Hawke's Bay batsmen Izaiah Lange (left) and Angus Schaw are both in action for their province this weekend. Photo / NZME
Hawke's Bay host Taranaki at Nelson Park in Napier in the opening round of the Furlong Cup this Saturday and Sunday.
Following that there are trips to Levin to play Horowhenua Kapiti on November 13 and 14 as well as Masterton, to play Wairarapa, on December 4 and 5.
The pre-Christmas schedule is completed with a return to Napier to host Manawatu in Napier on the December 11 and 12.
Hawke's Bay Cricket's high performance coach and operations manager Christie van Dyk is looking forward to the upcoming season and is positive about his side's prospects.
As well as coaching, van Dyk's role with Hawke's Bay sees him look after the local umpires and act as competition manager, putting the local cricket draws at different levels together.
"I think we've got a strong enough base to be confident and I rate these guys highly and think we'll go well."
Some players are still at school, with others having full-time jobs and families to provide for.
Last Friday and Saturday saw a two-innings trial match take place at Nelson Park, where the Duff XI defeated the Briasco XI by three wickets.
For van Dyk, it's important to get the youngsters involved as early as possible.
''For the young ones, it's not necessarily that I will pick them now, but I want them to be exposed to this level and I really want a youngster to put his hand up and say 'pick me'.
''I'm going to bring them to our training so that they get that exposure. If you're good enough, you're good enough, it doesn't matter what your age is.''
After the Christmas break, the team will visit Whanganui on January 15 and 16 to complete the Furlong Cup round robin, before the focus shifts to the first Hawke Cup Challenge against an unknown opponent between January 28 and 30 and then the Chapple Cup in Palmerston North between February 18 and 20.
It's a busy schedule but van Dyk is confident with his squad's ability to compete across all formats.
"I'm super impressed [with this group of players]. Their attitude and our culture, this is a quality, quality group of players.''
Saturday's game is the opening match of Central Districts North Island associations' two-day format round-robin competition the Furlong Cup, which comprises five rounds.
The target is the defence of New Zealand minor associations premier prize the Hawke Cup, with four challenges needing to be deflected in the new year if the cup, first played for in 1910, is to be retained at the end of the season.
As Furlong Cup winners last summer, the Bay won the right to a challenge as national Zone 2 challengers, defeated holders North Otago and successful defended the trophy with an eight-wicket win over Zone 1 champions Hamilton in Napier in March (Hamilton 113 and 280, Hawke's Bay 232 and 164-2).
Picking his first team hasn't been easy for van Dyk, with the Central Districts selectors having first choice, which includes star batsmen from that game Brad Schmulian, who scored a first-innings 70, and Bayley Wiggins who won the game with a six completing an unbeaten 107, along with bowler Blair Tickner.
The trio started for the Central Stags earlier this week in an ultimately unlucky start to the Plunket Shield season against Canterbury, Wiggins becoming the fourth Central player to score a century on first-class debut, and Tickner nailing his 150th first-class wicket and his fourth five-wicket bag.
Central Districts (369 and 321-6 dec) dominated Canterbury, who were all out for 241 in their first innings and held out for a draw with 249-5 in the second, still 201 short of the target for victory.
Central's next game is against Otago, starting in Dunedin on Sunday.
Fine weather is forecast for the first day of Hawke's Bay's match against Taranaki this weekend, after rain on Friday morning, and more rain is forecast for Sunday.
The Hawke's Bay team is: Jono Whitley, William Clark, Christian Leopard, Dominic Thomson, Izaiah Lange, Angus Schaw (captain), Todd Watson, Toby Findlay, Kurtis Weeks (wicketkeeper), Liam Dudding, Kyle Gardiner, Ben Stoyanoff.
The Hawke's Bay cricket team and Hawke Cup challenge draw for 2021-2022 is:
Furlong Cup (two-day games)
October 30-31: Whanganui v Horowhenua, in Whanganui; Wairarapa v Manawatu, in Masterton; Hawke's Bay v Taranaki, in Napier.
November 13-14: Horowhenua v Hawke's Bay, in Levin; Manawatu v Whanganui, in Palmerston North; Taranaki v Wairarapa, in Taranaki.
December 4-5: Wairarapa v Hawke's Bay, in Masterton; Manawatu v Horowhenua, in Palmerston North; Whanganui v Taranaki, in Whanganui.
December 11-12: Wairarapa v Whanganui, in Wairarapa; Taranaki v Horowhenua, in New Plymouth; Hawke's Bay v Manawatu, in Napier.
January 15-16: Whanganui v Hawke's Bay, in Whanganui; Manawatu v Taranaki, in Manawatu; Horowhenua v Wairarapa, in Levin.
Hawke Cup Challenges (three-day games): January 28-30, Zone 2 challenge; February 11-13, Zone 1 challenge; February 25-27, Zone 3 challenge: March 11-13, Zone 4 challenge.
Chapple Cup (one-day games): February 18-20.