To the script as Bay to play Manawatu in final

The joke had something to do with leaving the scrumptious cake untouched until today but it's best not to go there to complicate matters.

Suffice it to say the Pay Excellence Hawke's Bay senior men's representative cricket team have booked their place on the main wicket at Nelson Park, Napier, for the final of the annual Chapple Cup tournament.

The 10.30am cup final had followed the script according to Devon Hotel Central Districts Stags-heavy favourites although a bowler-heavy Manawatu only qualified by the skin of their teeth.

Taranaki made life difficult for Manawatu yesterday in their semifinal with Manawatu scraping home by one wicket with an over to spare.

On the adjacent pitch, though, the Lincoln Doull-coached Bay side thumped Horowhenua-Kapiti by 196 runs on the foundation of an unbeaten 136 from No 5 Carl Cachopa, who would have brought great satisfaction to his CD coach, Alan Hunt, watching from the boundary.

No 3 Mathew Sinclair looked in good nick before going out for 51 runs as the hosts amassed 293 runs.

Horowhenua-Kapiti were skittled for 97 in 23 overs although they went after Black Caps legspinner Tarun Nethula for a few lusty hits in a vain attempt to restore some pride in the mismatch.

"It was a good win and it was ideal that we batted today," Doull said, after the Bay bowlers showed their class in the eight-wicket thumping of Wanganui on Saturday.

"It gave batsmen a good time on the crease and two guys went past 50 and there were a couple in the 30s so that's good."

He said as a Stags squad member it was expected of Heretaunga Building Society Cornwall Cricket Club allrounder Cachopa to carve up tons at the cup level.

The Kieran Noema-Barnett captained CD side will host the Wellington Firebirds in the four-day Plunket Shield opener at Nelson Park on October 28.

Although Black Caps wicketkeeper Kruger van Wyk slipped on the gloves behind the stumps yesterday, Doull lauded Cornwall's Seb Langridge for taking five catches as wicketkeeper against Wanganui the day before.

"It was just to show the CD selectors what he could do so that was good."

He singled out fellow Cornwall seamer Ben Jackett for taking 3-20 against Wanganui and Complete Flooring Napier Technical Old Boys bowler Liam Rukuwai for his 2-13 on a "good track with good length which put pressure on the batsmen".

"We should be bowling these teams out for a hundred."

It didn't bother Doull who they played today as he watched the Taranaki men push the Manawatu team to the limit not long after their game against Horowhenua-Kapiti was over.

"Manawatu's a slightly stronger bowling unit but Taranaki are stronger with the bat but whoever it'll be it'll be a hell of a competition," he said.

Manawatu have the services of CD Stag seamer Bevan Small who took a five-wicket bag, including a hattrick, for a miserly two runs from five overs, including three maidens in their 276-run walloping of Wairarapa on Saturday.

Former Black Cap batsman and last season's CD skipper, Jamie How, scored 145 runs in that game. Ex-Black Cap seamer Michael Mason has no qualms about shining the ball and muttering useful words in the ears of Manawatu's youngsters.

Enjoying the freedom of pressure hismelf, Doull said there was more than a modicum of expectation from the Bay men to win today considering they were, on paper at least, favourites with seven first-class players and three Black Caps.