The Hawke Cup has made its way to Buller

Craddock Paddock to host Hawke Cup

Buller is getting set for the biggest event of its cricketing history.

After taking the Hawke Cup off Canterbury Country last weekend, Buller Cricket’s first home defence in more than a century of competition will begin on Friday 12 February — little more than a week away — at the ground locally nicknamed ‘Craddock Paddock’.

Craddock Park, as it is more formally known, will be the scene of Minor Association battle when North Otago comes to town to try to take the Cup away from its still bowled-over new guardians on the West Coast.

A strong turnout is expected for the three-day match as locals get behind their giant-killing cricket team.

While Craddock Park will have some seating available, Buller Cricket is encouraging supporters to bring their own, including chairs and gazebos or tents if they wish.

As luck would have it, the Buller Gorge Marathon — normally Buller’s biggest sporting event of the year — is taking place the very same weekend, which meant that finding accommodation for the North Otago team at short notice was a challenge.

But in true Coaster style, nothing has stood in the way of making a go of it — and the match will indeed be played on one of their own artificial wickets, the local climate never having been conducive to preparing grass surfaces.



More than 200 townsfolk turned out on Monday, Buller Anniversary Day, at the Buller Clocktower to welcome and celebrate the Buller’s team's historic victory, which came down to a nailbiting last ball, after 106 years in the void of the Hawke Cup. The municipal band played, and a luncheon was put on by the local council.

North Otago, whose home pitches are Kakanui Clay, has been practising on four artificial pitches in Oamaru as preparation.

Buller is officially the smallest Minor Association in New Zealand, while North Otago is the second-smallest Minor Association in the country. North Otago won the Hawke Cup in 2010, and qualified for the challenge unbeaten in the regional zone four qualifying competition.


 

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