Cricket: Century maker Matt Edmondson puts Hawke's Bay in box seat to lift the Hawke Cup

Hawke's Bay batsman Matt Edmondson is on track to create history at Saxton Oval, Nelson, as the first senior men's representative to carve up two double centuries. Photo/file

The Central Districts Stags have a teeming reservoir of talent but it isn't a wild assertion to suggest Matt Edmondson has the propensity to fit into their batting stocks with aplomb, if not now then certainly not too far down the track.

That's because Edmondson again showed he's got the ideal temperament for red-ball cricket, especially, when he carved up an unbeaten 192 runs in the Pay Excellence Hawke's Bay senior men's Hawke Cup challenge on day one today.

"No one has ever made a double ton twice in the history of Hawke's Bay senior men's cricket and Matty has a chance to do that tomorrow," said team manager Dale Smidt of the 25-year-old who came in at No 4 to stop the rot with Bradley Schmulian, at first drop, after openers Bayley Wiggins and captain Jacob Smith departed cheaply.

The wicketkeeper of the champion Innovative Electrical Napier Technical Old Boys CC premier men's team carved up 21 boundaries and two sixes after facing 269 deliveries in occupying the crease for 354 minutes at Saxton Oval.

Smith elected to pad up after winning the toss and the Hawke Cup holders would have been excited with their robust start but the smiles would have dissipated with Edmondson's knock as the challengers resume batting today at 396-5 after 96 overs with No 6 Angus Schaw unbeaten on 50 from 69 balls, including seven fours and a six. The pair are on a sixth-wicket, 109-run partnership.

A delighted but weary Edmondson said the loss of two early wickets had put the Dave Castle-coached side under the pump a little but it required "anyone" to get himself in.

However, it wasn't anyone that did it but the Crowe and Horwath accountant from Hastings who wouldn't mind a stint with the Stags, for the record, after his maiden double century (229) against Wairarapa in 2017.

Schmulian 56 runs and No 6 Christian Leopard's 59 also will plot the turning points of the game for the bragging rights to the symbol of minor cricket association supremacy when the dust settles tomorrow.

Nerves overnight, Edmondson?

"Oh I'll sleep pretty well although I'm sure I'll have a little bit [of nerves] but at the moment I'm not too bothered because I'll keep batting," he said with a laugh, grateful to his teammates for their input.

"It was good fun. I kept grinding and I had all these guys who worked real hard with me as well and they just kept talking about getting through."

Edmondson said the wicket was slow and flat, taking a while for batsmen to get themselves in if they had wanted to cash in.

Nelson new-ball seamer Jarrod McKay made the initial inroad with the scalps of Wiggins and Smith to finish with the figures of 2-68 from 13 overs, including a maiden.

Fellow opener Josh Newport (1-41), first-change bowler Thomas Zohrab (1-70) and second-change spin merchant Felix Murray (1-121) claimed a scalp each.

Captain Willem Ludick, who won some respect with fellow CD tweaker Murray, rolled out seven bowlers to try to contain the Bay.

"The spinners bowled pretty tight so I didn't give them anything," Edmondson said.

However, how much toll the whole day and good part of tomorrow will have on their fitness, never mind the mental fatigue, remains to be seen when their turn comes to ask for middle and leg.

He anticipated occupying the crease for another session, at least, tomorrow before the potent bowling line up will embark on their campaign to skittle the hosts twice over on the promise of a follow-on.

Edmondson has now made four centuries for the Bay side and five, mostly white-ball ones, for his national champion NTOB team bound for Auckland to defend their crown next month.

However, the opener said he had fancied his chances perhaps more as a white-ball player than a red-ball one.

Ruahine Motors Central Hawke's Bay CC premier men's skipper, Dominic Thompson, was named 12th man.