Maungakaramea batsman Tom Lovegrove skirts around a City player as he goes for a run at Cobham Oval on Saturday. Photo / John Stone
Maungakaramea batsman Tom Lovegrove skirts around a City player as he goes for a run at Cobham Oval on Saturday. Photo / John Stone
The men from Maungakaramea are striding confidently into the 50-over, Lion Red Cup cricket competition final after a dominant win over Duracrete Products City on Saturday.
The Westech Automotive-sponsored team, who won seven of their 10 round robin games, eased to a comfortable four-wicket win over City at Cobham Ovalto book the top spot in Sunday's final against Kaipara Flats, who finished second.
Maungakaramea's Chris Page defends into the leg side. Photo / John Stone
Winning the toss and bowling, the visitors were on top early as they dismissed City batsmen Matthew Lobb, Scott Galloway, Garry Paine in consecutive balls with just nine runs scored.
Only City's in-form batsman James Banicevich, who scored 94 last week against FMG Northern, offered any resistance with a score of 66 before he was out off the bowling of James Merry and City succumbed for 139 from 37.1 overs.
Tom Lovegrove launches a ball down the ground during his knock of 53 from 49 balls. Photo / John Stone
Maungakaramea's South African import Mark Andrianatos was a star with the ball, taking five wickets for 22 runs from his 8.1 overs.
Despite losing opener Chris Page in the fifth over, Maungakaramea laid a good platform through Tom Lovegrove and Ian Page, who put on 59 for the second wicket and with a battling score of 28 off 55 balls from Daniel Grimes, the win was all but assured.
A couple of last-minute wickets for City wasn't enough to halt Maungakaramea who chased down the total in the 30th over.
"It was a good wicket to bowl on so it wasn't too bad," Andrianatos said.
"The bowlers up front bowled really good areas and the bowlers after that continued with the pressure and with the bat we were clinical up front."
City paceman Stacy Hyndman picked up the early wicket of Chris Page. Photo / John Stone
Having beaten Kaipara by nine wickets just two weeks ago, Andrianatos said the team would be confident ahead of the 50-over final at Cobham Oval on Sunday at 10.30am.
"It's just about applying ourselves, doing the basics right in the final and if we back the basics, the result will look after itself."
City had little answer to Maungakaramea's skill with ball and bat. Photo / John Stone
Come Sunday, Kaipara will be looking to avenge their results this weekend after they had another heavy loss, this time to Motel Sierra Kamo by seven wickets at the Bourne Dean Domain.
No Kaipara batsman scored over 30 as the home side was bowled out for 111 in the 34th over before the visitors chased it down inside 18 overs, wicketkeeper Curtis Cherrington scoring 47.
In the other game of the round 10, Northern lost in a entertaining match against Kensington Tavern Onerahi Central at Kensington Park.
