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This season the Kaipara Flats Cricket Club (KFCC) premiers are looking to go one better than last year by not only successfully defending their one-day and two-day titles, but by also winning the T20 tournament.
The team has the will to win it all and, importantly, it has momentum.
“We’ve been dominant for the last few years, and won two out of the three Northland competitions in 2023. We lost the T20 final on the last ball of the over. So we were so close to winning all three comps,” Club captain Liam Jones says.
“We’re trying to continue our dominance this summer, and want to win all three formats.”
So far the prems are hitting it out of the park.
In the one-day competition, or Lion Red Cup, KFCC went undefeated through the round robin and pummelled Kamo Cricket Club in the semi-final at Bourne Dean Reserve in Kaipara Flats on November 24.
Jones says the game against Kamo wasn’t even close.
“It was a pretty dominant performance from Kaipara in the semi. We bowled Kamo out for 93 and chased down the total in 23 overs, winning by five wickets. They got a bit of a dealing to,” he says.
Jones and his teammate Luke Beaven were the pick of the bowlers with 4/31 and 2/17 respectively, while batsman James Marshall top scored with a handy knock of 39 not out.
The Lion Red Cup final between KFCC and City Cricket Club was played yesterday at Cobham Oval in Whangārei (please visit localmatters.co.nz for the result).
Jones says the same Kaipara players compete across all three formats – the Northland one-day, two-day and T20 competitions.
“Our success over the past few years is because the club has had a core group of young players coming through grades and staying together. The team culture is great and we want people wanting to play on Saturday with their free time.
“The Kaipara way is playing tough and fighting hard but having fun with your mates, which is really important. That’s what it’s all about,” he says.
KFCC also has a new coach, Jason Onslow from Northern Districts Cricket, who works with high performance players, fosters young talent and develops pathways for junior cricketers.
“He’s brought structure to the team and been great at mixing the old heads with the new youth players coming through. It’s really a good combination and exciting times for the club,” Jones says.
Kaipara’s success has carried through to the provincial level with six players from the prems team in the Northland Cricket men’s squad presently.
There’s also “four or five boys from the club in the Northland Cricket under 16s”.
Jones says the youth players provide good momentum at the club.
“It’s pretty impressive. We’re representing Rodney, and putting Rodney cricket on the map.”
Kaipara Flats Cricket Club key dates
January 11: Northland T20 final at Cobham Oval in Whangārei.
The Oxford Trust two-day competition
January 18: KFCC v Kamo at Bourne Dean Reserve.
February 1: KFCC v Tikipunga at Bourne Dean Reserve.
February 15: KFCC v City at Bourne Dean Reserve.
March 1: Maungakaramea v KFCC at Maungakaramea Domain.
March 15: Onerahi v KFCC at Kensington Park.
February 8: KFCC reunion. Watch the KFCC premiers take on Tikipunga, followed by dinner and guest speakers. For more details email: kaiparaflatscricket@yahoo.co.nz
