Cricket: Brad Schmulian sitting on centuries record as Hawke’s Bay starts new Hawke Cup era

Hawke's Bay batsman Brad Schmulian after being dismissed for 60 against Manawatū in Napier in 2021. He scored a century against Manawatū last month, and another against Wairarapa at the weekend to equal the record for Hawke's Bay.

Prolific run-scoring cricket all-rounder Brad Schmulian would love to break the record he equalled last weekend for the most centuries for Hawke’s Bay.

But, as he prepares for the Bay’s first defence of a new Hawke Cup era, against Manawatū at Nelson Park, Napier, on Friday-Saturday, it’s all part of the big picture. “My job is to score runs,” he says.

Cape Town-born and having come to New Zealand with his parents when he was 9, the now 33-year-old has been a big part of both Hawke’s Bay and Central Districts Stags cricket in the six years since he ventured south for opportunity after repeatedly being unable to secure a position in the Auckland Aces, despite being Auckland’s club Player of the Year three times in five years.

Only Central Districts replied when he put the feelers out in 2016 and he was soon playing for Havelock North, the Bay, and CD.

Perhaps most widely known for a record New Zealand first-class debut score of 203, for Central Districts against Northern Districts in October 2017, he scored his 10th century for the Bay against Wairarapa in Masterton last weekend, equalling a record held by Australia-born 2001-2013 representative James De Terte.

Schmulian scored 119 not out batting at first-drop in Hawke’s Bay’s innings of 317-7 on Saturday and Sunday, stealing some of the thunder from bowler Liam Dunning, who earlier claimed his second six-wicket bag for Hawke’s Bay in a week with 6-35 in Wairarapa’s innings of 182.

The first innings win was enough for Hawke’s Bay to retain Central Districts minor-association’s prize, the Furlong Cup. As runners-up, Manawatū won the right to the first challenge in Hawke’s Bay’s new Hawke Cup era, the Bay having regained the national trophy against Canterbury Country in Rangiora in November.

Schmulian, a 12-months-a-year cricketer who has played 42 Plunket Shield matches for Central Districts and who at the end of the season will fly north for a fifth summer to again captain Bradford league champions Woodlands in Yorkshire, says it’s good to be playing Manawatū.

Hawke’s Bay and Manawatū are clearly the top two Central Districts minor associations, he says, and besides, the match-ups have served him well.

One of his most-memorable centuries – and he’s also scored five for Central Districts - was 154 not out soon after learning of his grandmother’s death in Auckland and after Manawatū was dismissed for 41 not out in Palmerston North in 2019.

Last month at Nelson Park he scored 114 for Hawke’s Bay in a Furlong Cup match Manawatū won on the first innings.

At the weekend there was no repeat for the batting heroes of the previous weekend’s match against Whanganui match – record last-wicket stand batsmen Dominic Thompson, who on Saturday was out for three, and No 11 bat Liam McCarthy, who saw the game out from beyond the boundary ropes with no need to bat.

The Hawke Cup match will be the 90th game between the senior men’s sides of the Bay and Manawatū, Hawke’s Bay having won 48.

A full three days at Nelson Park is likely, with fine weather forecast for Friday, and temperatures up to 29C on Saturday and Sunday.

Coach Christie Van Dyk reckoned he had about 18 2023-2024 Hawke’s Bay and Central Districts players to choose from, and came up with the following side for the defence: Angus Schaw (captain), Jack Boyle, Sam Cassidy, William Clark, Liam Dudding, Toby Findlay, Baylee Foote, Brett Johnson, Brad Schmulian, Dominic Thompson, Bayley Wiggins.