CRICKET - Victory but it's just not enough

A FINE spell of bowling by Stephen John backed up by a tight effort in the field saw Northland cricketers take first innings points against the Bay of Plenty yesterday - but the effort still left them one point short of victory over Hamilton in the Fergus Hickey Rosebowl competition.
The two teams finished the provincial competition on 29 points apiece, nine points clear of third-placed Counties-Manukau, who helped Northland's cause by taking first innings points against Hamilton at Cornwall Park in Auckland. But, because Hamilton defeated Northland in a one-day game in December and their two-day encounter was washed out, the trophy and this year's Hawkes Cup challenge goes to Hamilton.
"It's a bit of shame that we couldn't catch Hamilton but that's the way it goes sometimes ... that key rain-affected match against Hamilton in Whangarei really cost us and proved to be the difference between the two sides," Northland captain Ben Cochrane said.
Cochrane said a flat batting track at Tauranga's Blake Park cost them the chance of an outright win in the two-day match this weekend that would have seen them topple Hamilton.
But for a while this weekend it looked as though Bay of Plenty would earn the first innings points in the two-day match. "Stevie John put in an outstanding spell toward the end of their innings to end up with five wickets, and he was backed up by everyone in the field because we took all our chances on what was a pretty flat deck in the end," Cochrane said.
Chasing Northland's total of 324, former Kaitaia all-rounder Ben Williams, now playing for Bay of Plenty, almost ruined Northland's road trip. He scored 120 until he was removed by John, which was the turning point for Northland in the chase.
John finished with 5/97 off 35 overs, with Josh Matthews taking 2/53 and late replacement for Northland, Jamie Kay, taking 2/24 as Bay of Plenty were finally dismissed just nine runs short of first innings points.
On Saturday, Ian Page celebrated his return to the Northland side with the side's top score of 69. Opener Brad Wilson (63) and Cochrane (65) were the best of the Northland top order but valuable contributions by John (30) and Page's younger brother Chris (29) helped give Northland a total they could defend.