Cricket: It's honour, not just right

Bay senior men's cricket coach, Colin Schaw, wants to bring back pride. Photo / Tracey Chatterton

Colin Schaw will be at the helm of the Hawke's Bay senior men's representative cricket team as coach for the next two summers.

The 51-year-old from Tikokino has assumed the mantle from former Central Districts Stags cricketer Mathew Sinclair, who also played for the Bay side last summer.

"I'm absolutely over the moon because it's an opportunity I've always wanted," said Schaw last night, after Hawke's Bay Cricket Association chief executive Craig Findlay officially made the announcement.

A Central Hawke's Bay/Hastings region livestock agent, who was returning from business in Hamilton last night, said his decision to take the position arose from an informal discussion with former New Zealand international and CD Hinds coach, the late Mike Shrimpton.

"A month before Shrimpo passed away I had had a chat with him and he was telling me to have a go," said Schaw of New Zealand's only World Cup (women)-winning coach Shrimpton, who lost his battle with brain cancer in Hastings in June at the age of 74.

"I've set a little goal around what we were talking about and believe it can be done," he said, emphasising it also was an opportunity to give something back to the community as coach.

The former Ruahine Motors Central Hawke's Bay CC premier men's coach has played more than 90 games for Southern Hawke's Bay in Hawke Cup and Chapple Cup, including three summers as captain.

"His passion for the game in Hawke's Bay and Central Districts is an ideal fit as Hawke's Bay strive to win back the Hawke Cup which we last held in 2009," Findlay said.

During his first year as coach the CHB prems reached the CD national knockout one-day finals. He also is one of three selectors for the CD Under-17 team, a role, he has fulfilled for the past seven years.

"I want to get around to see as much club cricket to give players a chance to show their wares," he said.

Because of a conflict of interest, Schaw will not coach CHB prems but is mindful his sons, wicket/keeper Scott and all-rounder Angus, were in last summer's squad.

Mathew Sinclair.

"They will be selected in the same way the whole team will be."

He will remain a club stalwart "because I'm still very much a CHB man at heart".

Primarily Schaw wants to return consistency in selection and is intending to appoint one or two people he respects in the Bay "to bounce off things".

"I want people to play with freedom rather than keep looking over their shoulders all the time."

For Schaw, it is imperative players recognise the importance of adorning the Bay colours in helping bring back the bragging rights to minor association cricket supremacy.

"I want to bring back pride to Hawke's Bay and making it an honour and not just a right to play."

He sees his CD U17 selector's role as an ideal pathway to scrutinise young talent to help them take a leap for higher honours in the quest for Chapple Cup (CD inter-district one-day) and Hawke Cup (two-day national) supremacy.

"In the seven years I've [won the] confidence of CD to keep doing the job."

The senior men's rep schedule starts with the Chapple Cup in late October before the Hawke Cup round-robin games. The men also will play matches against Northern Districts Association teams Poverty Bay, Bay of Plenty and Hamilton.

Mike Shrimpton.

Schaw will name a Chapple Cup squad in early October but will hold out on the Hawke Cup one until the picture becomes clearer on the availability of irst-class players.

He stressed it would be a huge challenge with young charges, especially in the batting department.

"It's like anything, I suppose, with selection that can be up or down but all you can do is put the best team you've got on the park."

Becoming familiar with the CD set up during a meeting with Stags coach Heinrich Malan on Tuesday next week is something he is looking forward to.

Sinclair, who was unsuccessful despite reapplying for the job, said "it was taken out of my hands".

A real estate agent with Harcourts for the past several months, the former Black Cap assumed the Bay association was looking for some serious commitment to their campaign.

"I applied and I was keen to coach but 15 weeks of summer is potentially a big chunk out of my income from open homes."

He is hoping to have some input as a specialist batting coach and play a few games.

Schaw said he hadn't spoken with Sinclair but would love to have him as a batsman.

CD Cricket has appointed Nigel Brooke, of Levin, the 2015-17 CD Hinds coach.