"When I went to the meeting I was absolutely gutted with what had happened and couldn't believe it because I had no inkling that that was going to happen," Schaw said.
He said the week before the Taranaki game at Nelson Park, Napier (on December 2-3), he had harboured thoughts of quitting.
"Craig Ross felt that it was best for me to go and I said I would but then he pleaded with me to stay on."
Schaw said he, Findlay and Ross had attended a meeting and his status had changed in light of the first-innings victory over Taranaki in round three.
"That's where I'm dumbfounded because I've had no contact with Craig Ross since the Taranaki game so I don't know where the selection issue is."
His intention was to stay with the team at least until the end of this season rather than leave them in a lurch.
"For the team's sake I wanted to try to get us through without having, you know, any sort of upheaval or anything like that."
Schaw declined to comment further because he was still sifting through other details pertaining to his dismissal.
"I just can't believe it, that's all. For the record we've had ... "
During his tenure, the Bay men have won three annual Kirk Cup (limited-overs) against Poverty Bay, 11 undefeated Furlong Cup matches on the trot and two Chapple Cup (annual CD 50-over inter-district tourney) bragging rights out of three.
The men have earned the right to challenge for the Hawke Cup, the symbol of minor cricket association supremacy in the country, twice and won it once — against North Otago but lost it in their first defence against Bay of Plenty — in the 2015-16 season.
However, Schaw had soon after that loss last February expressed concerns over his future as mentor because HBCA had informed him well before the challenge that it was looking at other options this summer.
Findlay said the HBCA board had developed and ratified a new strategic plan over 2017 to 2021 which had resulted in a restructuring of roles and responsibilities of personnel, including Ross' position.
Ross, who was the director of cricket for CD before that, then developed a plan which the board had adopted. A core part of the plan was adopting a selection process that streamlined it with that of the Central Districts Association and New Zealand Cricket.
"A core function of [Ross] is to act as the convener of selectors for the [Bay men's team] where the board wanted to ensure that there was an independent and holistic approach taken to the selection process," he said, adding the termination of Schaw's contract was "nothing more than that".
Asked what aspects of the plan Schaw failed to meet, he replied: "Just some communications stuff ... we had a process and things weren't working the way we had hoped it would."
Findlay said all the players and staff had been informed of the changing of guards.
"It was a hard decision to make and it wasn't taken lightly but we had to do it in the interest of Hawke's Bay cricket."
Findlay said Schaw had done a fine job for HBCA and CD but adhering to the policies in the strategic plan to take the minor association into the future was the overriding factor.
He did not think terminating Schaw at the end of the summer was an issue because Ross had been working with individual players through the academy and that rapport would make the transition smooth.
"Craig's been in charge of all that area since he's come on board and he's done a wonderful job and we believe he'll continue to do so," he said, revealing HBCA was looking at appointing a new coach for the HB Mavericks (men's development team) to ease the load on Ross.
