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It has been a long wait but Kaikorai has finally broken a 21-year drought by claiming the Bing Harris Shield, Dunedin's senior club cricket overall prize.
After finishing second last year, Kaikorai has been nearly unstoppable this season, winning the overall title, the two one-day competitions and the twenty/20 knockout trophy.
Kaikorai club captain and senior player Will Deerness said the competition wins had been building for a few years.
After finishing at the bottom four years ago, the club started from scratch, recruiting younger players and sticking with them as they grew in confidence and skill, Deerness said.
It took a while for results to come, but eventually Kaikorai was able to build a very solid team. Having two experienced and classy players in captain Iain Robertson and Tim Muir gave the team a huge boost, he said.
"For young guys to have the likes of Iain, who has played at the top level, sitting in the changing room with them is just so valuable."
Not being able to win the Declaration Cup was the only one small disappointment for the team this year, Deerness said.
"At the start of the year we set a goal of winning everything. We came close, but we might have fallen asleep a little towards the end."
Deerness believed Kaikorai had the team in place to continue the form it has shown this season into the next year.
"We are only going to lose one player, who is heading overseas, so the core of the team is still there."
- Kaikorai 78/2 beat Albion 71 by eight wickets
Kaikorai's Tim Muir finished his season on a high, after dismissing almost the entire Albion batting line-up by himself, taking eight wickets for just 10 runs.
The small chase of just 71 was never going to bother Kaikorai, which reached the target in just 17 overs with only two batsmen out.
- North East Valley 260/8 dec beat University-Grange 188 by 72 runs
North East Valley finished off its season with some success, winning the minor Declaration Cup after cruising to a 72-run victory over University-Grange at the University Oval.
Valley captain Jamie Murley was the standout player, adding four wickets to his unbeaten 33 runs in the first innings.
- Carisbrook-Dunedin 64/8 beat Green Island 61 by two wickets
In one of the lowest scoring games of the season, Carisbrook-Dunedin was able to just make it past Green Island's total of 61 with two wickets to spare.
It was a day for the bowlers, with Dion Lobb picking up six wickets for Green Island, but he was unable to stop Carisbrook Dunedin's James McAuslan (20) and James Welch (10 not out) from getting their team over the line.
- Tim Miller
