T20 CHAMPIONS: Napier Technical players pop out the bubbly on Friday night. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
T20 CHAMPIONS: Napier Technical players pop out the bubbly on Friday night. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
The plan was pretty straightforward but in sport no matter how well you plot success anything can and does always happen.
Having secured the Murray Kearney Memorial Twenty20 crown on Friday night, Big Barrel Napier Technical Old Boys simply had to beat You Travel Taradale CC on Saturday in theMJF Shrimpton Memorial Cup 50-over competition to break a record established more than a century ago.
"If Tech win against Taradale tomorrow they will also win the overall championship for the fifth year in a row," said NTOB stalwart and HB Cricket chief executive Craig Findlay on Friday, suspecting it has only been only been done once before in the early 1900s.
Someone forgot to tell hosts Taradale who beat NTOB by four wickets on Saturday to keep the excitement alive with two rounds to play.
Heretaunga Building Society Cornwall, who went down by 60 runs after an imposing 203/6 from the Texans at Nelson Park, Napier, also have a chance of claiming overall bragging rights provided they win their two matches in the 50-over format to spoil Tech's party.
NTOB coach Dale Smidt said his men were close to full strength with just allrounder Christian Leopard whose season's dusted because of back spasms.
"It was a season with a lot of promise for him but it's fizzled out to nothing. He's young and he's doing all the right things," Smidt said, revealing Leopard had picked up the injury at the gym.
"You look at the first-class side that we're part of here who have bowlers who don't get through the season quite often, do they?"
With a cracker batting wicket, NTOB skipper Liam Rukuwai chose to pad up to make the most of daylight on Friday evening.
Smidt felt the total was exceptional with No3 Isaiah Lange top scoring with 55 runs and No4 Josh Paerau adding 46 after opener Indika Senarthne racked up 45.
"Indy got us off to a great start but he's struggling with his knee, too," said Smidt of the Sri Lankan import who he didn't think needed to have surgery but strengthen it on a bike.
He said Senarathne had played back-to-back 12 seasons and was due for a rest this year considering he was at the cusp of receiving his permanent residency.
Smidt said Cornwall needed 10 an over and felt their captain, Jacob Smith, would have spearheaded it but they were skittled for 143 with two balls to spare.
Smith scored an unbeaten ton the next day as Cornwall crushed Ruahine Motors Central Hawke's Bay by eight wickets in the limited-overs format.
