Cricket: Never mind Buller, it's Furlong Cup first

BAT PLAN: Ben Stoyanoff (2nd from left) is one of only two seamers in the Hawke's Bay team with captain Jacob Smith (left) among those who will bowl as batsmen. PHOTO/FILE

A Hawke Cup match on an artificial pitch at Craddock Park against Buller later this month?

Brought up on the culture of near-first-class grass wickets, that thought can be off putting but Pay Excellence Hawke's Bay senior men's representative team coach Colin Schaw is more preoccupied with what is likely to happen this weekend.

"It's first things first for us and I believe I have the best group of guys to do the job for us this weekend," a circumspect Schaw said before they face Active Physio Whanganui away at Victoria Park from today in the final round of the zone 2 Furlong Cup match.

The Jacob Smith-captained Bay are in the driving seat for a Hawke Cup challenge as potential winners of the Central Districts catchment area but the coach isn't about to be swept away with any talk of overwhelming favourites.

They had a first-innings victory over Manawatu in Napier the previous round to stamp their ascendancy.

In their maiden Hawke Cup defence in Westport, Buller yesterday dismissed North Otago for 143 before tea before finding themselves in all sorts of trouble in reply in the three-day affair.

The only encouraging outcome from what is billed as the battle between the country's two smallest minor associations is that North Otago may have a better venue in the South and any other challenges won't be reduced to a nets session.

The forecast in Whanganui is promising and all the Bay want is a first-innings result to remove any chances of the proverbial banana skin act against an injury-ravaged hosts grappling with unavailabilities, including coach Stuart Gillespie due to other commitments.

A raw-looking hosts have four changes from the team that weathered an innings flogging at the hands of Wairarapa a fortnight ago.

Former international Gillespie (1985-86) is among guests in Wellington for the first test between Australia and the Black Caps at the Basin Reserve.

Manager Justin Lock will be at the helm this weekend while veteran Dominic Rayner will take over as captain after regular skipper Morgan Inness returned to university.

Schaw is taking specialist seamers - Ben Stoyanoff and Liam Dudding - with a batting-heavy unit to make a statement.

"Jake is back bowling and I've been working with [batsman] Matt Edmondson in the nets as another seamer who hasn't bowled in club cricket but he's a medium pacer," he said, banking on a three-pronged spin attack from GC Pretorius, Angus Schaw and Graeme Tryon, who is returning from a broken wrist.

"My philosophy is that when an injured player is fit again to play you bring him straight back because he wasn't dropped because [of his inability to play]."

Batsman Dom Thompson comes in at No 9, Schaw said to emphasise the depth.

Winning the toss is vital but he felt the decision to bat first would depend on the wicket.

BOTH TEAMS

Active Physio Whanganui v Pay Excellence Hawke's Bay in zone 2 Furlong Cup/Hawke Cup-qualifying two-day match at Victoria Park from today:

WHANGANUI: Matthew Boswell, Nick Harding, Dominic Lock, Callum Coker, John McIlraith, Hamish Harding, Dominic Rayner (c), Chris Sharrock, Bryant Galpin, Ross Kinnerley, Ryan Slight, Connor O'Leary.

Coach: Stuart Gillespie.

HAWKE'S BAY: Jacob Smith (c), Liam Dudding, Matt Edmondson, Callum Hewetson, Giliam Christoffel Pretorius, Angus Schaw, Scott Schaw (wk), Indika Senarathne, Ben Stoyanoff, Dominic Thompson, Graeme Tryon, Rupert Young.

Coach: Colin Schaw.