City keep hopes of final spot alive

So much for the Northland drought - two of the three premier grade club cricket two-day championship matches were postponed because of rain on Saturday.
The two rained off games - Maungakaramea v Onerahi Central at Maungakaramea and Whangarei Boys' High School 1st Xl v Kaipara Flats at Kaipara Flats -are expected to begin next weekend.
The only dry venue on Saturday was Cobham Oval in Whangarei, where City set themselves up for a chance of making the final when they rolled  Kamo for 163 runs then scored 121 for three wickets in the first innings of their fourth-round match.
Rhys Farrand was the only Kamo batsman to resist a determined City attack, fortunately surviving a dropped catch in his 20s then going on to score 93 runs and hold his team's innings together.
Chris Page was the most successful of the City bowlers, taking three wickets for six runs in eight overs, with Owen Hopkins also in fine form with two wickets for 28 runs in 10 overs.
 Page had a good day with the bat too, scoring 38 runs before being caught. 
City skipper Bert Horner was also batting well, putting on 63 runs despite a determined Kamo bowling attack which had Harry Darkins out leg before wicket for 8 runs and Craig Anderson also dismissed lbw for 1.
City will carry on batting next Saturday but they need an outright win to gain the 16 points required to get them into the final.