Cricket: NTOB and Cornwall to play for top perch

CHB wicketkeeper Scott Shaw successfully appeals the wicket of Havelock North opening batsman Mohammad Al-Sahariar Rokon for 32 runs from the bowling of Jake Chalmers (left) as batsman Ben Fair watches at Nelson Park, Napier. Photo/Duncan Brown

It came around early but there was no mistaking the need for teams in contention for playoffs to shape up or ship out.

With the penultimate round of the Pay Excellence Hawke's Bay premier men's club limited-overs competition this Saturday, only one thing remains unclear - that is, who will be on the top rung of the ladder for the playoffs in a fortnight.

The smart money is on Complete Flooring Napier Technical Old Boys (NTOB) finishing on top, considering they claimed the overall championship title the previous weekend.

On Saturday NTOB made short work of Sharpies Driving Range Taradale CC with a seven-wicket victory, a game that ended about 2pm at Nelson Park, Napier.

With The Station Napier Old Boys Marist (NOBM) on the card this Saturday, Tech stalwart George Diack hastened to add Heretaunga Building Society Cornwall CC had a mathematical chance of pipping them should they stumble against NOBM.

"We still go into the semifinals with an upperhand because whether we finish first or second, we'll get a home semifinal," Diack said, adding that should inclement weather kick in in a fortnight NTOB would win the title.

"But that's not how we want to win it. We want to beat them and properly because there's no joy in winning any other way."

With Craft and Hern Havelock North CC eking out a three-wicket victory over Ruahine Motors Ford Central Hawke's Bay on the adjacent strip, it is fair to say Tech will host the villagers who have secured fourth place for the playoffs regardless of what happens this Saturday.

Havelock sit 10 points above Taradale.

CHB have won the 55-over (English style) competition and are sitting in third place in the 50-over competition.

Consequently, only NTOB and Cornwall will be playing for positions this Saturday.

Cornwall beat NOBM by 78 runs on Saturday.

"We're looking for a good home semifinal," Cornwall skipper Jacob Smith said.

Smith had to call up five third graders on Saturday to make up 11 but he and Seb Langridge opened with aplomb.

"We were severely short with six players off to university," he said but confident they would return for the playoffs.

Charlie Crasborn took the key wicket of ex-international Mathew Sinclair at first drop for 17 runs.

"It was one of the crappiest balls I've ever seen bowled but we were happy to get Skippy [Sinclair] out," Smith said, lauding Crasborn for batting well for 21 runs.

He also commended Jayden Wiggins for claiming 4-19.

Havelock North skipper Jared Priest said CHB put up a good fight.

"They were three for bugger all and then [captain] Scotty Schaw monstered it and it looked like they were heading for a 280 to 290 total," he said as CHB amassed 209 but would have rued the 23 balls in the bank.

In reply, the villagers overhauled the total with a nail-biting five balls to spare on the platform of a solid opening stand.

Priest said coach/player Todd Astill came in late from work commitments to claim Schaw's scalp for 80 runs with a caught-and-bowled effort.

His man of the match was Lindisfarne schoolboy William Hacker who took five catches and scored 26 runs in just his second premier game.

Taradale captain Luke Kenworthy bemoaned poor shot selection. "We deserved everything we got and we're out of the semifinals."