Whitaker Engineering Taranaki Men end day 1 of Hawke Cup at 251-5

Snooky’s take on Day 1 below

Sleep tight boys – big day ahead tomorrow.

Hawke Cup history is rich in stories of highs and lows and twists and turns.

In 1972 Alistar Jordan with 9 wickets for 103 bowled Hutt Valley out for 230. Taranaki were well on top.

Just a session later Taranaki were 5-52. Hutt Valley were smiling, and even saying things that suggested they thought they would win.

Two more sessions and Taranaki lost their 6th wicket at 237. Geoff Taylor made 82 and the gnarly, Colin Barclay would end up with 106.

Taranaki were on top.

Taranaki would go on and secure what would appear to be an easy victory but those in the game will tell you that is far from the truth. There was a lot more to play out before stumps were drawn on day 3.

With Whitaker Engineering Taranaki ending at 251-5 today, the clash with Hamilton is evenly poised, but to get there, there has been plenty of to-ing and fro-ing.

Taranaki bounced into a one nil lead after session one with the mighty Dean Robinson and the polished Bailey Wisnewski calmly batting through to lunch with 111 runs on the board.

Taranaki are smiling. Neither batsman had even looked like going out. The pitch was flat and a big, big total should surely be possible.

A person who has watched a lot of first-class cricket at Pukekura Park had a word in my ear that he had seen this before, only for a team to lose five quick wickets. I quickly told them to hush up as negativity was not what I wanted to hear.

Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Robinson is adjudged LBW. Wisnewski is caught in close. Skipper Sam Fastier is snapped up at slip. Last weeks hero Liam Muggeridge edges a turning ball to slip.

Hamilton think it is out. The umpires are in doubt. They converse. Muggsy is out. Satvir Singh and Lucky Reddy are spinning a web with their flighted and accurate deliveries.

Taranaki’s Rupert Young starts to bring things around with a solid defence, mixed with aggression. Along with the man with Garfield Sobers wrists, Trent McGrath, Taranaki start to take control again as the head to afternoon tea.

Then Boom! Reddy is through the gate and Young is heading back to the Bellringer Pavilion. It is teatime and Taranaki are 182-5.

Hamilton had masterminded a session in which they took 5 wickets for 71 runs. They had easily won session two, so much in fact, the score was more like Taranaki 1 – Hamilton 1.5.

There’s no rest. The sun is beating down. There is work to be done. The motto is, ‘we never give up’.

Would Taranaki produce a Taylor/Barclay-like partnership? They certainly needed something special, to clamber back off the floor and throw a few big punches.

Maybe another tale worth telling is underway. McGrath and new man, the Ray Illingworth-like Mattie Thomas, batted through the final session of the day. Progress hasn’t been lightening, but the determination has been outstanding.

When stumps were pulled Taranaki looked happier at 251-5. It was another session victory. Maybe it is back to 2-1.

But of course, both teams are right in this contest. 250 is not a big total in Hawke Cup and much will depend on the outcome of session 1 on day 2.

You can be sure another enthralling day is on the menu.

Sleep tight boys. It’s going to be a cracker.