Wellington have claimed back-to-back titles at the NZ Police National Cricket Championships, beating Canterbury by 30 runs in the final at Burnside Cricket Ground in Christchurch.

Teams from around the country gathered for the four-day tournament from March 3-6. The opening day was washed out by rain but play resumed on day two under bright skies and a brisk southerly. 

With the grass wickets still wet, matches were played on artificial turf, giving batters the opportunity to take control. Craig Elliot (Auckland) led the early charge with 84, while Dan Kurth-Dexter (Wellington) smashed 52 from just 17 balls. Jeremy Crawford (Northland) also impressed with a half century.

The standout bowling performance came from Richard Bell (Canterbury), who claimed seven wickets against Auckland in a remarkable spell.

Batters continued to dominate in the second round. Paul Bascand (Wellington) hammered 77 from 24 balls and Dan Hicks (Hawke’s Bay) produced a solid 55.

After the opening rounds Wellington and Canterbury sat at the top of the table with two wins each, while Northland and Bay of Plenty had one win apiece.

Burnside test

By day three the action had moved onto the grass wickets at Burnside, producing a more even contest between bat and ball.

Morning matches saw Wellington beat Northland, Canterbury defeat Bay of Plenty and Hawke’s Bay overcome Auckland. Canterbury left-arm leg spinner Blake delivered one of the bowling spells of the tournament, finishing with 5 for 12.

In the afternoon round Wellington beat Auckland to retain the Challenge Cup and Cross/Napier trophies, while Canterbury beat Hawke’s Bay and Bay of Plenty got home over Northland. The results set up a final between Wellington and Canterbury.

Final showdown

The decider was played in near-perfect conditions at Burnside.

Wellington won the toss and elected to bat, posting 170 from their 20 overs. Dan led the scoring with 63, while Flynn Eathorne added 28 and Paul contributed 23. Canterbury’s “Mr Darcy” was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets.

Canterbury captain Johnny Beveridge kept his side in the contest with a well-compiled 63, but the Cantabrians fell short as Wellington secured a 30-run win to take the national title.

Dan Kurth-Dexter’s outstanding tournament with the bat earned him the Top Batter award after scoring 221 runs while Richard Bell claimed the Top Bowler award with 10 wickets across the championship.