Cricket: 40-over format prompts team rethink

Llorne Howell (right)

The last time George Diack played a 40-over match he was only 12 years old so revisiting the format as a premier club player on Sunday was almost a Back to the Future experience.

"The whole thinking process changes," Diack said last night after he skippered Complete Flooring Napier Technical Old Boys to a nail-biting 18-run victory against Heretaunga Building Society Cornwall CC in Hastings.

The prem men will play 50-over affairs but resort to 40-over ones on Sundays when the Pay Excellence Hawke's Bay senior men's rep team competes in the Furlong Cup zone 2 Hawke Cup qualifiers.

"You can't get a plan up so quickly so it's very different cricket but, hey, it's exciting stuff," he said of the HBCA Property Brokers-sponsored competitions that include a 55-over format as well as the overall bragging rights from points accumulated from all three versions.

Diack lauded Cornwall opener Jake Harvey for his 66 runs in the run chase that fell shy of Tech's below-par 158 all out.

No8 Todd Watson, 35 not out, and No11 Tom Lindsay, 15, forged a crucial 38-run partnership to keep NTOB in the hunt.

At Forest Gate Domain, Ongaonga, Ruahine Motors Central Hawke's Bay sent a message to Bay selector Mathew Sinclair after three of their players became sacrificial lambs before the Hawke Cup opening round win over Wanganui at Nelson Park at the weekend.

Unwanted Angus Schaw scored 72 from 91 balls, No4 James Mackie added 43 (37 balls) and No3 Scott Schaw chimed in with 38 (79) in CHB's 200-5 in 40 overs against Bayleys Havelock North CC who came up 36 runs shy despite a promising start from openers Jared Priest (38 runs) and James Field (23).

No6 Mitchell Hammond carved up a patient 21 but to no avail.

"It's good to see the top order set the foundation for others to have a whack," Scott Schaw said, adding they were at full strength bar Charlie Robson and Blair Tickner with the Bay men.

"It was a good chance to show Hawke's Bay we've still got talent."

The Station Napier Old Boys' Marist beat Sharpies Golf Taradale CC by five wickets to echo similar sentiments after ex-Black Cap Llorne Howell scored an unbeaten 106 not out from 121 balls, including 15 fours and two sixes.

"It's been a long time since our top order finally fired in the winning of a game," NOBM captain Bevin Pollock said.