Cricket: Senior men make short work of Poverty Bay

Bay wicketkeeper Scott Schaw watches Poverty Bay batsman Keegan Martin self-destruct for a duck. Photo / Warren Buckland

Hawke's Bay v Poverty Bay Kirk Cup cricket

The demons of last year were exorcised yesterday in what was an anti-climax after the opposition came and went without much fuss.

The Pay Excellence Hawke's Bay senior men's representative cricket team made short work of Poverty Bay when they crushed them by 10 wickets at Nelson Park, Napier.

It was redemption of sorts for the humiliating loss at Harry Barker Reserve, Gisborne, last year but what sort of a workout was it before the all-important Hawke Cup zone 2 (Blair Furlong) match against Horowhenua-Kapiti this weekend in Levin?

"I'm quite happy with the guys who'll take some confidence to [Levin]," first-season coach Colin Schaw said last night.

Schaw said the Jacob Smith-captained Bay bowled and fielded extremely well to skittle the visitors to 98 in 37.1 overs.

Seamers Blair Tickner, Ben Stoyanoff, Liam Dudding and Kurt Richards provided the ideal platform for spinners Angus Schaw and Ajaz Patel to claim wickets.

Schaw was almost unplayable in claiming four scalps from 8.1 overs, including five maidens, and conceding five runs.

Patel was equally thrifty with 3-10 from nine overs, including three maidens.

In reply, the hosts eclipsed the target with 100 runs from 16.1 overs.

Opening batsmen Smith and Matt Edmondson were 49 and 42 not out, respectively, but the prudent will argue maybe the Bay should have batted first after winning the toss.

Schaw said with the impending inclement weather forecast they were better off bowling first.

His Hawke Cup team would now depend on CD releasing Indika Senarathne although he showed his worth yesterday in Auckland.

"With [Mahela] Jayawardene and Ben Smith coming back we're not sure what'll happen."