Southland Sport
Mark March 11, 2018, down – it is a date which will forever be remembered fondly within
the Southland cricketing community.
A gritty and determined Southland team toppled Counties Manukau in Manurewa on
Sunday to claim the Hawke Cup – New Zealand Cricket’s symbol of supremacy for the
minor-associations.
Southland went into the game minus arguably their two best players – Harsh Visavadiya
and Jacob Duffy – and in front of them was a Counties Manukau team which had
dispatched everyone they had come across to date this season.
But try telling this group of Southland cricketers their chances of Hawke Cup glory were
limited.
Their dominant 10-wicket outright victory ended a 26-year drought for Southland and
has added to the province’s rich history when it comes to the Hawke Cup.
Southland held the Hawke Cup on six occasions prior to this weekend’s heroics. It
included being the first team to get their hands on the trophy when it was played for in
1911.
For many of the current group, the Hawke Cup victory was a thoroughly deserved
reward for many years of toil in attempt to help get the province to the Hawke Cup
summit.
Included is coach Steve Jackson, who first coached Southland in 2001.
Jackson has been there for the highs and the lows and seen Southland in recent years
go oh so close, only to come up just short.
Not surprisingly the win in Manurewa was an emotional one for Jackson and the group
of players who stormed the field when the winning runs were hit and the job was done.
Jackson paid credit to the belief and determination the players had shown this season.
“They have made sure they are in the best possible position to do this. They have
trained a lot of extra hours, it’s been incredible.
“For good local lads to get in and do that and to believe in themselves, I’m just really
proud of them.
“It’s the best team effort I’ve seen in all the time I’ve been involved,’’ Jackson said.
Counties Manukau went into the third and final day on Sunday trailing by 12 runs and six
second innings wickets in hand.
By the time they had just two wickets in hand Counties Manukau held a slender 43 run
lead. However, an 80-run ninth wicket partnership provided the then holders hope.
Counties were eventually bowled out for 209 leaving Southland needing a tricky 126-
runs for outright victory. The other option was to negate the 60 overs remaining in the
day to hold on for a draw which would have been enough, considering Southland held
first innings honours.
But it wasn’t a matter of survival for Southland, they had dominated the majority of the
first two and half days and they were not about to get tentative late on the final day.
Openers James Ng and Jared McKenzie took charge to ensure Southland didn’t just win
the Hawke Cup, but they did it in resounding fashion.
They knocked off the required 126 runs without the loss of a wicket and took just 23
overs to do it.
Ng finished 83 not out off 72 balls and McKenzie was unbeaten on 39 at the other end.
Southland will now hold the Hawke Cup through the winter months with plenty of
pondering to be done in regard to how they can retain it when the challenges roll around
next summer.
But first, there is plenty of celebrating to do.
SOUTHLAND’S HAWKE CUP HISTORY
1910/11 (6 tournament matches)
March 14, 1911 – March 25, 1913 (1 challenge)
February 7, 1970 – December 29, 1970 (1 challenge resisted)
March 12, 1973 – February 27, 1977 (14 challenges resisted)
March 23, 1987 – March 15, 1988 (4 challenges resisted)
February 27, 1989 – February 24, 1992 (15 challenges resisted)
March 11, 2018 – Current holders of the Hawke Cup
THE SCORECARD
SOUTHLAND
First Innings
J Ng c Varcoe b Johnston 24
J McKenzie c K Clarke b Johnston 31
V Kotte c Vodnala b Johnston 0
S Fitzgibbon lbw Johnston 18
H Skelt c Payle b Johnston 58
J Domigan c Williamson b Schofield 10
A Singh c Schofield b Patel 43
J Osborne c Clarke b Johnston 8
A Tait b Johnston 18
B Lockrose not out 0
J Mockford c Phizackerley b Johnston 0
Extras (lb 7, wd 1, nb 4) 12
TOTAL(for 10 wickets, 99.1 overs) 222
Bowling: R Somani 21-5- 55-0, R Phizackerley 14-5- 21-0, M Schofield 11-2- 39-1, S Johnston
27.1-10- 56-8, S Patel 9-3- 19-1, A Vodnala 17-5- 25-0.
Second Innings (target: 126 runs)
J Ng not out 83
J McKenzie not out 39
Extras (b 1, wd 1, nb 2) 4
TOTAL: (for 0 wickets, 23.0 overs) 126
Bowling: S Johnston 5-0- 18-0, R Somani 3-0- 14-0, R Phizackerley 3-1- 14-0, S Patel 3-0- 23-
0, A Vodnala 5-4- 3-0, M Schofield 2-0- 28-0, K Clarke 2-0- 25-0.
COUNTIES MANUKAU
First Innings
T Payle c Singh b Tait 3
S Varcoe b Tait 2
K Clarke c Ng b Lockrose 20
L Williamson c Skelt b Domigan 14
S Patel c Mockford b Osborne 15
R Faust c Domigan b Ng 6
A Vodnala c Ng b Lockrose 4
R Somani c Skelt b Osborne 45
R Phizackerley c Mockford b Tait 23
S Johnston c McKenzie b Mockford 3
M Schofield not out 0
Extras (lb 0, nb 3) 3
TOTAL: (for 10 wickets, 64.1 overs) 138
Bowling: A Tait 12-3- 32-3, J Osborne 14.1-4- 24-2, JM Domigan 8-1- 21-1, J Ng 9-4- 23-1, B
Lockrose 12-5- 24-2, J Mockford 9-2- 14-1
Second Innings
T Payle b Osborne 16
S Varcoe run out (McKenzie/ Singh) 14
K Clarke b Domigan 13
L Williamson c Singh b Domigan 7
S Patel c Skelt b Osborne 12
R Faust c Singh b Lockrose 28
A Vodnala c Fitzgibbon b Lockrose 29
R Somani b Domigan 5
R Phizackerley c & b Lockrose 42
S Johnston c Tait b Lockrose 37
M Schofield not out 0
Extras (b 2, lb 2, wd 1, nb 1) 6
TOTAL: (for 10 wickets, 65.4 overs) 209
Bowling: A Tait 10-2- 42-0, J Osborne 13-1- 50-2, J Domigan 19-3- 47-3, B Lockrose 20.4-3-
58-4, J Ng 2-0- 4-0, J Mockford 1-0- 4-0.