Busy season for ‘minor’ cricketers

Press, 26 November 1982, Page 19

Busy season for ‘minor’ cricketers

Never before has there been such activity among cricket’s minor associations. Between the first week of November and early February, 53 two-day matches will be played in the Cyclone Series-to determine the five challengers for the Hawke Cup, at present held by Nelson. ' ■

The challenge matches, over three days, start on February 19, and the last is scheduled to begin on March 19.

Cyclone Industries have increased their sponsorship to $lO,OOO ' this season. This money will be used to meet travel costs, with all the teams having a share of it, but particular ' emphasis

being put on the travel of the challenging teams. Last summer, the challengers were decided, within five zones, on a knock-out basis. This time, there are again five zones, but it is a round-robin competition. In Zone 1, the competing teams are Bay of Plenty, Thames Valley, Poverty Bay, Counties; Hamilton, Midland and Northland. Nine of the 21 matches in this zone will be played during a tournament at Hamilton from November 21 to 26, There • are five teams in Zone 2: Horowhenua,

Hawke’s Bay, Wanganui, Rangitikei, and Taranaki. In Zone 3, the competing teams are Wairarapa, Manawatu, Southern Hawke’s Bay and Hutt Valley. There are also four teams in Zone 4. Marlborough, West Coast, North Canterbury and Buller. The fifth zone has five teams — Ashburton, Southland, Central Otago, North Otago and South Canterbury. The Hawke Cup has a long history. The first holder, Southland, won an inaugural tournament in 1910-11. South Auckland won a tournament

two years later and in all, 16 teams have been holders of the Hawke Cup. Nelson, the present . holder, has the best record, having resisted 59 challenges since 1922.

It will not be. easy to take the shield from Nelson. It performed very capably last season, scoring 478 for nine wickets declared against Southland with centuries from W. Hodgson, R. Hayward and.S. Gill. In Gill’s 103 runs were 10 sixes and seven fours. He made his runs in 89 minutes from 94 deliveries. Hawke’s Bay’s challenge was a good one. The visiting side scored 410 (S. Duff 102) but Nelson replied with 436. Seven of the batsmen scored 30 or more. Nelson was in trouble against Hutt Valley who scored 172 and had Nelson out for 142. Hutt Valley then scored 201 and Nelson won the match with 233 for six, due mainly to a third wicket stand of 120 between A. Jones (55) and Hodgson (88). Nelson again had three cen-tury-makers in scoring 483 against Bay Of Plenty. Hayward made 111, G. .N. Edwards 100, and T. Blain 119 not out.

First-innings victories are enough to win or retain , the Cup, and there? is no longer a restriction bn the number of overs to be bowled in the first innings of > each side.

Should Nelson lose the Hawke Cup, the successful team accepts the remaining challenges for the season.