First-class batting keeps Maungakaramea in race

A first-class batting effort by Maungakaramea kept them in the race for the Northland Cricket one-day title by handing City their first defeat of the competition.
A patient partnership of 61 by Northern Districts batsmen Michael Parlane and Brett Hood allowed Maungakaramea to survive the new ball and set a platform for the win.
Parlane's knock of 58 came from 109 balls and included five boundaries, with Hood's 28 vital to the effort because, when the pair came together, Maungakaramea were tottering at 52/3 on a "lively" pitch.
It was the first time the grass wickets at Kensington Park were used this season and they were understandably still a bit green.
The toss was always going to be an important factor and after being put into bat, Maungakaramea captain James Merry was thinking 140 would be a good score.
After losing David Croucher early, Tim Southee (23) and Parlane got the innings started but the telling partnership for Merry was when Hood came in.
"They were as calm as you like, they didn't give any chances or do anything silly. They just waited until they found themselves little periods in their innings, little purple patches, where they were able to score," Merry said.
The fourth wicket fell with 14 overs to go and Maungakaramea added a further 69 runs after that to reach 182/7 in their 50 overs.
It proved to be a winning total and although four City batsmen got good starts none could go on to anchor the innings like Parlane, and Owain Hopkins capitalised by knocking over the tail cheaply to finish with 4/22.
Black Cap Southee's eight overs yielded only a single wicket, with Merry saying he was a little "too good" to find the edge. Southee returns to Black Cap training in Auckland mid-week but Parlane will play one final match for his club before the first class programme begins.
"While it was good to have them around, we've still got Craig Gurr and Dean Child to come back into the squad so although we lose two great players, we get two more back who have both played for Northland, so we've got to be fairly confident for the rest of the competition," Merry said.
Kaipara Flats retained their unbeaten status in the competition with a six-wicket win over Whangarei Boys High School, thanks largely to an unbeaten 85 by Brad Wilson.
Boys High put in their best batting performance of the competition to date, with opener Todd Beehre compiling a patient half-century, but apart from Ben Hyde (39) there were few other contributors of note and they were dismissed for 152 in the final over.
Tas Satti continued his good form with the ball taking three wickets for 24, with fellow opening bowler Gordon Penney also claiming 3/30 and James Marshall taking 2/7 including the vital wicket of Beehre for 53.
With Wilson batting freely at one end, it took just 40 overs for Kaipara to complete the win.
Onerahi-Central moved back into contention for a place in the final on November 23, with a comfortable eight-wicket win over Kamo at Kensington.
Once again Kamo's batting let them down, with only a 42 by Terry Duffin and 33 extras helping them to get to 116 in 34.1 overs. Harry Darkins took 3/27 and Greg Strydom 2/14.
Opener Craig Russell scored 37 before Curtis Cherrington chipped him and Geoff Bigwood out. Darkins and Strydom then put together a partnership of 51 to steer Onerahi safely to victory in just under 30 overs.