Meanwhile, left-arm orthodox spinner Tim Pringle (1-21 off 10) and Tauranga captain and leg-spinner Taylor Bettelheim (3-18 off 10, including five maidens) applied pressure.
Gisborne were all out for 125 in 48.5 overs. Before Faulkner’s dismissal off the last ball of the 19th over, a team total of 200 was on.
The home team reached 126 for victory in 24.1 of 50 possible overs.
Opener Niven Dovey hit nine fours and a six, top-scoring in the match with an unbeaten 84 from 60 balls.
Tauranga coach Tim Clarke said Gisborne’s Faulkner and Mitchell batted really well.
“They got to 65-0 and had us under pressure but we managed to get a few wickets and peg things back . . . 125 was a good effort from the Gisborne boys.”
Clarke was also impressed with the fielding of 13-year-old Te-Reimana Gray, who ran out Dovey’s opening partner Cameron Templer for a duck and held a catch to dismiss Dovey off the bowling of talented off-spinner Jackson Donovan-Monteith.
Donovan-Monteith took 2-33 off six overs. When he is in form he is a superb flighter of the ball, capable of winkling out good batsmen no matter how well-set.
Paul Stewart knows what he wants: “I want the team to bat 50 overs and not to rely on two big partnerships but rather for everyone to contribute.”
