Cricket: Bay in pole position for challenge

Matt Edmondson snaffles a catch in the slip cordon as Angus Schaw (left), Ajaz Patel (obscured), GC Pretorius and Rupert Young wish him all the best. PHOTO/John Velvin, ESPNZ

The scoreboard, as it were, may not reflect it but the Hawke's Bay senior men's rep cricket team have booked themselves a Hawke Cup challenge barring any colossal upsets.

The Colin Schaw-coached Pay Excellence-sponsored team drew their rain-abandoned two-day match against Taranaki at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, yesterday after claiming first-innings points to leapfrog their opposition as the top qualifiers with a game to play against lowly Wairarapa in Napier in a fortnight.

Having won the toss on Saturday, skipper Jacob Smith put Taranaki in before skittling them for 161 runs in 75.5 overs.

The Bay then posted 170 in 36.2 overs as rain kicked in and persisted yesterday before the game was called off about 2pm.

"We only just got there but in the circumstances it looks worse off on the score book than what it was and how we did it," Schaw said. "We had to do it in 36 overs [on Saturday] because of the weather [yesterday] so we really had to work for it."

The Bay promoted Indika Senarathne to open with Smith as the pair got them to 90-odd without loss.

"When the sun was out it was good to bat on but when the cloud cover came it started to do things."

"It was swinging around a seaming so we got to the stage late in the day when it started to drizzle. That's when I said to the boys we'll just have to go for this," he said, revealing the forecast for yesterday was always dodgy.

"It wasn't good but we got there in the end and it didn't worry me how as long as we got those first-innings points.

"The result was good and we actually made hard work of it but it was because of the conditions."

No 8 Brad Schmulian (29 runs) and No 9 Ajaz Patel (11) were the only other batsmen to get into double figures.

Schaw suspected the Bay are now sitting two points above Taranaki on the table although an outright victory against Wairarapa at Nelson Park, Napier, would be a must on January 28-29.

Seamer Liam Dudding took 3-27 from 14 overs, including three maidens, while fellow opening bowler Liam Rukuwai took 2-33 from 15 overs, including five maidens.

Seamer Christian Leopard and spinners Patel, GC Pretorius, Angus Schaw and Schmulian took a scalp each.