Big season as Hawke's Bay cricket side looks to keep Hawke Cup

A full muster behind the stumps as Hawke's Bay faced its second 2021/22 season Hawke Cup defence, a rained-out draw with Bay of Plenty in February. Photo / NZME-

Possibly the biggest schedule in about 140 years of Hawke's Bay representative cricket is in store as the current squad looks to a new season defending national challenge trophy the Hawke Cup.

The Covid-19 crisis meant two of the four 2021/22 challenges were unable to be played as scheduled earlier this year.

Their postponement into the approaching season means the side could play 11 matches, plus the Chapple Cup Central District limited overs tournament.

With the 16-team Kilbirnie Sports HBCA Twenty20 tournament opening the season on October 7-9 and a representative trial match on October 21-22 (the Hawke's Bay Anniversary Day and Labour Day holiday weekend), the programme impacts at least 13 of the October-March season's 23 weekends, meaning there are significant impacts on the Hawke's Bay club competition.

Part-mirroring the impact of professional rugby on the amateur game, representative players contracted at the professional level to Central Districts will barely see a ball of club cricket.

Hawke's Bay Cricket chief executive Craig Findlay says the association is making changes but expects to cope with its own club competition, which starts on October 15.

The first Hawke Cup defence will be played against Canterbury Country at Nelson Park, Napier, on November 4-6, and if successful Hawke's Bay will face another defence a fortnight later.

Hawke's Bay is facing its fourth defence of an 11th Hawke Cup reign, having regained the trophy with a win by an innings and 52 runs over North Otago's and successfully defending it soon afterwards against Hamilton.

Earlier this year a first-innings win over Manawatu and a rained-out draw with Bay of Plenty saw the defence continue.

Meanwhile, the T20 tournament in early October has seven clubs from Auckland, three from Wellington, one from Horowhenua Kapiti and five of the six Hawke's Bay premier club competing, with more Auckland and Wellington clubs on the waiting list.