IT MUST be cricket season.
Mother Nature persistently reminded the willow-wielding blokes sporting bright colours of her presence last night in Napier as Hawke's Bay Cricket heralded in its 2011-12 summer season with a Twenty/20 tournament.
On the promising signs of a revamped schedule to make the abbreviated form of the code a preamble to the season, three teams were invited from Wellington to join the fray at Nelson Park's grass wickets.
However, two games were relocated to artificial pitches at Marewa Park, Napier, after a steady drizzle hampered play.
That didn't put a damper on the spirited sides from grinding out a result in their opening matches.
"It's funny. There's light rain and then it stops," Complete Flooring Napier Technical Old Boys (NTOB) coach Dale Smidt said last night, lauding the equally dogged umpires for soldiering on.
Napier Old Boys' Marist (NOBM) player/stand-in coach Mathew Sinclair said the bowlers couldn't even hold the ball properly.
"Our opening bowler, Richard Sewell, couldn't even hold the ball because it was like trying to get a grip on a piece of soap," the former New Zealand international said after his defending champion side won the toss and amassed 189-2 before stifling Taradale to 113-7 for a 76-run win at Marewa Park.
Indika Senarathne top scored with an unbeaten 63, while Jono Devine made 38 runs and Sinclair retired hurt on 25 after copping a delivery on his shoulder.
The 25-year-old Sri Lankan's innings at No 3 included four boundaries and three lusty sixes from 41 balls.
"Indika was impressive with both the bat and the ball," Sinclair said.
Dale skipper Luke Wright, emphasising he was the only returning captain this summer, said his bowler, Harry Pandya, of Hamilton, was the pick of the bowlers with a wicket off four overs, haemorrhaging 26 runs at the rate of 6.5 runs an over.
"But Napier Old Boys were bloody good, mate. They won the toss, decided to bat and just went after us," Wright said before complimenting his schoolboy, middle-order pairing of Ben Murtha and Callum Hewetson for top scoring with 21 not out and 14, respectively.
G Paine and R Tasker emulated Hewetson but no one maintained the momentum.
For NOBM, Sewell and M Jones got two scalps each but a wicket-less Luke Donaldson and Senarathne (1 wkt) were the most economical at 3.25 and 4.5 runs an over, respectively.
Sinclair said NOBM weren't worried about defending their T20 title this weekend as they were focused on redeveloping their team after an exodus of players.
"To be honest, I just told my players to get on the park and have some fun because our competition will start next weekend," he said with the English style one-day competition, replacing the old two-day affair, beginning next Saturday over 120 overs.
At Nelson Park, Tech won the toss, padded up to accumulate a respectable 134-7 before confining Upper Hutt to 114-9.
No 3 Bronson Meehan top scored with 38, including three sixes, and openers Morten Freer and George Diack chimed in with 33 and 20, respectively, for the Napier club.
M Lamont, while not the most economical, was the pick of the spittle shiners for the Wellingtonians, claiming 4-27 from his four overs.
For the visitors, J McKensie provided the platform with 37 runs but only L Davidson Powell was willing to tango with 26 runs.
Nfinite Fitness Cornwall carded a 35-run victory over Onslow CC after the city slickers won the toss and chose to bowl.
The Hastings club amassed 153-3 with Central Districts allrounder Carl Cachopa unbeaten on 50, including two sixes at No 4, while No 5 Jonathon Hall made a quickfire 47 not out from just 21 balls, including three sixes and four boundaries.
Opener/skipper Brad Patton added 23 and veteran Richard Kinnear chimed in with 17.
Corey Larsen, son of ex-Black Cap Gavin Larsen, claimed two wickets in the mould of his old man's right-arm medium pacers, while a wicket-less A Thompson was equally frugal.
Onslow could only manage 118-9 as Hall and L Dudding took two wickets each but CD spinner Tarun Nethula (3 an over) and Willum Pepping (3.5, 1wkt) were the most frugal. Visiting skipper Jimad Khan said they were missing Wellington Firebirds Stewart Rhodes and Leighton Burtt and ex-Firebird squad member Andrew Lamb.
CHB/Dannevirke and Craft and Hern Sport Havelock North will play an extra game each today.