Whangarei Boys High School player Bradley Kneebone has quickly established himself as one of the form players in Northland Club Cricket, with another standout performance yesterday. Kneebone has had a strong start to the season by scoring well in the Twenty20 competition and with selection in the Northland representative side as a wicketkeeper/batsman he looks well placed for a strong season.
Scoring 69 yesterday against Maungakaramea, Kneebone shared in partnerships with Henry Cooper (37) and Ben Smith (28) before returning old boy and Northland captain John Child scored a big-hitting 56 to see the students through to a highly competitive 220-7.
Fine early bowling from Tom Herman and Ben Smith and some brilliant fielding from Fraser Seymour put early pressure on Maungakaramea as they collapsed to be 18 for 5. They never recovered and were dismissed for 71. Kneebone was in the action again with three catches and a stumping while young Michael Stobart, playing in his first premier game, showed some resistance with the bat. It has been a good start to the season by the WBHS team and the early influence of Northland coach and ex-Canterbury stalwart Stephen Cunis, combined with the hardened edge of John Child is beginning to show.
In other games, a depleted Onerahi team fielded and bowled well in limiting the strong Kaipara Flats team to 210 off their 50 overs. Brad Wilson (42) and Michael O'Flaherty (45) scored the bulk of the runs while former Wellington player Kevin Forde provided a rapid-fire 27. For Onerahi, Arron Silva bowled well to pick up 4-35.
Onerahi got off to a good reply with Nic Breslin and Craig Russell sharing a 50-run partnership, but wickets began to quickly fall and they were dismissed for 97.
