Hawke Cup defence washed out

Nelson Park in Napier after rain washed out two days of cricket and ended a Hawke Cup defence without a result at the weekend. Photo / Doug Laing

Hawke's Bay has retained minor associations cricket prize the Hawke Cup with a draw against Bay of Plenty after rain washed out the scheduled second and third days of a defence in Napier.

Winning the toss and electing to bat first beneath grey skies and the threat of rain throughout at Nelson Park on Friday, Zone 1 challenger Bay of Plenty were 98-5 at the tea break and in the throes of a recovery at 155-5 when rain ended play just after 5pm.

Heavy rain on Friday and Saturday nights ended any hopes of further play and umpires made the decision to abandon the match at 9.40am today without another ball being bowled.

Pay Excellence Hawke's Bay regained the Cup with a win by an innings over North Otago in Oamaru at the end of February last year, and won their only 2021-2022 season defence against Hamilton at Nelson Park soon afterwards.

The side won the first defence this season at Nelson Park a fortnight ago, in three days of hot and sunny weather which ended with Hawke's Bay scoring 292-3 to beat Zone 2 challenger Manawatu, which had taken more than a day and a half to score 290 after losing the toss and being put in to bat first.

Hawke's Bay's next defence will be at Nelson Park on February 26-28 against Zone 3 winners Canterbury Country, which had won the Cup in 2020 but lost in January last year. Nelson had just one successful defence before losing it to North Otago.

The last time Hawke's Bay played Canterbury Country was in 2009, when the Bay successfully defended the Cup with first innings win, dismissing the challengers for 155 and then scoring 457, with crucial fifth and sixth wicket partnerships of 80 and 134 respectively after struggling at 87-4.

A year earlier a rain-affected Hawke's Bay challenge in Rangiora was abandoned without a result, with holders Canterbury Country 390-8 and the Bay having no chance to bat.

Scoreboard:

Bay Of Plenty

1st Innings

NJ Dovey c Thompson b Dudding 0

TJ Bettelheim c Leopard b Stoyanoff 10

BJ McKenzie c Weeks b Dudding 10

FF Lellman lbw b Clark 13

OJ White not out 69

TJG Pringle b Schaw 18

RPO Drysdale not out 34

Extras (w 1) 1

Total (5 wickets in 53 overs) 155

Bowling:

LR Dudding 16 overs, 5 maidens, 28 runs, 2 wickets; BP Stoyanoff 10-1-28-1; WJ Clark 6-0-23-1; TJ Watson 5-0-20-0; AR Schaw 14-1-49-1; TA Findlay 2-0-7-0.

Fall: 1-0 (NJ Dovey, 0.2 ov), 2-16 (TJ Bettelheim, 5.1 ov), 3-30 (BJ McKenzie, 10.1 ov), 4-46 (FF Lellman, 15.4 ov), 5-86 (TJG Pringle, 23.3 ov).

No result, Hawke Cup retained by Hawke's Bay.