Poverty Bay played both Naenae and Johnsonville on an artificial pitch, Marewa Park 3.
They bowled Naenae out for 85 in 28.2 overs. Reynolds (1-4 from 2.2 overs) and fellow leg-spinner Conrad Parkes (fielding at point) combined to have Naenae No.8 Alfie Holden — the Wellingtonians' top run-scorer — caught for 17 to close the innings.
Seven bowlers — Reynolds, Parkes, Patrick McInnes, William Edginton, Jack Williams, Taylor Kijowski and Kobe Donnelly — each took a wicket for Poverty Bay.
Spearhead McInnes also terrorised Naenae in the field. He effected two run-outs (Naenae wicketkeeper and opener Archie Maher for nine and captain and No.5 Enzo Mekle for 11) in concert with Williams junior (bowler) and Archie Gillies ('keeper). He also took the wicket of Maher's opening partner, Sam McGrath (1), caught and bowled, and took a catch at midwicket off the bowling of Williams to do for No.10 George Pereira.
Reynolds also held a great catch at “cow corner” to account for dangerous first-drop Liam Smith off the bowling of Edginton.
In the Poverty Bay innings, Parkes (15) and McInnes (9) put up 28 for the first wicket and Reynolds — who saw the Year 8 boys through to victory by nine wickets against Johnsonville last week — played another mature hand with 26 at No.3.
Left-arm speedster Cooper Keenan, an outstanding prospect with the ability to swing the ball both ways off a naturally full length, dismissed Parkes (caught and bowled) in the process of taking 1-3 from two overs.
However, the Bay's Kobe Donnelly (3), sixth man to bat, pulled the tall Holden (1-9 from 2.3 overs) — an awkward seamer to face — through square leg for the winning run off the third ball of the 25th over.
Reynolds and Keenan won their teams' MVP (most valuable player) awards.
Bay coach Williams said: “We put Naenae's batsmen on the back foot from the word go with good line and length, and built pressure on them . . . that's what caused the run-outs.
“Harvey made runs himself and he also helped our other batsmen by reminding them that we needed fewer than three runs an over and to be patient.”
Naenae coach Grant Maher enjoys games against Poverty Bay: “The Gisborne kids play their cricket the right way — they've been taught to do that — and they're encouraged to do so by their families on the boundary as well.”
Reynolds won the toss in Game 3 and opted to bat, his crew responding with a solid 125-6.
Poverty Bay MVP Jack Williams, fifth man in, hit five fours in his unbeaten 46 from 60 balls. It was the highest score made in either game on Day 2. Williams also shared in the biggest partnership of the day — 59 for the fifth wicket, with Donnelly (17).
The Bay improved on their target score of 120 due to a huge strike for six over cover by pinch-hitter Raffaele Colucci (8 not out, batting at No.8).
Big Johnsonville captain and paceman Vinuka Aluthge took 1-10 from three overs.
Leggie Josh Conway tucked the Bay up in his first spell, with two wickets for five runs in the 13th over. Second-drop Edginton was given out leg before wicket for three, and third man in Reynolds was bowled for 11, both with the stock ball. Conway then conceded only one run in the 15th over but his last over — the 30th — cost 12 runs (Poverty Bay's margin of victory).
In Johnsonville's innings, fine line-and-ength bowling by both quicks and spinners resulted in six of the Wellingtonians being out, bowled.
Gillies took 2-13 from three overs bowling medium-pace and James Redpath — who has a great outswinger — took 2-14 from four.
Wicketkeeper-turned-seamer Donnelly, who held a catch off Parkes (1-8 from three overs) standing up to the stumps, took the last wicket to fall, that of Johnsonville MVP Savain Amarasena (27 coming in at No.9) caught by McInnes, his third catch of the day, with the score at 101-9 two balls into the penultimate over.
Johnsonville were 113-9 at the end.
One moment in time will forever stay with Johnsonville coach Matt Conway.
“The catch that Patrick (McInnes) held over his head — reverse cup off Savain, back-pedalling at cow corner — was amazing. It won them the game.”
The Bay were set to play Super League Manawatu on Windsor Park 2 in Game 5 and Napier-Old Boys Marist on Windsor Park 1 this afternoon.
