Southland was the very first holder of the Hawke Cup in 1911, and it became the latest — and its guardian for the winter of 2018 — after defeating holders Counties-Manukau in the final Challenge of 2017/18 with a shiny 10-wicket victory.
The victory ended Counties-Manukau’s maiden reign at Weymouth Oval after having themselves prised the coveted silverware from Bay of Plenty’s grasp in the opening Challenge of the season.
Now Southland, after having gone unbeaten through the Zone 4 qualifying competition this summer to earn the right to challenge, reclaimed a prize they had last held in 1992 with an outright victory. Even had it meandered to a draw, they had already put Counties-Manukau under the pump by taking the first innings lead.
The match was never going to meander, even without the services of Harsh Visavadiya — who had scored 199 against South Canterbury, but was now unavailable as he was in India — and Otago Volt Jacob Duffy.
Their unavailability meant James Ng and young Jack Mockford returned to the Southland camp, hoping experience a new era in the province’s history now that many of the players hadn't been born last time Southland held the Cup.
After holders Counties-Manukau had won the toss and batted, losing both openers quick smart to Alex Tait had put the holders on the back foot early, and by lunch on the first day they were under pressure at 85 for five, young Katene Clarke’s 20 the highest score — and he’s battled more than two hours for it.
Things were to get worse for the hosts after the break, plunging to 70 for seven before Reid Somani (45) and Ryan Phizackerley (23) built a 61-run stand for the eight wicket, pushing the score to 131 before Tait scored his third wicket.
The bowlers had otherwise shared the spoils, but Somani was not done fighting — battling on for another eight overs before becoming the last man down with the opening account closed at 138.
What followed was a valiant effort from the Counties-Manukau attack to contain the damage, Scott Johnston — the hero who had clinched victory against Bay of Plenty with the last wicket in a nailbiter — remarkably claiming a haul of eight for 58.
But the wickets simply didn’t fall quickly enough to prevent a Southland first-innings lead of 84.
They had been well positioned at 69 for two overnight, then Hamish Skelt’s patient 58 across almost four hours underpinned a key 77-run stand for the sixth wicket with Amarpreet Singh (43, below) that had got them up past 150, into the lead still with the five in hand.
Counties-Manukau began their second innings after the day two tea break knowing they needed to storm back with something special to have any chance of retaining the cup. But by day’s end, they were four wickets down and still 12 runs in arrears, Sandeep Patel and Richard Faust both heading in unbeaten on 10 for the night.
Once again, it was the late order that put most of the runs on the board for Counties-Manukau, backs to the wall.
After Sandeep Patel was lost early on the final day, Faust (28) carried on with Ash Vodnala (29) for a 40-run stand before he was claimed by Ben Lockrose — the first of four fateful tailend wickets for the promising 17-year-old New Zealand Under-19 and Otago Volts spinner.
This was the Hawke Cup, however, so Counties-Manukau weren’t about to let go easily. Phizackerley (42) and that man again Johnston (37) put up another fight with an 80-run stand for the ninth wicket — and that meant that, when the final local wicket fell in the middle session, Southland still needed to get 126 runs.
Counties-Manukau still had faint hopes, if they could get early wickets. If Southland chose to try to bat out for the draw — which was all they needed, who knows what might sneak through that defensive mindset.
But there was plenty of time left to get the runs — 60 overs; and get them James Ng (83* off 72) and Jared McKenzie (39*) did, without losing a wicket, for a 10-wicket victory to cap off a Hawke Cup season that will be remembered for one of its most thrilling matches, a Counties-Manukau fairytale at last, and finally the end of the fairytale as the Cup went home.
