Dates have been set for a bumper summer of Hawke Cup cricket.
The battle for one of New Zealand's oldest sporting trophies - launched 112 years ago - will begin early this season, with two Challenge Matches postponed from the end of the 2021/22 summer to go ahead next month.
The Zone 3 and Zone 4 Challenges were postponed due to the Omicron outbreak late last season, with current holder Hawke's Bay left to look after the historic 1910 trophy for a second successive winter.
Now, the silverware goes back on the line. Hawke's Bay will be hoping to keep their grip on the Hawke Cup for the calendar year when 2021/22 Zone 3 qualifier Canterbury Country finally gets to come to town to try to take it off their hands. Their rescheduled Challenge will take place on 4-6 November, at Napier's Nelson Park.
The winner of that match will then host last summer's Zone 4 qualifier from the lower South Island.
The 2022/23 Hawke Cup Challenge Match programme will then proceed as normal from January 2023, with the order of Zone Challenges to be confirmed following the completion of the rescheduled 2021/22 matches.
Livescoring will be available on the www.nzc.nz website or NZC app from 10.30am.
Hawke's Bay squad: Angus Schaw (captain), Jack Boyle, Will Clark, Liam Dudding, Brett Johnson, Jayden Lennox, Scott Schaw, Ben Stoyanoff, Dominic Thompson, Todd Watson, Jono Whitley
Canterbury Country squad: Rhys Mariu, Blake Coburn, Alister Collins, Sam Chamberlain, Harry Chamberlain, Fraser Sheat, Archie Redfern, Jesse Frew, Zak Foulkes, Tim Gruitjers, Will Williams, Matt Laffey
Hawke's Bay current tenure:
- February 2022: Weather affected draw, Cup retained v Bay of Plenty
- January 2022: Won on the first innings v Manawatu
- February 2021: Won by an innings and 52 runs v North Otago
RESCHEDULED HAWKE CUP CHALLENGE MATCHES
(2021/22)
4-6 November 2022
Hawke Cup Holder Hawke's Bay v Zone 3 Challenger, Canterbury Country
From 10.30am, Nelson Park, Napier
18-20 November 2022
Hawke Cup Holder v Zone 4 Challenger Southland
From 10.30am at Holder's home ground
2022/23 HAWKE CUP CHALLENGE MATCHES
27-29 January 2023
Hawke Cup Holder v Challenger TBC
From 10.30am at Holder's home ground
10-12 February 2023
Hawke Cup Holder v Challenger TBC
From 10.30am at Holder's home ground
24-26 February 2023
Hawke Cup Holder v Challenger TBC
From 10.30am at Holder's home ground
10-12 March 2023
Hawke Cup Holder v Challenger TBC
From 10.30am at Holder's home ground