Fitzherbert wicket in doubt for cup clash

Manawatu might have to defend the Hawke Cup at Manawaroa Park in 10 days' time against Bay of Plenty.

The main Fitzherbert Park pitch was cooked last month when the covers were left on in hot weather following heavy rain and killed the grass.

Eight World under-19 games would have taken a toll anyway, but since then the block has been renovated to get grass growing again for next summer.

Manawatu player-coach Ian Sandbrook hopes that the club blocks at Fitzherbert Park might yet be used.

For Bay of Plenty, it will have been 10 years since their last challenge, an unsuccessful one against a Nathan McCullum-led Dunedin City team.

While Manawatu held the cup as recently as 2002, Bay of Plenty have not had it since 1998.

Bay of Plenty folk are hoping Northern Districts do not make the provincial one-day final on February 21. That is because the Bay have ND seamers Te Ahu Davis and Trent Boult, as well as Kane Williamson and Graeme Aldridge. And if Daniel Flynn loses his place in the Black Caps test team, he could also be heading to Palmerston North.

By contrast, should Central Districts miss the one-day final, Manawatu could summon Jamie How, Mike Mason, George Worker, Jacob Oram and Bevan Griggs for the Hawke Cup defence.

Sandbrook said he would probably pick the star players if the opportunity arose.

But he said Manawatu had long become accustomed to not having their first-class men. "We're not too worried [about that]' he said. "We never bank on having our CD or New Zealand players; we just get on with it."

- © Fairfax NZ News