A rare tenure has turned into a juggernaut after Taranaki defended the Hawke Cup for third Challenge match on the bounce - now locking away the historic trophy until January 2026
The match was also a special one for the Pukekura Park hosts as they farewelled one of their greatest players, top order bat Dean Robinson.
Canterbury Country had won the right to challenge on behalf of Zone 4 for a second consecutive season, but this time they would be heading to the western coast of CD, rather than the east, as holder Taranaki looked to continue its tenure.
To recap, Taranaki had won CD's Furlong Cup (Zone 2 qualifying competition) earlier in the summer to earn the right to challenge Hawke's Bay - who had locked away the Hawke Cup for the 2024 winter and was hosting the first Challenge Match of the new summer against their fellow Zone 2 side in Napier.
A disastrous first innings cost Hawke's Bay the silverware and, after that, spirited Taranaki - with no current first-class or Domestic representatives - defended the Hawke Cup against Hamilton (Zone 1) and Canterbury Country (Zone 3), both of whom had come armed with a clutch of Domestic or first-class players, including County pro Will Williams for Canterbury Country.
South Canterbury, like Taranaki, was a team that had put together a strong campaign over the summer without the household names, and had hopes of putting in another strong Challenge, after a good fight against Hawke's Bay the previous summer.
Taranaki would prove a tough opponent at their pretty Pukekura Park fortress, however, dominating every session of their three-day encounter.
DAY ONE
After a slight ground delay, Canterbury Country captain Jake Naylor won the toss and elected to bat first, hoping to see off the morning session in order to prosper as the deck flattened out - the sun shining and the North Island gripped by drought.
It didn't work out that way.
By lunch, the challengers had lost half their wickets already, all of the top five back in the pavilion at 64/5.
The Taranaki seamers had relished their early opportunity, Jordie Gard picking up three, all caught, and the experienced and indefatigable Ryan Watson getting the other two.
Opener Matt Brown had got a start with 26, but the 32-run opening stand would dwarf what followed.
The second session saw Ben Davenport lead a fightback as he put together partnership with keeper-batter Flynn Brookland (adding 40 for the sixth wicket) and Sam Carlaw (25 for the next).
But the challengers would not survive until tea, rolled for 141 in 57.4 overs, as Gard continued putting the heat on.
The 23-year-old right-arm paceman - a member of the Central Stags' wider training squad this summer, bustled in for a bag, taking the last wicket to finish with 5/37.
Spinner Liam Carr had ripped through the tail for a return of 3/6 off just five overs, including a double wicket maiden in his second over.
It left the Taranaki openers one over to safely negotiate before tea, but there would be success after the break as Hamish Caird (3/65) tore in and removed Bailey Wisnewski on 9.
By stumps, Taranaki was three down, but had got a decent start thanks to their tall, veteran opener Dean Robinson who'd reached 43 before he was trapped by Jed McKerrow (3/80) shortly before stumps, by which time Taranaki was 93/3 and well set to overtake their opponent on the first innings.
DAY TWO
Overnight batters Rupert Young and Jordie Gard resumed, Gard an early casualty but keeper-batter Young, brother of BLACKCAP Will Young, continuing his good form.
He patiently grew another partnership with Liam Muggeridge, reaching 75 off 199 deliveries before he was caught behind on 75.
Young had aleady put in 76 with Robinson the previous day, and now 60 with Muggeridge who went on to produce a century, supported by a string of late order contributions.
The number six had reached 40* by lunch (by which time Taranaki was in the lead at 160/5), after which the new ball was taken by South Canterbury.
His century would arrive later in the middle session, off 172 balls, after more than three hours' application, including 18 boundaries and two sixes.
Muggeridge was still there at tea and would be the last to fall, by which time he had reached 125 in Taranaki's total of 341 - a tidy first-innings lead of 200 exactly.
The last session was a killer for South Canterbury as they headed out for what they had hoped would be a big second innings effort, in easing conditions.
Taranaki was having none of that, and had them on notice by stumps - six wickets having fallen inside 19 overs, and South Canterbury staring down the barrel at 67/6.
DAY THREE
An innings victory was not only the perfect ending to Taranaki's memorable summer, but the perfect ending to Dean Robinson's 126-match career for his District Association.
It was all over quickly on the last morning, South Canterbury bowled out for 98 in just 26.4 overs as Taranaki won handsomely by an innings and 102 runs - Gard and Carr teaming up again to close it out.
Robinson's Taranaki debut, as a gangly teenager from Stratford, had been an unsuccessful Hawke Cup defence in 2007.
He was going out as a four-time holder of the precious antique silverware which will now remain in New Plymouth until, at least, the first Challenge Match of 2025/26.
