Hawke's Bay bowler Ben Stoyanoff is congratulated after taking the wicket of Taranaki batsman Mattie Thomas yesterday. Photo/Paul Taylor.
Hawke's Bay bowler Ben Stoyanoff is congratulated after taking the wicket of Taranaki batsman Mattie Thomas yesterday. Photo/Paul Taylor.
Hawke's Bay men's cricket team coach Lincoln Doull was toasting the availability of Central Stags skipper Kieran Noema-Barnett after his side returned to the winning path at the weekend.
"Basically this was a fitness test for Kieran and he came through well," Doull said after Property Brokers Hawke's Bay's six-wicketvictory against Revital Fertilisers Taranaki in their Hawke Cup zone 2 two-dayer at Nelson Park, Napier.
This win saw the hosts claim the maximum 10 points.
Noema-Barnett returned from injury after splitting the webbing between his thumb and index finger in the Stags HRV Cup Twenty20 game against the Wellington Firebirds last month. He took five wickets yesterday and made 39 not out with the bat.
"Chasing a small target [119] can always be tricky. But after an early loss [Henry Hunter out second ball for a duck] captain Jake [Smith] with 54 and Kieran paved the way for the win."
Doull was impressed with the manner in which bowlers Ben Stoyanoff and Charlie Robson bowled into the strong wind.
"They didn't get all the wickets [Stoyanoff took one and Robson three] but attributed to the wickets from the other end. Some of Kieran's wickets were gained by the bowlers at the other end doing a great job."
Doull agreed the win was the ideal way for his troops to bounce back from the previous weekend's innings and 38 runs walloping from Manawatu.
