Teams poised for Shrimpton Cup final, NZ XI blitzes Netherlands

Taradale and Central Stags keeper Dane Cleaver dismisses his Netherlands counterpart Scott Edwards. Photo / Ian Cooper

By Thomas Airey

Wins for Napier Tech and Central Hawke's Bay have set up a repeat of last year's premier men's 50-over club cricket MJF Shrimpton Memorial Cup final next weekend.

The semifinals were played concurrently on Saturday, with Tech defeating Napier Old Boys Marist by 47 runs at Nelson Park and Central securing a two-wicket victory over Havelock North at Forest Gate Domain.

Marist bowlers Matthew Sinclair (5-30) and Sunil Kumar (4-42) were on fire as they restricted defending Cup champions Tech to 138 all out in the final over of the first innings.

Tech's number six Craig Findlay top scored with 43 runs; his belligerent 23 over partnership with George Diack (20) ensured they would finish with a defendable total.

Findlay's son Toby then shone with the ball in the second innings, ending up with four wickets for 27 runs.

Marist lost wickets early and often before being bowled out for 91 runs in the 34th over.

Meanwhile, in Ongaonga, repeat overall 50-over champions Central Hawke's Bay bowled Havelock North out for 125 in 42 overs.

Havelock's third wicket partnership between Dion Joll (34) and James McGruer (48) was the best spell of a difficult innings for the visitors.

Their wickets were both claimed by Toby Richardson, who finished with four wickets for 23 runs conceded.

His Central side reached the target in the 41st over for the loss of eight wickets.

Dominic Thompson (62no off 95 balls) hit the winning run having arrived at the crease in the 13th over to carry them to victory.

At McLean Park in Napier, Thompson's Hawke's Bay representative teammate Jayden Lennox has been captaining the New Zealand XI against The Netherlands men's side.

In 50-over matches the NZ XI followed up on a rain-shortened victory on Thursday with a four wicket win on Saturday, chasing down the Netherlands' total of 215 with more than seven overs to spare.

The teams will play a Twenty20 game on Monday in Napier; the final warm-up match before the Twenty20 international between The Netherlands and the Black Caps at McLean Park on Friday.