After resisting three Hawke Cup challenges last summer, Taranaki faces a big mission this weekend as fellow Zone 2 District and arch rival Hawke's Bay attempts to win back the historic silverware.
The action will take place at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth from Friday over the course of three days, after Hawke's Bay won the Central Districts Furlong Cup in Wairarapa at the weekend.
The winner of the annual Furlong Cup (two-day cricket) gets to make the three-day Zone 2 Challenge, unless it's the current holder in which case the runner-up gets to challenge.
Taranaki finished third in this season's Furlong Cup contest, and may well have been hoping runner-up - and much less experienced - Whanganui might have snuck through for the right to a rare Challenge.
Brad Schmulian and Tyler Annand number among Hawke's Bay's contracted Stags
It was Hawke's Bay who lost the Hawke Cup to Taranaki in Napier in January last year, kick-starting Taranaki's four-match tenure so far.
The Bay is expected to have a host of Central Stags back for the game, now that the Stags are out of the concurrent Super Smash Finals with the likes of vastly experienced former skipper Angus Schaw, Toby Findlay, Joey Field and Sam Cassidy in the frame.
Will Young will also get to play alongside his Taranaki wicketkeeper-batter brother Rupert for the first time in a Hawke Cup Challenge Match, while Tom Bruce is unavailable for Taranaki as he is heading off to the T20 World Cup in India for Scotland on Monday.
Will Young supporting Taranaki last season | MBUTCHER
The holders have since been through some personnel changes, with all-time leading runscorer Dean Robinson notably retiring at the end of the last Hawke Cup match last season, and pace bowler Jordan Gard the side's new captain this season.
The precious antique silverware they have in their possession is more than a century old, and holds a special place in New Zealand cricket lore as the ultimate symbol of men's inter-provincial cricket supremacy.
Matches are traditionally old-school wars of attrition, in which players give no quarter in the quest to either win outright or avoid conceding the first innings.
Being in a winning Hawke Cup side is a badge of honour.
Taranaki pace bowler Jordy Gard | MBUTCHER
After the forthcoming opening three-dayer between Taranaki and Hawke's Bay, the second Challenge of the season will be at the winner's home ground - so, either Pukekura Park or Napier's Nelson Park - against the Zone 1 winner from the Northern Districts catchment, from 13 to 15 February 2026.
Then it's Zone 3's turn (27 February-1 March), Rangiora-based Canterbury Country having qualified to make the Challenge.
Canterbury Country and Nelson were clear on the ladder ahead of the third round of their Zone 3 Qualifying Competition, so, as they were set to play each other anyway, it was mutually agreed that the third round would be substituted for the scheduled Zone 3 Final.
However, the match was washed out by the weekend's drenching, putting Canterbury Country through on points (please note that the ladder is manually adjusted; and is not available on PlayHQ).
The final Challenge match of the season will be made by Zone 4's qualifier from the foot of the country, from 13-15 March 2026.
TARANAKI SQUAD:
Jordan Gard (captain), Josh Borrell, Liam Carr, Ben Frewin, Jacob Leuthard-Richards, Trent McGrath, Davis Mills, Liam Muggeridge, Callum Stuart, Bailey Wisnewski, Rupert Young (wicketkeeper), Will Young
