Former Black Cap Daryl Tuffey turned in a man of the match performance for Northern Maori who won a close fought Twenty20 contest with the New Zealand Cricket Players Association's Masters team.
After taking 2-9 in his bowling spell, Tuffey opened the batting in Sunday's game and blasted a rapid41 as the Maori team chased down their target of 123 runs set by the Masters team chock full of past and present Black Caps players.
Tuffey was especially severe on current Black Cap Twenty20 bowler, Roneel Hira, hammering 22 runs from one of his overs.
An opening partnership of 52 with an equally aggressive Jono Boult (26) gave the Maori team a flying start. Leighton Parsons (16), the Maori captain, and Haamiora Clarke (22no) then batted responsibly in the face of some searching bowling from the ever competitive Dion Nash (0-16 from his four overs) and Craig Pryor (2-25).
The Maori team reached their target with an over to spare to win by six wickets.
Earlier the Masters team had managed 122 runs from their 20 overs for the loss of five wickets, largely due to an aggressive 41 from Richard Jones at the top of the order and an unbroken 46-run partnership between Adam Parore and Shane Thomson.
Tamati Clarke's left arm spin and steady bowling from the medium pacers kept the run rate in check on a Smallbone Park outfield slowed by heavy rain overnight.
