Cricket: Hawke's Bay open Furlong Cup defence with innings victory

Hawke's Bay captain Angus Schaw, in his 11th season in the team, bats for his 28 in a record-equalling 89th match for Hawke's Bay. Photo / Ian Cooper

Hawke's Bay, the national minor-associations cricket Hawke Cup holders, started the new season with a crushing win after bowling Taranaki out in both innings for a total of just 120 runs in Napier at the weekend.

Choosing to field first in the opening two-day games defence of Central Districts trophy the Furlong Cup at Nelson Park, with a start delayed about three hours on Saturday as the ground dried from Friday's rain, Hawke's Bay dismissed Taranaki for 71 in the first innings, scored 205-8dec and then limiting the visitors to just 49 in its second innings, to win by an innings and 85 runs.

The Bay batted 73 overs in its one innings, compared with the 69.2 batted by Taranaki in its two innings' combined.

The Taranaki first innings wickets were shared by four of the Hawke's Bay attack on the opening afternoon, led by Clark with 3-10 off 10 overs and Toby Findlay, on debut, with 2-13 off six.

Dominic Thompson, batting at No 4, top-scored in the single HB innings with 62, including one six and six others to the boundary, and his role in the match's biggest partnership, a 53-run 7th wicket stand with Todd Watson, who finished with 26 not out.

First-drop Christian Leopard scored 30, including five 4s, and captain Angus Schaw, batting at No 7 in a record-equalling 89th match for Hawke's Bay, was trapped lbw on 29.

Schaw first played senior representative cricket for Hawke's Bay in the 2011-2012 season. Record holder Stuart Duff played his 89 matches from 1980-1996.

Taranaki never looked like saving the game, with home side opening bowlers Liam Dudding and Ben Stoyanoff ripping through the top order in the second innings.

The visitors were 21-6 in the 14th over of the second innings before an 18-run partnership – their biggest of the two days. Stoyanoff finished with 4-8 off 8.2 overs, and Dudding 3-14 off nine.

Hawke's Bay's next game is in Levin on November 13-14 against Horowhenua Kapiti, which had a seven-wickets loss to Wanganui at the weekend. Batting first, HK scored 161 and 204-6dec, and Wanganui 92 and 275-3. In the other Furlong Cup match in Masterton, Manawatu (275 and 127-6dec) had a first innings win over Wairarapa (148 and 46-1).

The first Hawke Cup defence is at the end of January.