CRICKET - Boys, Kaipara set for playoff

Whangarei Boys' High School and Kaipara will battle it out for a place in the 55-overs final in the New Year after both teams had outright wins on Saturday.
The winner of the catch-up match will meet City in the final after they too claimed maximum points against Whangarei rivals Onerahi-Central in the other match of the final round.
Boys' High humbled one-day champions Maungakaramea to continue their good form in the competition. They batted patiently to compile 205/9 in their 55 overs with Ben Hyde, batting at four, the top scoring with 59. Opener Joseph O'Sullivan (38) and skipper Rory Darkins (43) were the other main contributors.
Opener Mark Child added to his good form with the ball (3/30) to get the chase off to a safe start, scoring 51 before he and the other Maungakaramea batsmen eventually fell to a powerful display of bowling by Darkins and seamer Stephen John. The pair took five wickets apiece, to finish with figures of 5/57 and 5/29 respectively.
Maungakaramea were all out for 180 and Boys' High now have a good chance to make the final. Kaipara Flats need to beat them outright in the catch-up match in February. The original match was postponed, with most of the Boys' High team away at the ND under-17 tournament earlier this month.
Onerahi captain Harry Darkins was disappointed his team were beaten by arch-rivals City on Saturday, in a match which might have seen Onerahi make the final of the 55-overs competition if other results had gone their way.
City batted first and made 175/8 off their 55 overs, with Onerahi managing only 132 all out in their chase. Craig Russell top scored with 24, Harley Dyke 17 with Ross Kneebone contributing 14.
Kaipara Flats kept their hopes alive of making their third straight Northland final with an outright win over Kamo at Kaipara.
Kamo batted first but were quickly in trouble, losing the top order for not too many, under the hostile attentions of the Kaipara pace attack.
Ray Beamish picked up four for 11 off just six overs to lead the way, with Jake Phillips, Dexter Buchanan and Shane Hood each taking two wickets apiece.
Kamo limped to 117 all out in 49 overs but it only took Kaipara 26 overs to pull off a seven-wicket win. Taseef Satti top scored with 42 and Brad Wilson scored 26.
Onerahi finished the competition fourth, while Kamo was fifth and Maungakaramea sixth.