It's that time of the year when teams are keeping their head down but also letting an eye stray on what the main opposition sides are doing, too.
"We got a wind of Cornwall's 310 runs so we knew they were going to get one [bonus point]," Napier Old Boys' Marist (NOBM) skipper Todd Astill said after a five-wicket victory over Taradale CC at Nelson Park, Napier, in the premier men's one-day club competition on Saturday.
"We didn't set out to do that but we knew if Indy [Indika Senarathne] gets going we'll be in with a shot of a bonus point," Astill said after the Sri Lankan, who was on two consecutive tons, scored 52 off 30 balls.
Fellow opener Darren Rush made 39 runs before No 4 Astill made a run a ball for an unbeaten 62 as the overall leaders chased down Dale's total with 177-5 in 34 overs for a bonus point.
Consequently NOBM retain their slim margin of overall points over Heretaunga Building Society Cornwall who whipped Craft and Hern Sports Havelock North by 227 runs.
Complete Flooring Napier Technical Old Boys (NTOB) beat Ruahine Motors Central Hawke's Bay by 83 runs at Nelson Park to ensure they keep a firm hold on third place.
Taradale won the toss and padded up but could only muster 174 in 47 overs before they were skittled.
Skipper Luke Wright scored 42 runs while Bevan Pollock and Chinu took three wickets each.
"You know sometimes 160 to 200 totals can be tricky to chase down," Astill said, mindful if NOBM and Cornwall maintain their ascendancy then their last game of the competition could be a humdinger.
A notable feature of Saturday's matches was three batsmen scoring centuries.
NTOB scored 297-6 in 50 overs with Bronson Meehan scoring 111 not out, including 11 boundaries, while fellow opener Morten Freer knocked 58 runs.
No 3 Jono Devine contributed 37 runs and skipper/No 5 Liam Rukuwai scored 36 runs.
David Digby Phillips took 2-44 while Jacob Chalmers took as many wickets for 57 runs.
CHB were 214 all out in the 40th over with No 3 James Mackie making 68 runs and No 5 Scott Schaw, showing commitment by returning from Victoria University to play, contributed 47 runs.
NTOB's Alex McGarva was the pick of the bowlers with 3-27.
Coach Dale Smidt said it was perhaps the best NTOB had batted all season.
"We've posted a good score for a change for total we could defend," Smidt said, delighted the openers put up a partnership of 200.
The teams stopped play for about 20 minutes due to rain but it didn't affect the game.
CHB coach Mike Lewis bemoaned losing son/opening batsman Hamish Lewis who had to have the webbing on his hand stitched after a fielding mishap. "He might have a suspected broken finger because it got caught on the ground as he went down," Mike Lewis said, adding CHB were on target and it could have been different if Hamish had made a contribution.
The other tons came at Cornwall Park where the hosts posted 310-6 in 50 overs.
Opener Jacob Smith scored 128 runs from 112 balls, including 14 fours and five sixes.
No 3 Michael Taiaroa was the other century maker, unbeaten on 114 off 121 balls, including a dozen boundaries and two sixes.
The pair built a second-wicket partnership of 155 runs.
Stuart McVeigh took 3-78 and skipper Jared Priest 2-58 off 10 and nine overs, respectively.
The villagers were skittled for 83 in 20 overs with No 8 Priest scoring 33 runs and No 9 Kurt Richards adding 26.
Cornwall's bowlers were frugal with Charley Crasborn taking three wickets for six runs from five overs, including a maiden.
Ben Jackett took 4-15 from as many overs - plus a maiden - while spinner Jono Hall took 3-26 from five overs.
Cornwall skipper Brad Patton said if NOBM stumble his team would eclipse the leaders.
"We're having hard training sessions with Shrimpo [coach Mike Shrimpton]. Everyone's stepping up as individuals to play good cricket and not relying on others," Patton said.