Cricket: Cornwall take championship

By GRAHAM REDDAWAY

Cornwall have won their sixth Auckland club championship in eight seasons with a crushing five-wicket victory over Howick Pakuranga.

But the season ended with some alarm among North Harbour clubs, with three clubs at the foot of the table.

Birkenhead were relegated from the premier division. East Coast Bays were second from bottom, followed by North Shore.

At the other ewnd of the table, defending champions Grafton finished fourth after heading runners-up Parnell by 38 runs on the first innings.

East Coast Bays started the second day against Birkenhead on their home ground at Mairangi Bay 92 runs in arrears, but with just five wickets in hand. Both sides faced the bleak prospect of relegation as the price for losing.

But with Mark Badland - who reached 62 not out - providing a solid platform, Bays scored 222 for eight before play ended, and it was Birkenhead, the promoted side last season, who took the drop.

North Shore headed Suburbs New Lynn on the first innings, but with skipper John Vujnovich scoring a stylish century, the westerners piled on 237 in their second innings and set a target of 244. North Shore collapsed for 119.

Papatoetoe, so close to promotion last season, made no race of the first division and, after beating Auckland University by an innings and 115 runs, took the step up to replace Birkenhead.

Papatoetoe medium-fast bowler, Gareth Wood captured seven for 32 in University's first innings of 71, and their evergreen all-rounder, Neil Ronaldson, took three wickets without conceding a run.

Howick Pakuranga were relegated from the first division after being beaten by struggling Takapuna.

Cornwall won the women's first-grade championship with a 68-run victory over Grafton.