After spending 70 years trying to get their hands on the Hawke Cup, Counties Manukau has now kept it in its grasp for two defences this season.
While a weather bomb saved them the trouble of even taking the field in their first defence against Zone 2 challenger Taranaki, this time they had to be ready to fend off the experienced Canterbury Country lads who had a strong recent record to draw from.
Canterbury Country headed to Manurewa in Auckland’s south stacked with notable players — Canterbury reps Jack Boyle, Henry Shipley, Jeremy Benton, Will Williams and the young Fraser Sheat, plus former Canterbury star and their warhorse and former captain Shanan Stewart and the promising up-and-comer Ben Hartland whose batting had ensured Christchurch Boys’ High lifted NZC’s national Secondary School Boys’ First XI Cup earlier this season.
Nick Kelly added strength to Counties Manukau's second defence. PHOTOSPORT
Counties Manukau had ND all-round firebrand Nick Kelly and 18-year-old NZ Under-19 World Cup rep Katene Clarke in what was otherwise a pretty familiar squad from the first challenge of the season in which the underdogs snatched the silverware off Bay of Plenty.
On paper, on balance, the holders were surely once again the underdogs, but after winning the toss it wouldn’t take Counties Manukau long to fix that. With the groundsmen having done superbly to prepare the wicket in time following the heavy rains, it proved a good toss to win. The hosts ripped through the Canterbury Country line-up in two sessions, rolling the South Islanders for 66 in just 47.3 overs.
Jack Boyle captained Canterbury Country in the Zone 3 challenge. PHOTOSPORT
Kelly and Ben Reece hadn’t even been required to bowl as Scott Johnston gleefully cleaned up the tail with 4-12, after Sandeep Patel had taken out key men Boyle (16) and Shipley among his standout return of 8-2-12-3. Reid Somani had chimed in with a two-for and Ryan Phizackerley had taken care of first drop Hartland, caught on 12 in an innings where the top score was a mere 22.
Counties Manukau then got off to a rocky start of their own, losing their first three wickets for just 29, but with the knowledge that just one solid partnership would be enough to secure the first innings position.
They got it from Kelly who batted almost three hours for his 69, and Patel (58) who knuckled down for 53 for the fifth wicket, Patel pressing on to help lay down another 43 for the sixth before he fell victim to Shipley.
Henry Shipley. PHOTOSPORT
Shipley had been dangerous, ultimately finishing with 4-40 but it was Jeremy Benton who then made another quick strike and opened the gateway to the tail, three wickets falling with the score parked on 174, including two in the over for Benton. Still, Counties Manukau continued to lock horns with them for another hour, scrapping for every run as Phizackerley helped push their total up to 205 before Will Williams finally trapped him.
The first innings lead to the defenders meant that Canterbury Country now needed an outright if they were to return the Hawke Cup to Rangiora, the second innings getting underway just before tea on day two.
It was a much happier performance with the bat this time, captain Boyle leading the way with 57 before he was stumped off young Ben Reece, but the definitive innings coming from Stewart who powered up for a commanding century, 135 off 165 balls, including seven boundaries and two sixes.
With Tim Gruitjers, Stewart has slathered on 81 for the fourth wicket, then dominated a 123-run stand for the fifth with Will Williams pocketing a red-inker, unbeaten on 40 when Stewart’s eventual fall saw the captain declare at 314 for five.
That left Counties Manukau a target of 176 with a session and a half on the last day to get them, and after a respectful start they had reached 48 for two by tea. As long as they held on to enough wickets there was no need to take undue risks, and the Canterbury Country would-be raid ultimately fizzled out in the last session with no more wickets falling.
The draw ensured the defenders would live to fight another day, and will now meet Zone 4 challengers Southland at the same ground in the final Hawke Cup fling of 2017/18. The free entry three-day match will begin on Friday 9 March at 10.30am.
