Team and weather changes for Hawke Cup defence in Napier

Hawke's Bay seam bowler Ben Stoyanoff bowling in the Last Battle of the Bays Hawke Cup match, a lost challenge at Mount Maunganui five years ago. Photo / NZME

Hawke's Bay will be without two of the stars of cricket's successful first Hawke's Cup defence of the season for the Battle of the Bays defence starting in Napier on Friday.

The absence of in-form batsmen Bayley Wiggins and Brad Schmulian for the three-day game for minor association cricket's major prize had been anticipated with their return to first-class cricket in the Central District Stags' drive to win Ford Trophy national one-day championship honours.

It was confirmed with Pay Excellence Hawke's Bay team selector and coach Christie Van Dyk's announcement today of a team for his side's match against Bay of Plenty at Nelson Park, Napier.

Unlike the season's first defence against Manawatu, with sunshine throughout on the same oval, this weekend's match is much in doubt, with national weather agency MetService forecasting rain from Napier from Friday to Monday.

Hawke's Bay could be seeking a measure of revenge, having been beaten by Bay of Plenty in both a March 2016 Hawke Cup defence and one on February 2017, the last times the two bays met in a Senior men's two or three-day match.

Just three of those in the 2017 Hawke's Bay team's relinquishment of the Cup are still around to make amends – the seam attack of Liam Dudding and Ben Stoyanoff and captain and all-rounder Angus Schaw.

Schaw comes into the game with 16 wickets in his last two games for the Bay, including 5-47 from a marathon 43.1 overs against Manawatu.

Van Dyk said with the weather forecast "it's something you can't really plan for" and both that and such things as the 2017 match and other experiences will be talked about ahead of the toss on Friday morning.

There have been nine limited-overs or Twenty20 matches since those last Battle of the Bays Hawke Cup matches, with Hawke's Bay having the upper hand despite all nine being away from home.

Wet weather intervened in two and Hawke's Bay had a 5-3 winning advantage in those that were completed.

The team for this week's match, with a 12th man still to be named, is: Jono Whitley, William Clark, Christian Leopard, Bronson Meehan, Angus Schaw (captain), Dominic Thompson, Todd Watson, Kurtis Weeks (wicketkeeper), Toby Findlay, Liam Dudding, Ben Stoyanoff.