CRICKET - Mills grinds opponents down

MAUNGAKARAMEA'S Ryan Mills registered a good all round performance to help his side to a six-wicket win over Onerahi at Kensington Park on Saturday.
Onerahi won the toss and batted on a flat track, but Mills and fellow opening bowler Mike Harris began to dismantle the Onerahi top order to have their opponents in trouble at 5/40 after just 13 overs.
Only a good partnership between Barry Herman (20) and Jeff Bigwood (24) saw Onerahi gain any purchase in the match, but their total of 98 looked anything but enough on a low and slow batting surface.
Harris finished with the figures of 3/13, while Mills took 3/34, but despite their total Onerahi were anything but beaten.
Stephen John looked to take revenge for his cheap dismissal in the first innings with a great spell of bowling and wreaked havoc among the Maungakaramea top order. He took 4/23 as Maungakaramea slumped to 5/30 before the 17-year-old Mills came to the wicket.
The number-seven batsman joined Northland captain Ben Cochrane at the crease and the pair took the side to victory without further loss. Mills scored an attractive 31 off 40 balls, while Cochrane compiled a more patient 35.
Kamo openers Rhys Farrand and Jamie Millar gave their side the best start of the season with a partnership of 120 to set up a big total for Boys' High School to chase in their premier grade match at Kensington Park.
Farrand scored 72 before being dismissed leg before wicket by Henry Cooper, while Millar scored 36. Ian Page scored a quick 33 for Kamo, but it was an unbeaten 68 by Qasim Shiekh that saw Kamo to a total of 256/5 in their 50 overs.
Boys' High were always going to struggle after losing Joseph O'Sullivan without scoring to a great ball from Jamie Kay.
Todd Beehre and Henry Cooper put on 51 runs for the second wicket to give High School a chance, but they fell behind the run-rate they needed and when the following batsmen tries to push the pace the Kamo bowlers cashed in.
Kamo's four seamers bowled tightly, but it was the slow bowlers, Chris Page (4/15) and Jamie Millar (3/22), who picked up the lion's share of the wickets. Millar will start next week's match on a hat-trick after picking up the final two wickets of the match off consecutive balls.
A weakened Kaipara side won the toss and bowled in their match against City, but it was the only thing they won all day.
Kaipara had to bring in four second eleven players to cover for absences and they badly missed the experience of Brad Wilson, captain Ben Thompson and with Tauseef Satti unable to bat after injuring tendons in his hand, they slumped to a 133-run loss.
Joe Yovich provided the star turn for City with an uncompromising 94 batting at number three, with Kurt Wilson the other main contributor (45no), as City posted 226 in their 50 overs.
Kaipara were never in the chase with the top order failing to fire, with Logan Postumus picking up 3/15, as they were dismissed for just 93 runs.