Cricket: Onus on bowlers to perform

Bay of Plenty batsman Peter Drysdale plays a shot against Hamilton during a Hawke Cup match in Rotorua.Photo/Ben Fraser

The Bay of Plenty men's cricket team will need to rely on their bowlers today if they want to successfully defend the Hawke Cup.

The Hawke Cup match between Hamilton and current holders the Bay of Plenty started on Saturday and saw the Bay side bat first, posting 299 all out.

The second day was rained out yesterday at Smallbone Park.

As a result, the third and final day today will start a bit earlier at 10am and will include 105 overs, weather permitting.

If an outright result is not reached today, which is highly likely, then the team with the best score in the first innings will win the match.

This means if Hamilton can reach their target of 300 today they will almost certainly take home the cup which has proudly been in the Bay since January last year.

Bay captain Peter Drysdale said he had a lot of confidence in his bowling attack ahead of the all-important final day today.

"This is probably the best bowling attack we have put together this season."

The Bay team got off to a great start in their first innings on Saturday with opening batsmen Drysdale (70) and Tom MacRury (29) posting 71 runs for the first wicket.

Middle-order batsman Brett Hampton scored 103 while Jono Boult (30) and Mitch McCann (25) got good starts.

However, a late collapse saw the Bay team struggling at 236/9.

A superb last-wicket stand of 63 between Hampton and Tom Clout saw the Bay reach 299.

"We wanted more because we had a good start," Drysdale said.

However, he said it could have been a lot worse if not for Hampton and Clout.

"We faltered a bit but fought back well."

Presented by Lord Hawke in 1910, the Hawke Cup is one of the oldest and most illustrious cricket trophies still contested in the country.