The Gillette Cup playoff between Tauranga Boys College and St Peters played on Tuesday turned into a low scoring affair that saw 18 wickets taken in the encounter.

Tauranga Boys won the toss and batted first on a new wicket block.

File pic.

The home team got away to a good start with opening stand of 51 between Tom MacRury (25) and Nathan Aldersley (27).

The introduction of a spin bowling by St Peters in the 12th over, resulted in a batting collapse by Tauranga Boys.

St Peters spinners Jono Whitley 4/25 and Josh Oakley 2/29 made regular breakthroughs, with the Tauranga side bowled out in the 37th over for just 108.

At the lunch break, Tauranga Boys had no right to win the game, but the bowlers didn't know that.

Henry Conway opened and continued his fine early-season form, bowling ten straight overs, taking four wickets for just 21 runs.

A wicket apiece to Francois Potgieter, Keaton Taylor, James Boyd, and Nathan Aldersley gave Tauranga Boys a slim chance of victory.

When the home side had St Peters seven down with just 66 runs on the board, an upset looked possible.

However Jono Whitley (30 from 83 balls) and Josh Oakley (7 from 50 balls) put together a fighting stand of 36 to put St Peters in sight of victory.

The Tauranga Boys bowlers pushed St Peter's deep into the innings, with the game going down to the 48th over before St Peters grabbed the victory.

St Peters will play the winner of the St Pauls verses Hamilton Boys High match in the ND regional final - with the winner of the final advancing to the Gillette Cup finals in Christchurch.

There was good news for Bay of Plenty cricket in one of the primary school ND Finals Shield games played on Monday.

Defending New Zealand Cup champions Tauranga Intermediate, advanced to one step off a place in this year's National finals, when they beat Bombay School to win the ND title. Next week they play an Auckland school with the winner taking a place in the National Final.

Tauranga Intermediate girls team were beaten in the ND Final of the New Zealand Shield, but can be proud of their achievements to be in the top echelon of primary school girls team in the country.

Gillette Cup Results October 30

Tauranga Boys College 108 (Nathan Aldersley 27, Tom MacRury 25; Jono Whitley 4/24) lost to St Peters (Cambridge) 109/8 (Jono Whitley 30no; Henry Conway 4/21)