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Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz |
The Bay of Plenty senior representative cricket team are well placed to win the Northern Districts challenge for the long time New Zealand Cricket Hawke Cup – and perhaps win the prestigious NZ Cricket minor association trophy for just the third time.
The Hawke Cup, which is the symbol of New Zealand Minor Cricket Association supremacy, was first contested in 1911 as a tournament trophy.
Since 1913 the Hawke Cup has been played on a challenge basis - with the holders accepting direct challenges during February and March of each season.
To earn the right to a direct challenge, Bay of Plenty must win the ND series that is held within the Fergus Hickey Rosebowl competitions during the calendar year. Entering the last three rounds of this year's ND Hawke Cup qualifying competition, which will be played at the ND one-day tournament in Taupo in November, the Bay team are in the box seat.
Bay of Plenty could seal the ND Hawke Cup challenge, as early as the first day of the tournament on Sunday 11th November. If they can beat long time rivals Northland on day one they will extend their lead to an unassailable position.
Defeat to the side from the far north, would still give the Bay a second shot at grabbing the qualifying place on day three. The game against current Hawke Cup holders Hamilton on the second day, will count for nothing, with the final match-up with Counties Manukau assuming vital importance if they lose to Northland.
While Hawke Cup direct challenge victories have become elusive for Bay of Plenty since their first challenge against South Auckland in 1932 – the Bay team that was announced at the conclusion of the Attrill Cup games at the weekend, has the experience and firepower to lift the Hawke Cup aloft in victory.
In recent years another group of players with cricket aspirations, have emerged under the professional first class players in New Zealand. A number of the Bay team, now hone their cricket skills twelve months of the year, securing contracts to play league cricket in the Northern Hemisphere during our winter.
There are few more wily skippers in minor association cricket in the country than Bay captain Jono Boult. In the last couple of New Zealand winters, Jono has crafted his skills playing in Holland with previous spells spent playing in the UK. The Bay skipper set new Bay of Plenty season bowling figures of 33 wickets last season, which broke long time Bay servant (and Black Cap) Graeme Aldridge's figures. In addition he sits in seventh place of the Bays all time batting totals with 1549 runs.
Last season's top run scorer Peter Drysdale, who smashed nearly four hundred runs during the Fergus Hickey season, was another to play in the Northern Hemisphere last winter.
Add in Brett Hampton (Holland) Ben Christensen (UK) and Tony Goodin (Australia) who have all accumulated overseas experience, to give the current team, players who are use to the hard-nosed approach to cricket.
Two of the rising stars of the game in the country, have again earned their place in the Bay of Plenty Fergus Hickey team line-up. Joe Carter and Sean Davey both played for New Zealand in the 2012 ICC Under 19 World Cup. Carter burst onto the Fergus Hickey scene last season with 322 runs and a sparkling century against Poverty Bay.
Further experience is provided by former Canterbury player Cory Anderson, Tim Clarke and Bharat Popli. The scene is now set for a vintage Bay of Plenty representative season, which could bring multiple silverware to the Bay of Plenty Cricket trophy cabinet.
Seeya at the Game