Thomas Zohrab is making runs for fun for Central Hawke's Bay, and took five wickets as well. Photo / Supplied
We’re only three weeks into the club cricket season, but already attention is starting to turn towards the Hawke’s Bay men’s representative programme.
Principally, who might miss out on selection, given the raft of batters scoring runs by the bucketload.
Hawke’s Bay won’t be short of batting talent when it begins its 2025-26 Furlong Cup campaign against Horowhenua-Kapiti on December 6 if the start to the club competition is anything to go by.
“In the time that I’ve played, I definitely can’t remember this many hundreds being scored [so early in the season],” last summer’s Hawke’s Bay captain Dominic Thompson said.
“There’s plenty of batters out here scoring runs and scoring big runs at that, so it’s a good problem to have. The Furlong Cup is still a month away and the next month of club cricket is two two-dayers, so it’s a good chance for guys to play that red-ball format and hopefully get some more big runs.”
Thompson himself has already made a hundred and two fifties this season, including 64 in Central Hawke’s Bay’s 10-run win over Havelock North in Saturday’s 50-over clash at Forest Gate Domain.
The home side made 284/6, built around 125 from Thomas Zohrab.
That was his second hundred in as many innings this season, which he followed up by taking 5/51 in Havelock’s reply of 274/9.
As far as Thompson is aware, instances of hundreds and five-fors in the same 50-over match haven’t littered CHB’s history.
“I’d be guessing, but maybe you could count them on one hand, if any,” said Thompson.
“Thomas was quick to tell me it wasn’t the first time he’d done it. But, no, it’s certainly not common.”
Nor is it customary for the Forest Gate Domain pitch to play so well. Thompson’s rule of thumb is that 200 is often a winning score at Ongaonga, so 284 was plenty.
“I’m probably going to have to change that statement. For the first wicket of the season at Onga, that was pretty good and it was just as good for Havelock in the second innings,” he said.
“Some of the shots guys were playing, you’re used to seeing those at Nelson Park but not as often at Onga.”
Taylor Bettelheim (78) and Joey Field (79) caused Thompson “some nervy moments” before leg-spinner Finn Reid trapped the former leg-before wicket and Field fell prey to Zohrab.
One batter who won’t be in contention for Hawke’s Bay selection is Napier Technical Old Boys opener Harrison Woolley.
A rotator cuff injury means Woolley can’t throw and nor has he even had a net yet this summer. But, despite the limitations, Woolley made 95 as Tech rattled on 333/9 against Taradale at Nelson Park.
Tech hung on to win by 30 runs, but a lot of the talk was about what happens when Woolley gets to the 90s. He’s yet to score a premier club hundred, as plenty of people keep reminding him.
“You’re not the only person that’s asked about it. I’m not really too fussed. A hundred would be a good milestone, but I’m just happy to contribute to the team,” Woolley said.
“I guess the 90s that have happened over the last few years, some have been a bit unfortunate and some have been my own fault.”
But they’re not weighing on Woolley’s mind.
“No, not really. It doesn’t bother me.”
Six weeks ago Woolley could barely move his right arm and was resigned to not playing at all before Christmas. But things improved to the point where he was able to hit a few gentle throwdowns, before he had a few balls slung to him at Thursday night’s training and decided he’d give a game a go against Taradale.
“By the looks of it, you don’t need a rotator cuff to be able to play. But, no, it’s a bit stiff now and it’s just improved a lot faster than what we all thought,” said Woolley.
While he’s declared himself unlikely to be fit enough to play for Hawke’s Bay, Cornwall’s Bailey McDonald is another batter building a compelling case for selection.
He made 132 as Cornwall beat Napier Old Boys’ Marist by a whopping 261 runs at Cornwall Park, after posting 413/6 batting first.
McDonald preferred Cornwall captain Bayley Wiggins to talk on his behalf, after the pair put on 279 for the fourth wicket. Wiggins scored 174 and was full of praise for his batting partner.
“He’s got this persona that he doesn’t care and this attitude that he’s really chilled, but he’s one of the smartest cricketers I’ve dealt with,” Wiggins said.
“He’s won us some pretty tight games under pressure and I think he’s showing how good he can be in any situation.
“I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t make his red-ball Hawke’s Bay debut this season. He can play all formats.”
As can Wiggins himself. At 27, the former Central Districts Stag still has a lot of cricket ahead of him.
“At the start of my career, I had all the shots, all the power, but I seemed to get myself out,” said Wiggins.
“Everyone knows I can bat, now I want to prove to people that I can score big totals. As I get older, my game’s going to come together a bit more.”
Saturday was also important to the maturation of this Cornwall team, who showed a pleasing ruthless streak in posting such a formidable score and then bowling Marist out for 152.
- This article is provided courtesy of Hawke’s Bay Cricket Association