Hawke's Bay indoor cricket team fall short in Big Little Tournament final nailbiter

The faces say it all as the Hawke's Bay Indoor Cricket Club loses a nail-biting final 117-114 to Hutt Valley. Photo / Paul Taylor

Hawke's Bay Indoor Cricket Club fell just short in a nail-biting final over at their first tournament since lockdown.

The team, coached by Mike Pawson and managed by Paul McCarthy, lost by three runs in the final of the Big Little Tournament, organised by Wellington Indoor Sports in the capital over the weekend.

The final of the five-team mini tournament ended 117-114 to Hutt Valley.

Hawke's Bay Cricket Association CEO Craig Findlay said the team faced a tough Hutt Valley in the final, with six current or past New Zealand players in the side.

"We travelled down to Wellington on Friday and had four round-robin games, before the quarter-finals, semifinals and the final on Sunday," he said.

"They batted the house down and got a big score. Not many teams chase those sorts of scores, but we all but did it.

"With two balls to go, we could win the game. But the captain of New Zealand under-22s bowled a good ball took the wicket and we missed out by a couple of runs to the top team in the country."

Findlay said playing seven matches over one weekend is a lot for a team without a training centre in Hawke's Bay.

"We were well and above our expectations, especially without any practices, without a home court, without anything at the moment," he said.

"Our goal is to have multiple teams competing in tournaments, but without a home venue it hard to get people together.

"But we are looking into getting a facility in Hawke's Bay in the next couple of months hopefully."