City slicker Darkins cements cricket roots

A City boy at heart, Harry Darkins has returned to the club where he learned to play the game he loves.
After gearing up for rival club Onerahi-Central during the previous two seasons, the 20-year-old batting allrounder went back to play for City's premier grade side after finishing his Sport, Leisure and Teaching degree at Hamilton's Waikato University.
"I played all my junior cricket at City before captaining the Whangarei Boys' High School 1st X1 in 2005/2006," he said.
"That's the main reason I went back to City - I'm a City boy ... I also enjoy the team culture at City."

City's structure was also a drawcard, the depth of talent in the premier and reserve grade teams as well as within the juniors coming up through the ranks, meant there was plenty of competition for places in the top side, making it a good environment to play in.
"The guys need to fight for places there ... it's a challenge for players. We have very good training sessions because everyone is dedicated."
Tomorrow,
 Darkins will line up with City against some of his old club mates at Cobham Oval, when the teams go head to head for the start of the premier grade two-day competition, during which he hoped to make a push for Northland selection.
"I definitely want to make Northland again. Last year I played at the Taupo tournament [Brian Dunning One-Day Tournament] ... but this year I missed out on selection as I hadn't played much cricket at that stage, only a couple of Twenty20 games. I'm hoping to play well in the two-day and look to force my way back in the side."
Winners of the 2008-09 two-day final, Onerahi, will not make Darkins' task easy however.
Onerahi narrowly missed out on making this season's one-day final and are looking for success in the two-day competition.
Since damaging his medial ligament and knee cartilage playing fly-half for Waikato University's Premier side during rugby season, Darkins said he had not been bowling much but had started working hard in the nets to get his form back to where it was with the ball - and the bat.
"I've been focusing a lot on my batting as that is what will help me get into the Northland side ... there's a few young cricketers coming through, so it won't be easy to get into the team," he said.
Aside from playing cricket, Darkins planned to spend the summer working for Northland Cricket, teaching cricket skills to primary school-aged children, before heading back to university to do a graduate diploma in teaching next year.
Tomorrow's premier grade two-day game between City and Onerahi gets underway at Cobham Oval  at 10.30am. In other games, Kamo host WBHS, and Maungakaramea are away to Kaipara Flats at 10.30am.