Kaipara Flats team (pictured) beat Kamo to become T20 champions for 2020/21 in the final at Cobham Oval in Whangārei. Photo / Carrie Jones
Kaipara Flats team (pictured) beat Kamo to become T20 champions for 2020/21 in the final at Cobham Oval in Whangārei. Photo / Carrie Jones
Kaipara Flats are Northland's T20 club cricket champions after demolishing Kamo's batting line up to win by eight wickets in Whangārei on Sunday.
Bowling first, Kaipara skittled an in-form Kamo side for 78 at Cobham Oval before chasing the total down inside 13 overs, winning the T20 title for first time in at least eight years.
Kamo had lost only one of five games leading into the final and looked the favourites. Winning the toss, Kamo elected to bat - often a wise choice in a final.
However, that's where the winning ended for batting side as they lost three wickets in just 15 balls, including captain and in-form batsman Ben Hyde when he was dismissed lbw by Kaipara paceman Josh Cunis.
Kaipara spinner Michael O'Flaherty (right) took three wickets in the final. Photo / Carrie Jones
Given the early success, the opening bowling partnership of Cunis and Kevin Forde bowled their respective four overs out consecutively - a rarely seen tactic given most teams saved their strike bowlers for the death.
However, it paid off with Cunis and Forde picking up two wickets each to leave Kamo 36 for 4. Kaipara's Kyran Dill and Michael O'Flaherty continued the dominance with the ball, picking up two and three wickets respectively.
Kamo number five batsmen Max Turner achieved the side's high score of 20 as they limped to 78 all out.
Despite losing two wickets inside six overs, Dill and Kaipara's captain Sam Sweeney saw their side home with scores of 17 and 35 respectively.
Kaipara club captain Liam Jones, who was ruled out of the final because of injury, said Forde and Cunis set the tone for a dominant performance.
"We did know that if we could take wickets early that it could really put pressure on [Kamo]," he said.
"[Forde and Cunis] just had it on a string really, it was really impressive."
Jones recognised the value of snaring Hyde's wicket early, even after he had been dropped the ball before he was dismissed.
"It was one of those days where [Hyde] could get going, he's that central figure in their team and getting him early was great."
Kaipara batsmen Kyran Dill (left) and captain Sam Sweeney walk off after chasing down Kamo's total of 78. Photo / Carrie Jones
Jones speculated it was the first T20 title for the club in his tenure of about eight years.
He said the victory was particularly sweet given the premier side rarely had a full 11 players during the round-robin games.
"If we could get 11 players on the park, we can beat anyone, it's just been one of those seasons when it's hard to get players available.
"To get to the final was nearly as impressive as winning it."
Kaipara now look to confirm a spot in the premier 50-over final, something which seemed likely given their position at the top of the standings with two games to play.
