NTOB v Taradale:
The joker in the pack has already played his card.
So much so that defending champions Complete Flooring Napier Technical Old Boys (NTOB) players have told Taradale cricket skipper Luke Wright to talk to the hand.
"They have blocked me out of the Facebook because I've been giving them quite a bit of stick this week," Wright says after talking up their chances of beating the highly fancied NTOB in the table-toppers versus fourth qualifiers one-day semifinal at Nelson Park, Napier, today.
He declines the opportunity to reveal any of the banter on the social networking website.
"Each and various banter will be too slanderous for the newspaper," the Hawke's Bay Hawke Cup squad member says in a jocular vein.
Jokes aside, NTOB will be foolhardy to not take the visitors seriously considering they upset the Craig Findlay-led 2010-11 overall champions early in the one-day competition.
Echoing the sentiments of player Mikey Peta after their two-wicket victory over Napier Old Boys' Marist last Saturday to make the playoffs, Wright said they loved playing Tech.
"Everyone likes the underdogs' story and we're it and there's nothing wrong with that.
"We back ourselves and have a plan to beat them and we have every chance of doing that," he says, but reveals Dale will be without No9 batsman Mike Harris, who forged a dogged partnership with No10 Peta for their victory last Saturday.
"He's going to university in Christchurch," Wright reveals.
Peta, he reckons, didn't bowl against NOBM because Taradale were confident of beating the opposition so they rested him although he had recovered from his groin injury.
Whether Tech's injured Central Districts fast bowler Jeremy Kuru plays or not doesn't faze Wright.
"I couldn't care less who they put on the field because we have a good chance of winning."
Findlay says Kuru will have to pass a fitness test as he enjoys the luxury of picking a team from a full squad for the first time this season but CD coach Alan Hunt yesterday revealed he would prefer the Stags to have a meaningful domestic training session rather than play club matches and risk injuries.
"We have a fantastic team and if we play to our potential then we will be hard to beat," veteran Findlay counters as he enjoys a dream season with the bat in the competition.
"They have a couple of match-winners but our focus is what we can do, not what they can."
Such is NTOB's depth that veteran Hamish Thomas, who took a hat-trick of wickets several weeks ago, is out and Jurgen Andersen, with 30 wickets to his name this season, may miss out if spinners come into the equation.
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