Smashing start to the new season as Twenty20 hits off

Bellahomes Northland Cricket premier grade competition gets under way this weekend, with a double header of Twenty20 matches at Kensington Park.
T20 defending champions Whangarei Boys High School will head into the season with several changes, including a new player/coach, former Northland age group player Ben Williams.
Originally from Kaitaia, Williams left the region for the Bay of Plenty, where he has spent the past few years playing and coaching. During the New Zealand cricket offseason he has been playing and coaching at Dutch club side VOC, in Rotterdam.
"We are very happy to have Ben on board with us, he brings a lot of experience - he is a top order batsman and can bowl a bit too," Boys' High manager Russell Smith said. Last year's player/coach for Boys' High Richard Kaufman has taken up a full time job in Cambridge, England this season. Other losses for the side include last season's skipper Rory Darkins, who left school and has gone to City Cricket Club along with Vishaan Harypursat. Boys' High have also lost Todd Beehre to Onerahi Central, while Ryan Smith has gone to Kamo.
"That is the nature of the beast with school cricket - you always get a few leaving school. But we have a few players who we promoted from the second X1 last season and they will be a regular feature for us this year," he said.
Despite the losses, there was no reason why WBHS, who also won the 50 and 55 over competitions last season, could not be a threat in the club competition once again.
"We ought to be the best fielding team in the competition with the guys being young and fit, and that is something we will be keen to push. We still have top batsmen Henry Cooper and Ben Hyde, who is our captain this season, along with bowler Tom Herman - all three played for Northern Districts Under-17s last year," he said.
Boys' High's first T20 match tomorrow is against Kamo, followed by a game against Onerahi Central in the afternoon's second round.
Kamo will be joined by professional player/coach Dean Williams again, who arrived from the United Kingdom earlier in the week, while Kaipara Flats have the services of Tauseef Saati, now in his fifth season with the club.
Ewen Thompson will provide some depth to Maungakaramea, while City and Onerahi Central have also brought in players to strengthen their sides.
The first round of T20 gets underway at 10.30am tomorrow at Kensington Park, followed by round two, at 2pm. The following three rounds will be played at Kaipara Park next Saturday and Sunday.
- Draw for October 2: Round 1, 10.30am: Kamo v WBHS K4, Maungakaramea v Kaipara Flats K5, City v Onerahi Central K6. Round 2, 2pm: Maungakaramea v Kamo K4, WBHS v Onerahi Central K5, Kaipara Flats v City K6.