Cricket: Hawke Cup remains in Taranaki for now

NZ Cricket

Kicking off its new tenure over a warm three days in New Plymouth, Taranaki defended the Hawke Cup for the first time since 1995 - sending Hamilton home empty-handed.

SCORECARD

Day One

Two weeks after taking the trophy from Hawke's Bay, Taranaki hosted its first Hawke Cup Challenge Match at Pukekura Park in 17 years - having held the storied trophy only briefly on that occasion before surrendering it to Canterbury Country in that first Challenge.

The province had not defended the silverware since 1995, but a new era had now dawned.

Captain Sam Fastier won the toss and unsurprisingly batted on a flat pitch covered in sun, and his team ultimately would put a 300-plus total on the tins.

The opening pair of Bailey Wisnewski (66) and veteran Dean Robinson (41) took care of the first 38 overs of the match with their century partnership, before Lucky Reddy finally had Wisnewski caught after lunch.

Better known for his batting in the Northern Districts framework, Reddy was en route to his best haul for Hamilton, taking the final wicket to net 3/65.

But there was a long way to go until that point, as Taranaki kept finding partnerships.

Edging to the slips, Fastier had been an early wicket for spinner Satvir Singh (4/81, his own best for Hamilton), followed in by Liam Muggeridge, after a fightback with the ball from Hamilton, the ball turning.

It was Hamilton's session, but Rupert Young (brother of BLACKCAP Will Young) and then Trent McGrath settled things down by getting their respective knocks going.

Young reached 35 with some challsic tecnique on show, after more than an hour's toil, before he was bowled by spinner Reddy; McGrath patiently took things through to tea at 183/5.

By stumps, McGrath was on the cusp of a half century, needing four more runs for that on the second morning.

He'd begun to build what became a key 84-run stand on the hot afternoon with Mattie Thomas, who'd reached 30* by the end of the opening day's proceedings.

Day Two

Taranaki's collaborative team effort reached 329 in 141.2 overs, after the contributions sprinkled across the order.

The day began with McGrath going on to his half ton, his 50 coming off 100 balls.

Thomas meanwhile went on to a patiently-wrought 36 before he was bounced out by strike bowler Cooper Rowell, a reward for Rowell's pace and aggression.

McGrath was given out at 286/7, and Taranaki will have been keen on a fair bit more for a buffer of comfort at their beautiful boutique ground.

Hamilton stayed on the attack, and reduced Taranaki further, to 308/9, but a last-wicket stand of 21 from Liam Carr (pictured) and Ben Frewin was handy for the hosts. Frewin was unfortunate in his dismissal, padding away a wide ball from Reddy only for it to cannon back onto his stumps.

Now it was Taranaki's turn with the cherry, and they had Hamilton three down by tea. By stumps, Hamilton was 145/7 with Nick Farrell and Singh at the crease, and it was advantage Taranaki.

Day Three

Taranaki headed into the final day of the big match at Pukekura holding an overnight, 184-run first-innings lead, Hamilton with just three wickets remaining to try to reel that in.

The top seven batters were all back in the pavilion, Taranaki's 21-year-old left-arm spinner Liam Carr sitting on 3/52 overnight.

Carr (4/53) soon added a further wicket to push Hamilton to the brink, but it was paceman Ryan Watson (2/28) who struck first, with just the fourth ball of the morning as he trapped Farrell on 32.

Only a dozen more overs was required to close the Hamilton account at 161, and the challengers from the north had finished with a substantial first-innings deficit of 168.

That first-innings lead was Taranaki gold; all they needed to do now to keep the Cup in Taranaki was to bat out for a draw on a flat one.

Rowell continued to impress at the top of the Hamilton attack, and trapped both openers to have Taranaki 41/2 - Wisnewski having fallen in the first over; but the result was settled by lunch.

Fastier and number four keeper-batter Young took Taranaki past the 100-mark in the afternoon, by which time Young was closing in on a half century, and the overall lead was not far off 300.

Their partnership grew to 103 in the mid-afternoon before Hamilton went bang-bang to suddenly have Taranaki four down, 145/4, Young gone for 80, his best score for Taranaki, after a catch off Reddy in the middle session.

The overall lead was now 313 and two more wickets would fall before the handshakes, Taranaki finishing at 181/6.

They had done it - seen off the city types, defended the Cup at home.

They will now host an even more formidable opponent in the form of regular holders Canterbury Country, in two weeks' time.

 Hawke Cup

2024/25 Challenge Match Schedule

Zone 2 Challenge Match

31 January-2 February 2025

Holder Hawke's Bay lost to Zone 2 qualifier Taranaki on the first innings

At Nelson Park, Napier

Zone 1 Challenge Match

14-16 February 2025

Holder Taranaki defeated Zone 1 Challenger Hamilton on the first innings

At Pukekura Park, New Plymouth

Zone 3 Challenge Match

28 February-2 March 2025

Holder Taranaki v Zone 3 Challenger Canterbury Country

At Pukekura Park, New Plymouth

Zone 4 Challenge Match

14-16 March 2025

Holder v Zone 4 Qualifier

At Holder's Home Ground