• Zone 1 Challenge in Taranaki
Weather permitting - with today's scheduled start delayed by rain, it’s back to business in New Plymouth over the next three days for Taranaki captain Jordan Gard and his team as they attempt to continue an impressive Hawke Cup tenure.
Taranaki uplifted the historic 1910 silverware from Hawke’s Bay at the start of last summer’s four annual challenges and has now racked up four consecutive defences — the latest against a stacked Hawke’s Bay side (this season’s Zone 2 Challenger) two weeks ago.
Now it’s Zone 1’s turn to try to steal away their precious, Bay of Plenty having earned the right to represent the northernmost Hawke Cup zone and bringing a team to Pukekura Park that includes Northern Districts' vastly experienced Plunket Shield anchorman Bharat Popli.
Bay of Plenty captain Oli White and veteran Peter Drysdale have also played Domestic white-ball cricket for Northern Districts.
Drysdale and Popli were both playing when Bay of Plenty last held the Cup eight years ago while left-hander White has also previously represented Otago, and represented New Zealand at the 2019/20 ICC Under 19 Men's World Cup in Bangladesh.
BLACKCAP Will Young scored an unbeaten century for Taranaki on Hawke Cup Challenge debut two weeks ago, now he’s busy on Central Stags business and that means the holders head into battle without any current first-class players of their own.
Will and Rupert Young | credit: Taranaki Cricket Association
Veterans Mattie Thomas and Ryan Watson, both returning after having missed the last defence, did play for the Stags in white-ball matches some years back, but Taranaki has made a habit of beating sides sporting first-class players over the past year and a bit.
Both teams will be checking the rain radar frequently over the course of the three days with the incoming tropical low impacting the match — it’s also likely to spice up toss time, whenever that may turn out to be.
To uplift the Hawke Cup, Bay of Plenty must win outright or on the first innings, and have seen off the likes of Hamilton, Counties Manukau and Northland in a strong qualifying pool to earn this challenge.
Bay of Plenty last held the Hawke Cup after success in the last Challenge Match of the 2015/16 summer (above), and then seeing off all four Challengers in 2016/17.
They had also held the Cup throughout the 2013/14 season — taking the silverware off Hamilton with a Hawke Cup record of 701, before surrendering it to Manawatū in the second Challenge Match of the following summer.
Remarkably, Bay of Plenty scored a total of 701 again in 2017, against Counties Manukau at Bay Oval.
Prior to the current tenure, spirited Taranaki hadn’t held the Hawke Cup since the 2007 summer when they uplifted it from Hamilton and promptly lost it to Canterbury Country in the first defence the next season.
Strong Canterbury Country is this summer’s Zone 3 Challenger, waiting in the wings for the outcome of the current match to find out whom and where they will be challenging in a fortnight's time.
Despite being infrequent holders throughout the cup's long history, Taranaki’s current tenure is still a long way from beating their best run of consecutive defences — that stands at 13, a golden era for the yellow-and-blacks that spanned the 1970/71 to 1972/73 seasons.
Livescores and updates from the ground for the current Challenge are available here.
Free livestreams of each day's play are available via Taranaki Cricket Association here.
SQUADS
Holder: TARANAKI
Jordan Gard - captain
Josh Borrell
Liam Carr
Ben Frewin
Jacob Leuthard-Richards
Trent McGrath
Davis Mills
Liam Muggeridge
Mattie Thomas
Ryan Watson
Bailey Wisnewski
Rupert Young (w)
Challenger (Zone 1 qualifier):
BAY OF PLENTY
Oli White - captain
Harry Burns
Mike De Beer (w)
Reuben Carter
Ollie Curtis
Niven Dovey
Peter Drysdale
Josh Earle
Nihar Parmar
Bharat Popli
Gus Tustin
Ben Vyver
PREVIOUS CHALLENGE MATCH
Zone 2: Taranaki 453/4 (holder) drew with Hawke's Bay 451 (challenger)
30 January - 1 February 2026
Pukekura Park, New Plymouth
SCORECARD
REMAINING SCHEDULE
Matches always begin on a Friday at 10.30am and are played at the current holder’s home ground
Zone 1 Challenge 13-15 February 2026 at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth
Zone 3 Challenge 27 February-1 March 2026 (Challenger = Canterbury Country, venue TBC)
Zone 4 Challenge 13-15 March 2026 (venue TBC)
Credit: Taranaki Cricket Association
