The Mount Maunganui Premier Cricket team starts its quest to become the best premier club team in the country today.

The team is in Auckland to contest the week-long National Cricket Club Championships at Cornwall Park, with the final on April 10.

Mount Maunganui cricketers are in Auckland to attempt to be the best club in the country.

The championship matches the provincial club champions from each of the six major associations throughout the country in head-to-head competition.

Mount Maunganui earned its second successive berth at this competition when they defeated Kaipara Flats to win the Eric Petrie Cup, which is the prize at stake in the Northern Districts Club Championship.

In this game, bowling first, Mount Maunganui dismissed the Northland side for a modest 137.

Dale Swan and Tony Goodin did the damage with the ball, taking three wickets apiece.

While the Kaipara Flats bowlers made a valiant attempt for victory, Mount Maunganui got home for a four wicket win.

Carl Schwarz top scored with 38, with Matt Golding there at the end with an unbeaten 31 runs.

The Eric Petrie Cup was the icing on the cake for the Mount Premier team, which has had an outstanding season.

The only stain on the Mount Maunganui ledger card was a solitary loss to Greerton in the Western BOP Championship at the start of the season, back in October.

The Western BOP Championship Baker Cup was the first of five pieces of cricket silverware raised aloft in triumph, during the season.

A clean sweep of the opposition in the Williams Cup was repeated in the BOP Cup with the Hart Family Trophy Baywide Champion of Champions also won.

The domination of the Mount Premiers and the success of the Mount Maunganui Reserve Grade teams in grabbing both the Western BOP Championship and the McNaughton Trophy is testament to a club with a strong administration base.

While committed players and a good coaching structure are important, the value of a strong committee, which focuses on all aspects of club success, including a strong junior cricket organisation, can never be underestimated.