Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

In just over a week, the Bay of Plenty representative cricket team will be chasing one of the oldest trophies in New Zealand cricket, when they play Hamilton for the Hawke Cup.

The Hawke Cup, which is the symbol of minor association cricket superiority in New Zealand, was presented by Lord Hawke in 1910.

The current competition, sees the holder of the day receiving a direct challenge from representative sides that have won through their major association (Hawke Cup) qualifying competitions.

There will be plenty of Western Bay interest in the Hawke Cup, with the majority of the Bay side likely to be selected from the Western Bay premier players who participate in the Baywide competitions.

The Hawke Cup direct challenge, will revive a long running rivalry between the Bay and Hamilton, where no quarter is asked or given on the field of play. In recent decades, the major barrier to Fergus Hickey success for Bay of Plenty has been the team from the Waikato City.

The Hawke Cup encounter in Hamilton will be played on the last Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the first month of the year (25.26,27 January 2013).

Three-day Hawke Cup cricket produces matches of attrition, where one team will attempt to bat for a day and a half in their first turn at bat, in order to take the first innings point's advantage.

Bay of Plenty received a real introduction to the harsh reality of the Hawke Cup, when they played South Auckland in March 1932, in the Bays first ever game of representative cricket. South Auckland batted first and amassed 333 all out, with the Bay of Plenty rolled for 59 in their first innings and a more respectable 171 in their second turn at bat.

Bay of Plenty has held the Hawke Cup during two era's, with the 1997 defence against Central Otago, seeing the highest Bay of Plenty innings being blasted against any opposition. Bay of Plenty won the toss and elected to bat, however they were in real trouble early on day one at 50/3.

Enter Simon Winter who strode to the wicket to blaze his way into Bay of Plenty Cricket history.

His 181 runs is the highest total ever recorded by a Bay of Plenty batsman and effectively took the game away from the South Island visitors. Another to make his mark, was current Northern Knight Graeme Aldridge who blasted 52 batting at nine. The Bay went on to declare at 553/3 and easily retain the prestigious trophy.

However Bay of Plenty is unlikely to take a complacent attitude into the Hamilton game.

There are likely to be several in the Bay team who played in the last Bay Hawke Cup challenge in 2000.

Squaring off against Manawatu in Palmerston North, the Bay side batted first and quickly learnt about the realities of Hawke Cup cricket, as they were bundled out for 100.

The defending champions, then taught the Bay boys a valuable lesson in stone walling the opposition, when they posted 659 in their turn at bat.

Led by Black Cap Jamie How who smashed 224 and two other batsmen who posted centuries, the home side completely dominated the three-day match.

However with a number of survivors from the Manawatu challenge in the 2013 challengers side, there will be no waving of the white flag against Hamilton – with a determined Bay performance being rewarded with the Hawke Cup returning to the Bay of Plenty for the third time.

Seeya at the Game