PB face wooden spoon playoff

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POVERTY Bay will play the Northern Districts Invitation team in the wooden spoon game of the Northern Districts senior secondary schooolboys tournament here today after the home side produced their worst batting display of the week.

Looking for their first win after three losses — two twenty20 games and one 50-overs match — Poverty Bay were rolled for 50 in 24.5 overs, chasing Waikato Valley’s 230-8.

Jake Devane was the chief destroyer, taking five wickets for 15 runs.

Reo Sakurano-Thomas took 2-7, having earlier starred with the bat with an unbeaten 121.

Only Paul Stewart and Peter Kapene emerged with any credit from the Bay’s embarrassing defeat.

Stewart picked up four wickets for 46 runs off his10 overs while Kapene scored 24 of the Bay’s 50 runs.

Northland take on Counties Manukau in the two-day final, starting today (weather permitting) after Northland beat Bay of Plenty Coastlands in the top-four semifinals and Counties Manukau downed Hamilton.

Northland were teetering at 121-9 but what turned out to be match-winning last-wicket partnership of 46 between Quinn Pooley (39no) and Alex Gordon (20 off 23 balls) got them to 169.

Coastlands were dismissed in 37.4 overs for 123. Daniel Price (35) and Marcel Collett (27) were the pick of their batsmen.

All the Northland bowlers were tight and accurate, backed up by good fielding.

Counties Manukau made 231 then dismissed Hamilton for 175 for a 56-run win.