Cricket: Hawke Cup remains in Taranaki after hard graft

Ian Snook

Hawke Cup cricket has a brutal component to it that cannot be matched in any other form of the game. It is a test of stamina and mental toughness that requires three days of total effort and belief.

The Whitaker Civil Engineering Taranaki side lined up against a talented Hawkes Bay side on Friday morning and to a man they performed with energy, intensity and total concentration for three days.

This is not the usual Taranaki rep game played over two days with bonus points, this is the real McKoy, a man-on-man shoot out played out over 290 overs, in heat laden temperatures.

It was no place for the faint hearted.

There was a fairly placid, batter friendly track facing Taranaki as they headed into day three, knowing that Hawkes Bay had to bowl them out to take the cup. But no matter whether the batsmen walk out to friendly physical conditions, the mind must be strong and focused as the slightest mistake would transfer the pressure to the next man in.

It was nerve wracking stuff for a healthy crowd that probably peaked at around 300 with about 500 in and out during the day, but who would have grown more confident as the day grew longer.

And what a day it was for Taranaki cricket. It was awesome.

Lefties Josh Borrell and Liam Muggeridge handled everything thrown at them by the Hawke's Bay attack, cutting, pulling and driving, but most of all staying focused and determined.

They produced a partnership of 190 runs, using up nearly 400 balls, before Muggeridge edged one through to the keeper. What an innings it was – the little Clive Lloyd had returned.

At the other end from Muggeridge the smiling Borrell had been whipping them off his legs, guiding them through gully and hooking them to the boundary. Lunch arrived as Muggeridge was dismissed with Borrell in complete control at 128 not out.

The total was 246-2. The plan was in operation.

It wouldn’t have done a lot for the confidence of the Hawke's Bay boys when the next man walking out was one of Taranaki’s favourites, international batsman Will Young. If Hawke's Bay were to have any chance at all, Young had to be dismissed early.

Instead, it was Borrell who pulled a short one straight to the fielder and was walking back straight after lunch for a 281-ball, 17-boundary, two-sixes, 130 runs. It’ll be a while before the wide smile disappears.

Enter another Young – Rupert. Batsman of the year last season. I’m sure plenty of spectators had arrived to see these two bat together.

Things were ticking along nicely. Will, all style and class and Rupert pretty much a mirror image.

Neither batsman was troubled, and the crowd were settling in to enjoying the Young duo at work, just as Rupert was adjudged LBW when the partnership had reached 79. It was a hard one to fathom, but as there is a very old cricket saying, “That is cricket”. And it is.

The total was 335-4 just on tea as Trent McGrath, the wristy lefty, joined Will Young at the crease.

With a session to go the only way in for Hawke's Bay was to get a quick few wickets, something that hadn’t happened in the whole game, and was looking unlikely for the visitors.

What eventuated in the final session was the icing on the cake for the local team. Will Young notched up his first century in the Taranaki colours, scoring 107 not out in 195 balls and the Taranaki version of Garfield Sobers, Trent McGrath, stroked his way to 68 not out; these two talented lads partnering for a 118 run runs which took Taranaki to 453-4, and a convincing win.

There were many great Taranaki performances in this win. Freakish Ben Frewin’s eight wickets highlighted the talent of this player; Borrell’s 130 was huge in the context of the chase after a big Hawke's Bay total of 452; and it was just a delight for the team to have a player of Will Young’s calibre in the group. That in itself is a confidence booster before play even starts.

There were huge overs bowled by Jordy Gard, Davis Mills and Liam Carr.

Trigger McGrath strode out and took up where he left off last season, Muggeridge played an important innings, looking very composed, and the fielding never lacked total concentration and effort.

Best of all, the plan worked rather well.

It is time to rest up. The next defence, number five, will be in two weeks.

Read the scorecard here: https://scoring.nzc.nz/match/9fdb4d41-add7-43e7-b17a-994b7632dc7d/scorecard