Therefore, if rain creates havoc today at Nelson Park and games are abandoned then the Bay will automatically proceed to tomorrow's round because they are seeded higher than Whanganui.
The long and short of it, as CD amateur cricket manager Scott Briasco put it, is that it reverts to where the competition finished at its highest level.
That is, the higher-ranked team will advance to the next stage of the knockout tourney but the final, because it didn't reach its threshold, will carry over from the previous year when the Bay were champions under previous coach Lincoln Doull.
"It's supposed to be clearing at 1pm so it'll be cold but we're hopeful we'll have a shortened game of some description," says Briasco, who feels there's a modicum of closure for teams if higher-ranked sides don't advance purely on seedings.
The seedings this year are: 1 Hawke's Bay, 2 Manawatu, 3 Taranaki, 4 Nelson, 5 Wairarapa, 6 Horowhenua-Kapiti, 7 Marlborough, 8 Whanganui.
In other games today, it's Manawatu v Marlborough, Revital Fertilisers Taranaki v Horowhenua-Kapiti and Golden Edge Nelson v Trust House Wairarapa.
The remaining two winners after tomorrow's round will play in Sunday's final.
Simultaneously the losers will revert to a playoff for the Cave Cup also culminating with a final on Sunday.
Rookie Bay coach Colin Schaw says all the available CD Stags squad members, who are vying for a berth in the Georgie Pie Super Smash campaign starting late next week, are playing for their respective districts.
They include Stags skipper Kruger van Wyk, Ajaz Patel, Blair Tickner and Andrew Mathieson for the Bay.
Heretaunga Building Society Cornwall seamer Liam Dudding and Ruahine Motors Central Hawke's Bay batsman Rupert Young, the brother of prolific Stags run scorer, William, will both turn out for Horowhenua-Kapiti in the Chapple Cup this weekend.
"Liam was very unlucky to miss out in the Hawke's Bay team so it's good to see him get the opportunity to play in the Chapple Cup," says Schaw who also understands the Young family have settled in the Bay.
Although CD coach Heinrich Malan announces his T20 team to host the Otago Volts in New Plymouth the Bay coach is under the impression the Stags are available throughout this weekend for the cup campaign.
Veteran batsman Mathew Sinclair and strike bowler Stevie Smidt are conspicuous in their absence this year.
Schaw, on assuming the mantle of mentor, established the criteria that every player make themselves available all season.
"I've made that call. No disrespect to Skippy [Sinclair] who is a great servant of Hawke's Bay and New Zealand but he has to think of his job, too."
Last November Sinclair was unavailable as player/coach as the Smidt-skippered Bay succumbed to Taranaki in a crucial Hawke Cup challenge-qualifying match in New Plymouth because he had prior obligations to fulfil TV commentary duties on a CD T20 match at McLean Park.
Taranaki won by an innings to earn the right to challenge then cup holders Manawatu.
Schaw suspects Smidt isn't available because of non-stop cricket after returning from a stint in the English summer.
"I'm not sure if he can't play club cricket or what so again it's about making a commitment ... ," he says, emphasising there's enough younger talent waiting on the wings to step up.
Even if the Bay lose their first-class players, he feels they have a good crop of seamers in the likes of Kurt Richards, Ben Stoyanoff (both CD wider training squad members) and Jurgen Anderson to do the job.
"We can't wait for Hawke Cup but it'll obviously be a different squad," says Schaw of the Furlong Cup (zone 2) qualifying opening match against Horowhenua-Kapiti on November 21-22 away at Donnelly Park to begin their campaign to earn the right to claim the bragging rights to minor association supremacy.
Whanganui coach Stu Gillespie, returning after a four-year hiatus, will be without the injured batsmen Ben Smith (CD) and Tom Lance.
The experience of captain Mark Fraser and Dom Rayner (13th cup) will be crucial with Greg Smith making his debut.
For the Bay, Mathieson is carrying an injury so he may be the omitted player in the 12.
