All the talk was about inaugural champions Karori Cricket Club's favouritism to claim another crown but first timers Hutt Districts were just happy to be playing three weeks before the premier club season begins in the capital city on artificial wickets although the gusty winds here would have made them feel at home.
"We had zero chance of having any fielding practise or anything like that so it was our first game after training indoors for six to eight weeks so it's absolutely awesome," victorious Hutt captain Kieran Lennon said yesterday amid suggestions they were staying the night in Napier to celebrate before hitting the highway back home today.
"We wanted to give the competition a real good crack pre-season with 18 players to hit the ground running playing five games so there's nothing better."
While Karori had for the past 10 years flexed their muscles in premier cricket , Lennon said Hutt Districts picked three good players - one from Nelson and two from their region - to bolster their ranks this 2013-14 season.
"We came here full of confidence and we knew that if we put the performances on the park we were going to come away with the result."
Lennon was loathe to single out individuals, attributing their maiden title to all.
"Everyone chipped in so I don't think anyone was going to go away feeling they hadn't played good cricket at any stage. We're really happy with the way things worked out."
"We had a plan for him [Noema-Barnett] and we were watching throughout the weekend and a few other teams we thought we were likely to meet in the tournament.
"Obviously he hits the ball so far and so cleanly so we still had a plan to bring our strike bowler Iain McPeake to the top," he said of the lanky youngster who has scored a Wellington Firebirds contract this summer.
Hutt Districts decided to let the explosive Devon Hotel Central Districts Stags allrounder have a single to starve him of strike and frustrate him to the extent where he would go for the bowlers and put the pressure on his fellow batsmen.
It paid off in the last ball of the 14th over over when he mistimed a rocket straight down the throat of the fielder at mid off for a paltry 18 runs.
The visitors' celebration with the score around 82-6 suggested that was the turning point of the game as Taradale needed a few lusty hits to get them back on the front foot.
Former CD spinner, BJ Barnett, kept the foot on Taradale's throat at one end (2-21) with A Williams throwing darts at the other (3-15) for the run chase to fall shy at 110 all out in 20 overs. K Hitchman took 2-19.
"We looked at the competition and wanted to give it a real good crack for as much cricket pre-season the better so we brought 18 players with two teams.
"We're really slow starters at home so we played five games so couldn't think of anything better to do," Lennon said.
Hutt Districts enjoyed it so much they hope to return for a long time as HBCA look at keeping the 16-team format on an invite basis.
"Bay cricket did a fantastic job so we just had to turn up to play and it was great weather as well."
Taradale struggled to get a decent partnership going with opener Luke Kenworthy top scoring with 23 runs.
For the visitors, Lennon led by example, to remain unbeaten for 60 at No 6 for a respectable total of 133-6 in 20 overs.
Taradale captain Toby Doyle said: "It was a good achievement from our team so we'll take that momentum into our one-day competition next weekend."
Doyle said they didn't know much about other rivals in their pool but were lucky to edge it out in the semifinals.
They beat New Plymouth Old boys by eight runs after Noema-Barnett scored 89 runs, including 10 sixes and two boundaries.
In the other semifinal, Hutt Districts comfortably beat Taranaki Wanderers by 81 runs.
"Barney's such a good player that you can win a game so he's a big wicket for opposition teams to get," Doyle said.
Noema-Barnett got the MVP award but while he was top run scorer (195 runs) the next best batsman, Morten Freer (Complete Flooring Napier Technical Old Boys) got the batting kudos (177 runs).
Craft and Hern Sports' CD rep Ben Wheeler took the most wickets (8), pipping Taradale's CD spinner Ajaz Patel, fellow tweaker Senthil Selvaratnam and Corey Larsen, son of ex-international Black Cap Gavin Larsen, all got seven scalps each.
Havelock North performed well but missed out on the playoffs on net run rate in their pool with Hutt Districts, Kapiti and Tech.
