Cricket: Hawke's Bay v Nelson history will give way to red-ball protocol in Hawke Cup clash

CD Stags Dean Foxcroft (left) and Willem Ludick were club mates in South Africa but they will be foes in the Hawke Cup game at Saxton Oval, Nelson, in the next three days. Photo/supplied

A cursory glance at the numbers crunched between Hawke's Bay and Nelson senior men's representative team matches dates back to the summer of 1924-25.

Of the 31 games between the sides in 94 seasons, the Pay Excellence Bay men have lost 14 with two matches abandoned and one two-day affair drawn at Nelson Park, Napier, in December.

Those were the days when some games were staged at Trafalgar Park, Nelson, and the now defunct Nelson Park, Hastings.

Perhaps what's of more relevance is the last 12 encounters between the sides since the turn of this century as Nelson prepare to defend the Hawke Cup, the symbol of minor cricket supremacy, against the Jacob Smith-captained Hawke's Bay from today. The Dave Castle-coached visitors have won eight clashes with one one-day Chapple Cup match abandoned due to rain in December 2004.

Narrow it down to two-day matches and you'll find the cup holders have won only one of the six two-dayers between the sides, in January 2006.

Frankly all that equates to little because of the myriad variables that come into play in the three-day challenge.

Nelson have three Central Districts Stags players in captain Willem Ludick, Joshua Clarkson and Felix Murray.

The Bay have one more in CD incumbents Dean Foxcroft, Bradley Schmulian, Christian Leopard and newbie Bayley Wiggins but only the first three have played at the international Saxton Oval before, never mind challenged for the cup.

"Hawke's Bay is an awesome team to play for because they have high expectations with a great bunch of guys who are very strong as well," says Foxcroft who will bat in the middle order and bowl right-arm in his maiden cup challenge.

"It's an awesome ground to play on and the boys are looking forward to it."

Playing for CD or the Bay is a privilege so he's hoping he can contribute add another chapter to cup history.

The South African-born allrounder, who never expected to make his domestic debut this summer, is playing every game as if it was his last one.

"It's been an awesome season for me so a lot of hard work's paid off for me," says the You Travel Taradale CC premier men's import player three seasons ago who turns 21 next month.

Dean Foxcroft loves the idea that as an allrounder he can also add value on on the field, as he shows here with a catch in helping the Stags become the T20 champions. Photo/Photosport

Foxcroft relishes a role where he has three chances to add value — bat, bowl and field.

He reckons the red-ball format is different to the white-ball one so history will give way to a session-by-session process from today to see who prevails.

"We don't have any expectations," he says, acknowledging Nelson's prowess in anticipation of a "great battle". "We just want to go play like we've done all season."

Foxcroft and Ludick are former South Africa Under-19 World Cup representatives who were teammates at Willowick CC in Pretoria.

They were rivals at high school with the former playing for Menlopark and the latter Waterkloof.

Former-CD player Liam Dudding is unavailable due to work but the Bay see Foxcroft's injection as ideal in a seamer-heavy line up.

■ NELSON: Thomas Zohrab, David Zohrab, Joshua Clarkson, Willem Ludick (c), Paddy Howes, Nic Clark (wk), Felix Murray, Sam Baxendine, Jarrod McKay, Ben Stark, Sam Chamberlain, Devon Serrurier, Josh Newport.
Coach: Ryan Edwards. Manager: Hayden Ingham.

■ HAWKE'S BAY: Jacob Smith (c, Cornwall), Matt Edmondson (wk, NTOB), Joey Field (Havelock North), Dean Foxcroft (Taradale), Jayden Lennox (NTOB), Christian Leopard (NTOB), Angus Schaw (CHB), Bradley Schmulian (Havelock North), Ben Stoyanoff (Taradale), Dominic Thompson (CHB), Todd Watson (NTOB, Bayley Wiggins (Cornwall).
Coach: Dave Castle. Manager: Dale Smidt. Scorer: Neil Jackett.