Nelson has named a strong squad, including three Central Stags representatives, to challenge for the Hawke Cup this weekend.
The 2018/19 Zone 3 challenger is travelling south to Queen’s Park, Invercargill, to attempt to wrestle the historic trophy — sometimes referred to as the Ranfurly Shield of cricket — from Southland’s grasp over the course of a three-day match starting this Friday.
Central Stags Plunket Shield captain Greg Hay will lead the Nelson Griffins, with the veteran batsman determined to get his hands on the provincial prize for the first time in his lengthy career.
"The Hawke Cup holds a special place in Nelson cricket history," says Hay. "We are often reminded of the two great reigns in the 1960s and 1980s. A lot of people in the community hold the cup dearly, and take a great interest. The game has changed a lot since then, but I try to instill this history, and the importance of it to Nelson, to the young team we have today."
It is only the third time the 34-year-old (below) has had an opportunity to play in a Hawke Cup challenge, the Nelson captain one of three first-class cricketers in the side, alongside Stags youngsters spinner Felix Murray and allrounder Willem Ludick.
Neither of Hay’s previous opportunities — challenges against Canterbury Country in Rangiora in 2005 as a young man, and against Hamilton in 2012 — were successful forays.
Nelson had to settle for a draw in Rangiora. But they came closer to lifting the cup in Hamilton seven years ago, having taken a 52-run lead on the first innings before becoming unstuck in their second dig — bowled out for just 93 to hand holders Hamilton the outright victory they had needed to keep the Hawke Cup in their trophy cabinet.
Southland, the original holder of the historic cup in 1910, and Nelson, another association with a long Hawke Cup history that can lay claim to a slew of impressive records in the annals, are two storied teams when it comes to the Hawke Cup — setting up a classic battle for supremacy as the modern-day cricketers set out to write another chapter.
"I have never played Southland before, but I imagine they are a proud and hardened group who will fight for all three days, so we need to match that if we want to take the cup home," says Hay. "For me it would mean a great deal. This is where it all started, and it would be good to knock it off because you never know when it could be your last chance."
Spirited Southland fended off mid-Canterbury, a fellow Zone 4 side, in the first defence of the 2018/19 season two weeks ago, but are likely to face a bigger ask against the Zone 3 winners who brushed aside Marlborough with such ease to earn the challenge.
Southland is determined to extend its two-match reign
Southland will sport two recent first-class representative in young Otago Volts incumbent and New Zealand Under 19 spinner Ben Lockrose; and top order batsman Ryan Duffy, who last represented the Volts in January 2017. Younger brother Jacob Duffy, the current Otago Volts captain and pace bowler, is unavailable, however, as he takes a scheduled break, with the Plunket Shield resuming next week.
At the same time Southland has lost the services of leading batsman Harsh Visavadiya who is out of the encounter following a one-match suspension.
Of the Nelson squad selected for this weekend’s challenge, six players — Ludick, Murray, Thomas Zohrab, Paddy Howes, Nic Clark and Sam Baxendine — also played in Nelson’s most recent Hawke Cup challenge, a run-heavy draw against then-holders Bay of Plenty at Bay Oval in February 2017.
The Zone 3 challenge will be live-scored on www.nzc.nz from 10.30am on Friday.
HAWKE CUP DIRECT CHALLENGE
Holders Southland v Zone 3 Challenger Nelson
15-17 February 2019
Queen’s Park | Invercargill
SOUTHLAND
Shaun Fitzgibbon — captain
Jason Domigan
Ryan Duffy
Venkat Kotte
Ben Lockrose
Jared McKenzie
Jack Mockford
James Ng
Jason Osborne
Amarpreet Singh
Hamish Skelt
Danyn Stewart
NELSON
Greg Hay — captain
Sam Baxendine
Nic Clark
Paddy Howes
Willem Ludick
Felix Murray
Jarrod McKay
Josh Newport
Devon Serrurier
Ben Stark
David Zohrab
Thomas Zohrab
