Cornwall celebrate topping the Hawke's Bay premier men's two-day competition. Photo / Supplied
- This article is provided courtesy of Hawke’s Bay Cricket Association
The strains of We Are The Champions blasting out of the Taradale Park dressing rooms told you everything about what Cornwall felt they achieved on Saturday.
In plain terms, Cornwall finished top of the Hawke’s Bay premier men’s club cricket two-day table.
The competition was not a full round robin, and no title was awarded, but that wasn’t going to stop Cornwall celebrating.
“Pretty stoked,” Cornwall vice-captain Liam Hall said.
Hall was leading the side in place of Bayley Wiggins, who was down in Wellington playing for Central Districts.
Cornwall concluded the three-game block of two-day cricket that was introduced this season by playing out a thrilling draw with Taradale. Cornwall needed four runs off the final ball of the match to secure both first innings and outright points, but could only manage a single to finish their second innings at 215/7.
They had appeared as if they would reach the target with a few balls of their 47-over chase to spare, until Taradale offspinner Ollie Beale took 3-1 in the 45th over. Suddenly, a number of potential results were on the table, including a Taradale win, had Beale taken a sharp caught and bowled chance offered by Jed Greville.
With Koji Hardgrave-Abe unable to bat, due to a dislocated finger, Taradale only needed nine wickets.
In the end, a draw was the outcome, just as it had been when Cornwall kicked off their two-day campaign against Napier Technical Old Boys. Cornwall opted not to chase outright points in that game, which generated plenty of discussion.
“Definitely after the Tech game, there were a lot of people talking about the decision to do it, but you look back on it now [and it’s worked out pretty well],” said Hall.
“The last few seasons we’ve put the odd good performance in, but when you’re constantly winning and you’re constantly putting good performances in, the belief just keeps lifting and lifting. We haven’t got a physical trophy for it yet, but all the boys have got a trophy image in their heads and we’re keen to crack on in the T20s and try and get that one, and in the same in the 50-overs, and try and get that one.’’
The results were more one-sided in Saturday’s other matches, where Tech beat Central Hawke’s Bay by seven wickets and Havelock North were 115-run winners over Napier Old Boys’ Marist.
Tech sit atop the overall Challenge Cup championship table, which comprises all formats of the competition, having done a very thorough job on CHB.
That left them with 51 required to register maximum points at Nelson Park and, potentially, looking for a Travis Head-type volunteer to open the batting.
Sam Pawson didn’t quite enjoy the success Head did for Australia against England a week or so ago, but was certainly happy to put his hand up.
“From the start of the day, I said if anyone wants to look after their average, I’ll do it,” Pawson said of opening the innings.
That left Tech’s specialist batters to watch on as others knocked off the runs.
It was an overall performance more in keeping with what the Tech people know, rather than the one that was put in a vulnerable position by Cornwall.
“We weren’t very happy with that start. We knew we were better than that, so there was a big focus on improving in the rest of the two-day stuff and the boys bought into that and went hard at it,” said Pawson.
“The last two games have been a lot better than that first one.”
Havelock, meanwhile, conceded a first innings deficit to Marist and had to bat quickly second time around in order to be in a position to declare. English import Aidan Golding made 140, as Havelock closed their second innings at 268/6.
The real eye-catching knock came from Sam Cassidy, though, who made 44 in 30 balls. It was the calibre of Cassidy’s ball striking which stood out, having played for the New Zealand XI against the West Indies in a two-day match at Lincoln earlier in the week.
Cassidy made 28 from 28 balls against the tourists, in what was his first exposure to a test match attack.
“It was cool to see how they operate and the skill level and the gap between where they are, where I’m at and try and compare,” the 21-year-old Cassidy said.
“I was happy with how I went and I felt good with the bat. I just left a few runs out there, to be fair. It was a good wicket and there were definitely some learnings to come out of it.”
On the club front, Cassidy was pleased with how well Havelock were able to set Saturday’s game up against Marist and then bowl them out for 125.
Furlong Cup cricket now beckons for him, with Cassidy expected to be named in the Hawke’s Bay team to meet Horowhenua-Kapiti in Levin this weekend.
“It’ll be good. It’s going to be a packed schedule for the next two months and hopefully we can win the Furlong Cup and get a [Hawke Cup] challenge,” Cassidy said.
“That’s the plan.”