History is ready to be made in this season’s Hawke Cup with Buller having earned its first crack at a challenge — ever.
About the 2015/16 Hawke Cup
The Hawke Cup has been contested since 1910 and Buller sealed the right to challenge current holders Canterbury Country in the imminent opening fixture of 2015/16 with a phenomenal batting performance against much more fancied neighbours Nelson, earlier this month.
It was one for the ages for Buller cricket and its players, after the team put on a whopping 522 for seven against Nelson in the Zone 3 Hawke Cup elimination match away at Saxton Oval.
Their opposition never saw it coming as Buller dug in for a day and half, with centuries to both captain Troy Scanlon (118 not out) and Andrew Duncan (157), and 75 to batsman Alistair Burnett.
Duncan faced 215 balls, including 23 fours and a six, as he put on 136 runs with Burnett for the fourth wicket and then 122 with Scanlon for the fifth.
Buller had simply made the most of a good Saxton batting surface to bat Nelson out of the contest — and now heads to Rangiora for the big challenge.
Double trouble: Canterbury Country captain Andrew Robertson with the Hawke Cup and Canterbury Country Primary captain Zak Foulkes with the Sir Jack Newman Trophy. Photo: Canterbury Country Cricket Association
Scanlon, who has spent 18 years trying to score a Hawke Cup challenge “and never looked like it”, said the the historic about-turn came after the team got their act together and strung together some consistent performances.
Buller did manage to tie with Marlborough a couple of years ago, but got edged on net run rate. But generally, they were not known for putting partnerships together.
Nelson and Buller had gone into this month’s elimination clash on equal points, and this time it was Buller's superior net run rate that ultimately secured them the historic challenge: Nelson had needed an outright win to stop them.
It was, by all accounts, a good bus trip home.
Buller will face a tough test against Canterbury Country, who have offered them no quarter by naming a strong team for their first defence — including six foot eight tall Canterbury pace bowler Kyle Jamieson, fellow Canterbury representative Henry Shipley — a promising young batsman who is almost as tall; seamer Will Williams (another occasional Canterbury rep) and former first-class Canterbury batsman Shanan Stewart, who has been in thunderous form.
Young Kyle Jamieson has already proved a handful in the Ford Trophy this season. Photosport
They will be spared facing Jamieson’s awkward bounce, however, if Canterbury qualifies for the Ford Trophy Grand Final today and therefore is required in New Plymouth on Saturday.
Canterbury Country took the Hawke Cup off Manawatu last season then locked it away for the winter after defending it against North Otago in the final challenge of 2014/15. Their preparation this summer has included an emphatic seven-wicket win over Canterbury A last weekend.
The three-day Hawke Cup defence begins at Rangiora's Mainpower Oval this Friday.
For the record — the scorecard from Buller’s upset in Nelson earlier this month: Buller 522/7 (M. Grafton 39, C Adams 22, Cumming 28, Burnett 75, Duncan 157, Scanlon 118*, Volckman 36, Pratt 21, Adams 6*). Fall: 53, 94, 100, 236, 358, 457, 500. Nelson’s bowling: S Baxendine 25-7-68-1 (1nb), D Grimes 13-4-53-0 (2nb), J O'Connor 14-1-45-1- (1w, 1nb), S McGowan 13-2-59-1, J Routhan 19-5-59-0, D Wightman 37-10-121-2 (1w), G Hay 28-6-77-2 (1nb), S Field 6-2-9-0, D Cooper 5-0-18-0.
