cambridge Cricket Club enjoyed a successful season in Waikato Valley’s premier men’s competitions – taking home titles in the Two-Day and 50-Over competitions.
Taylor Bettelheim was the hero in CCC’s Two-Day final against Te Awamutu CC, scoring a quickfire 87 runs to earn his team first innings points and the victory.
Bettelheim again proved to be the difference maker in the One-Day final, scoring 151 runs (from 128 balls) to give his side the edge against Morrinsville Piako CC.
St Paul's Collegiate 1XI took out the Men’s Twenty20 competition for the second year running, after finishing unbeaten through round-robin.
In the final SPC faced a tough Cambridge side, but strong individual performances from Lucas Hale (68), Michael Robinson (54) and Will Haldey’s (5-12) saw them emerge as champions.
Hamilton Old Boys’ CC went unbeaten in the Women’s Twenty20 competition, largely thanks opening batter, Scherize Van Der Mescht.
Van Der Mescht tallied a half-century (64) in HOBCC's penultimate match to lead her side to victory.
Van Der Mescht continued her form in the Alpha Sports 35-Over Cup, scoring a remarkable double-century (202 runs off 108 balls).
The final was washed out, but Hamilton Old Boys CC were clear winners, dominating the competition from start to finish.
Morrinsville Piako CC took out the inaugural Alpha Sports 35-Over Cup after beating Hamilton Old Boys’ in their final.
Opening bowler Rebecca Lamb (3-16) and spin-bowlers Catherine Hardie (2-4) and Kate Peddie (3-5) set up the win for MPCC, bowling HOBCC out for 40 runs and chasing down the runs for the loss of no wicket.
- St Paul's Collegiate 1XI (Presidents Cup - Men’s T20),
- Cambridge CC (Mike Cotter Cup - Men’s 50 Over),
- Cambridge CC (Champions Trophy - Men’s Two Day),
- Hamilton Old Boys’ CC (Alpha Sports Premier Women’s T20) – Waikato Valley & Hamilton combined.
- Morrinsville Piako CC (Alpha Sports Premier Women’s 35 Over) – Waikato Valley & Hamilton combined.
BAY OF PLENTY CLUB CRICKET:
Greerton Cricket Club took out the Bay Cup Two-Day final over Tauranga Boys College.
Entering the final as the two form teams, GCC showed their experience by batting first and piling on the runs – batsmen Charles Williams (171 runs), Anish Desai (73) and Tom MacRury (56) pushing the total out of TBC’s reach. MacRury rounded off a fantastic individual outing with a 6-wicket haul (6-59).
GCC carried this form into the Twenty20 competition, where they finished unbeaten to secure the Venture Developments Baywide T20 Cup.
Otumoetai Cadets Cricket Club (pictured above) pipped Mount Maunganui CC in the Men’s 50-Over final to take home the Versatile Williams Cup.
Chasing 202 to win, OCCC produced a team effort with the bat – six players scoring in double figures to see them home in the 49th over. Openers Fergus Lellman (44) and Marcel Collett (42) led the way as top scorers for OCCC.
- Greerton CC (Bayleys Bay Cup - Men’s Two Day),
- Otumoetai Cadets CC (Versatile Williams Cup - Men’s 50 Over),
- Greerton CC (Baywide T20 - Men’s T20).
