Tāmaki Makaurau Māori are the inaugural winners of NZC Māori national tournament in Whangārei. Video / Māori TV
Tāmaki Makaurau Māori have become New Zealand’s first Māori national cricket champions after a cliffhanger end to the Easter weekend tournament in Whangārei.
Led by former Auckland Aces representative Dušan Hakaraia (Ngāpuhi), the team survived a close call against Central Districts Māori on the final morning of the tournament on Sunday - chasing down victory with just three balls to spare - and then had to defeat Te Waipounamu Māori in the decider in the afternoon.
Lose and they would finish in a three-way tie - with Te Waipounamu and Te Whanganui-a-Tara Māori, each with three wins, one loss - and the tournament champion would be decided by tiebreaker.
But Tāmaki Makaurau grabbed the title in emphatic style, defeating Te Waipounamu by 10 wickets to lift the new NZC trophy undefeated at the inaugural national tāne tournament.
Harry Sinclair (Ngāpuhi) cruised to an unbeaten 55 off just 42 balls and Jock McKenzie (Ngāti Maniapoto) was 38 not out off 35 as they brought home the win in just 12.5 overs - after Tāmaki Makaurau earlier dismissed the South Islanders for 95.
Hakaraia said the T20 tournament was an outstanding platform for players like 21-year-old McKenzie to establish a Māori cricket culture for future years.
“A handful of us oldies here are pushing 40, and the most exciting thing for us was to see all these younger players and our rangatahi from all the teams playing awesome cricket and knowing that this tournament has a big future.
“It was a weekend that made me fall back in love with the game.”
An Auckland Blues representative in rugby as well as a former NZ U19 cricket player, McKenzie was named player of the tournament.
NZC’s kaupapa Māori lead Andrew Tara told Te Ao Māori News that Māori flourishing in cricket, including in tournaments such as this, is especially important to NZ Cricket.
Tāmaki Makaurau Māori with the new NZC trophy.
“It’s a really important kaupapa for NZ Cricket, it’s a key strategic priority of the organisation.
“Most of all, though, it’s the connection between the teams as Māori.”
The tournament was capped off by an Easter Monday visit to Waitangi and Paihia - the site of New Zealand’s earliest known cricket match, in December 1832 which featured both Māori and Pākehā schoolboys.
“I would have loved to have been able to play in a tournament like this as a young fella. As I am sure is true of all the teams and players, it means so much to have been part of it this weekend,” said Hakaraia.
The first female NZC Māori national tournament is planned for Labour Weekend this year.
