Game one against Onslow was played on a grass wicket, while the other two were on artificial pitches – under the captaincy of Harvey Reynolds for the first two and Archie Gillies for the other.
Patrick McInnes was the Strikers’ leading run-scorer with 148 runs at a strike rate of over 100 and an average of 49.3. He made 51 and 68 from first drop, and 29 off 16 at No 9. He hit one six and 23 fours over the three games.
Against Wellington side Onslow, Poverty Bay were put into bat and reached 170-8.
McInnes put on 43 for the second wicket with Jack Roberts (14).
William Edginton (6 not out) at No 9 and No 11 Raffaele Colucci (30no) wagged the tail with 32 for the 10th wicket.
Colucci clobbered two sixes and three fours in that partnership, which swung things the Strikers’ way.
The Bay bowled Onslow out for 163 in reply.
Cody McMurray (3-26 off six overs) bowled Onslow’s No 11 for a golden duck to win the game, ending it on a hat-trick with the last ball of the 36th over.
McMurray’s fellow swing merchant Edginton took 4-20 in five overs.
McInnes and Jack Williams each held two catches in a great win.
In game two, Hawke’s Bay side Collegians won the toss, chose to bat and were bowled out for 184 in 40.2 overs.
Three of the Strikers took two wickets apiece. Off-spinner Gillies got 2-13 from four overs, Hunter Irwin 2-16 off four and fellow medium pacer Jack Roberts 2-9 off three.
Spearhead Colucci (1-24 from eight) set the tone with a maiden first-up and nippy Arthur Cave grabbed 1-17 off four, bowling impressive Collegians opener Oliver de Haast (74) in the 21st over with the total at 114-4.
That dismissal was a huge moment as the local side were on track for 200 at the time.
Leg spinner Reynolds (1-5 off 2.2 overs) had Collegians’ No 11 stumped by Roberts two balls into the 41st over to end the first innings.
In the chase, Roberts (26) and Edginton (13) shared a 23 run-stand.
Roberts then put on 114 with McInnes.
Reynolds (24 in 20 balls) and Gillies (16 off 20) enjoyed a fifth-wicket partnership of 46.
Gillies, usually an accumulator of runs, took the bull by the horns in the 30th over. He pulled a no-ball from in-swing bowler Reuben Criss for four, then found the boundary twice more with a leg glance and cultured glide shot.
Criss bowled five wides on the off and the Bay secured victory by six wickets in 29.2 overs.
By mutual agreement, the Gillies-led Strikers batted first against North City Ninja Pirates in game three and got to 173 in 28.5 overs.
Conrad Parkes, promoted to opener, hit seven fours in a 47-ball knock of 53, and put on 42 with McMurray (12) for the fourth wicket – the biggest partnership of the match.
Poverty Bay restricted the Ninjas to 150-9.
Colucci (2-16 off five) and Williams (2-13 off five) had the best figures of the Strikers bowlers. Irwin turned in his second excellent stint of the tourney in taking 1-2 from three overs, and Reynolds held two catches in the 23 run-win.
Reynolds led the Bay’s catching count with four over the weekend.
“Batting-wise, Conrad made a solid connection with anything short and Patrick, who copped a ball to the shin in the field, showed resilience to get back out there after that,” Ninja Pirates coach James O’Carroll said, adding that Poverty Bay “played the game in a superb spirit”.
