Onerahi Central's Todd Beehre led his side with the bat in an innings victory over Kamo in the Oxford Trust Two Day Competition at Kensington Park. Dylan Clark looks on. Photo/Michael Cunningham
Onerahi Central have earned themselves a week off with an outright innings victory over Kamo on day one of the second round of the Oxford Trust Two-Day Competition.
Whangarei Boys High School First XI and Duracrete Products City have found themselves in decent positions in their respective chases, but it was the action at Kensington Park that has the Northland cricket scene talking.
After choosing to bat first, Onerahi found themselves in a bit of strife early on as they lost their first four wickets for 41 runs.
Meanwhile opening batsman Todd Beehre was steadfast in his resistance, beautifully pacing his innings against a decent Kamo attack.
Beehre found support in the form of Fletcher Coutts (33), who came in and accelerated the run rate.
Lucky Singh (3 for 27) picked up three late wickets to help out Kamo.
Onerahi came out to bowl and immediately had the visitors in trouble with two quick wickets.
Kamo looked to be turning their innings around, but the introduction of quick bowlers Tom Herman (4 for 9) and Coutts (4 for 12) spelt doom for their batting order as they couldn't cope with the pace and movement from the pair.
Kamo were dismissed for a paltry 43 runs, giving Onerahi the option of enforcing the follow-on.
Unfortunately for Kamo, it was more of the same in their second dig as they were unable to string together partnerships.
While it was the pace bowlers that did the damage in the first innings, the spinners came to the fore in the second.
Off-spinner Sam Walker (5 for 9) tore through the middle order, with leg-spinner Kirk Henderson (3 for 22) grabbed a trio of wickets in one over.
Only Dylan Clark (18) showed any resistance as Kamo were toppled for 58, giving Onerahi Central an outright win by an innings and 71 runs.
Meanwhile a near-century from Aaron Wright set up a good total for Kaipara Flats against City.
Wright faced 163 balls for his 99, smashing 14 fours in a knock lasting four and a half hours.
Ryan Brown (2 for 20) trapped him in front just one run shy of a well-deserved century, while Max Trimble (4 for 38) led the City attack.
Wright received good support from Kevin Forde (37) as Kaipara Flats reached 211.
Kaipara took the wicket of Joey Yovich (8) before the end of the day as City comfortably reached 83 for one, with Bert Horner (40) and Stacey Hyndman (20) unbeaten at the crease.
City need another 129 runs for first innings points.
In the final match, Westech Automotives Maungakaramea's tail dug them out of trouble in their innings against WBHS.
Matt Taylor (31) and Kurtley Watson (54) took a toll early on WBHS' bowlers, Watson especially aggressive with seven fours and three sixes in his innings.
However Kurt Oldridge (3 for 13) tied Maungakaramea down to leave them at 106 for 7.
The innings could have been over early, but a combined 104 runs from the last three batsman saw Maungakaramea through to a competitive 222 all out.
Michael Harris (43), Ian Wallace (22 not out) and James Merry (39) took the attack to WBHS as they saw their side out of a spot of bother.
WBHS started their reply in shaky fashion, losing Lewis Mitchell (0) and Dante Mitchell (8) cheaply.
But Chamodh Peiris (74 not out) and Quinn Pooley (26 not out) saw them through to 116 for 2 at the close of play, leaving them 107 needed for first innings points.