New Plymouth Old Boys assured itself a home semifinal when picking up first-innings points on day one of its final premier two-day club cricket match against Woodleigh on Saturday.
The defending two-day champion knocked over Crowded House Woodleigh for 134 in 44 overs.
Woodleigh was on the back foot early, losing the wickets of dangermen David Collingwood, for two, and Moritz Hartmann, for a duck, leaving David Simpson (60) and Matt Nicholls (31) to score the bulk of the runs.
Old Boys medium pace bowler Jamie Watkins did the damage, snaring 5-18 off 15.4 overs.
In reply, Old Boys made a shaky start being 72-5 before consolidating to reach stumps at 251-6. Watkins was again in the action with a hard-hit 88, including five sixes, and was well supported by Brad Fale with 78 not out.
While Old Boys has secured either first or second spot for the playoffs, the make-up of the top four remains undecided, with points in the other three matches still to be claimed.
New Plymouth Marist United won the toss and sent in New Plymouth Boys' High School at Lynmouth Park. The Boys' High batsmen failed to capitalise on promising starts, including topscorer Kane Robertston (39), as the side was dismissed for 195.
At stumps, Marist United was 160-4 with skipper Ryan Fleming unbeaten on 68 and No 3 batsman Sam Barrett having contributed 40.
Inglewood batted 61 overs to be 239 in its first innings against Stratford, with Hayden McIntyre (53) and Chris Judson (69) scoring half-centuries. Jayden Rinaldi was the best of the Stratford bowlers with 4-47 off 13 overs.
Stratford made it through to 74-5 in 28 overs at stumps.
Hawera United signalled its intention to be a playoff contender when posting 343-4 declared against Francis Douglas Memorial College.
Kolyn Tai (102) and Nathan Hawkes (116 not out) put the college bowlers to the sword, with Tai's century coming from 127 balls and including 18 fours, and Hawkes smashing his ton off just 72 balls and hitting 16 fours and three sixes. His second 50 came off 23 balls.
In reply, the college side was struggling at 142-7 at stumps with Mark Wales (45) and Sam Wells putting on 43 for the seventh wicket.
The main destroyer for Hawera United was Matt Kelbrick, who took 3-57 off 16 overs.
