Manawatu clinch Hawke Cup

BY PETER LAMPP

Manawatu's first-innings win in the Hawke Cup challenge at Napier yesterday was splendid enough – but defending it presents an added challenge.

Only twice in the past 45 years have Manawatu successfully defended the cup on Palmerston North soil. They lost it first up in the past two tenures, in 1998 and 2002, to Auckland-Waitakere and Hawke's Bay respectively.

Manawatu's first challenge will come on February 20 to 22 from Bay of Plenty who beat Poverty Bay last weekend to qualify.

Yesterday, Hawke's Bay surrendered when Manawatu player-coach Ian Sandbrook declared at 205 for eight at tea, an insurmountable lead of 366 with just one session left.

It was a top effort by a team with most players aged between 17 and 22 as well as Sandbrook (26), Luke Murray (29) and Willie Murrie (32). And stalwarts like Justin Lampard, Andrew Wylie and Scott Baldwin have departed.

"All of the young guys came in and played out of their skins," Sandbrook said. "Sunday was the best they'd played all season, with the ball and in the field."

He was thrilled to bowl Hawke's Bay out for 137 in the season's biggest game. "To get something as big as this is a big achievement. It's a show of our depth and bodes well."

Once again, Manawatu are New Zealand's best district.

Sandbrook was the only Manawatu player to have been in a winning challenge, at Hamilton in 2002, and his 56 off 217 balls (including just one four) on a flat, slow and low track yesterday, batted Hawke's Bay out of the game.

Manawatu were in the crow's nest after a first-innings lead of 161 on the back of Roald Badenhorst's 107 and Sandbrook's 59. Sandbrook showed why he played for CD in 2002-03 by being the archetypal Hawke Cup rock, batting for eight hours across both innings for his aggregate of 115. "We talked about batting well for a session and the game would be too far out of their reach," he said. "I felt good. The Hawke Cup doesn't come round too often and I was making damn sure we didn't lose it."

He had a few palpitations when Manawatu batsmen came and went yesterday but the arrival of teen Adam Milne (19 in 66 minutes) and two hours of rain also helped stymie Hawke's Bay.

Hawke's Bay wrested the cup from Hamilton in February last year and defended it against Northland and Canterbury Country before coming unstuck against CD brother Manawatu.

Manawatu

First innings 298

Second innings (overnight 110-3)

I Sandbrook not out 56

D Cleaver lbw b Kuru 6

R Badenhorst b Kuru 0

D Rayner c Pimm b Richards 14

J Cunningham c McLennan b Bracewell 0

A Milne c Calkin b De Terte 19

B Small not out 4

Extras (21b, 9lb, 2w, 6nb) 38

Total for 8 wkts decl 205

Fall: 1-5 (W Murrie, 2.3), 2-14 (L Murray, 8.2), 3-110 (D Meiring, 40.4), 4-123 (D Cleaver, 47.3), 5-123 (R Badenhorst, 47.6), 6-151 (D Rayner, 56.6), 7-151 (J Cunningham, 57.5), 8-198 (A Milne, 72.3)

Bowling: J Kuru 21 3 55 4 (1nb 1w), B McLennan 8 4 5 0, K Richards 15.3 5 50 1, D Bracewell 10.3 2 27 1 (4nb 1w), Z Hinton 4 0 9 0, J De Terte 9 3 15 1 (1nb), M Freer 7 3 14 1.

Hawke's Bay

First innings 137

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