Hawke Cup


The Hawke Cup is a non-first-class cricket competition for New Zealand's district associations. Apart from 1910–11, 1912–13 and 2000–01 the competition has always been on a challenge basis. To win the Hawke Cup, the challengers must beat the holders, either outright or on the first innings in a drawn match, on the holders' home ground.
Teams from New Zealand's four main centres, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, have not usually competed for the Hawke Cup, although they did participate in the latter half of the 1990s. They were excluded again from the 2000–01 season.
From 2000 to 2010 the team from Hamilton, New Zealand's fourth-largest urban area, was the most successful. Since then the title has changed hands numerous times, Manawatu, Hawke's Bay and Bay of Plenty being especially prominent. In 2012-13 Hamilton conceded the highest-ever score in the Hawke Cup of 701 against Bay of Plenty. This record score was equalled again by Bay of Plenty against Counties Manukau during their first defence of the Hawke Cup in 2017. Bay of Plenty defeated Hawke's Bay in the last challenge of the 2015–16 season and resisted all four challenges in 2016–17.

Origin

The Plunket Shield, New Zealand's premier cricket competition for its first-class teams, was inaugurated in 1907. In 1910 Lord Hawke donated a challenge cup for competition among the minor associations. The first match, in December 1910, resulted in a victory to Manawatu over Wairarapa. The first holders, decided in the final match of the 1910-11 competition, were Southland.

Title holders, 1910-11 to 1999-2000

SeasonChallenge matchesTitle holders
1910-11–Southland
1911-121Southland
1912-13–South Auckland
1913-143Wanganui
1914-153Wanganui
1918-191Poverty Bay
1919-203Poverty Bay
1920-212Poverty Bay, Wairarapa
1921-226Wairarapa, Rangitikei, Nelson, Wanganui
1922-235Wanganui
1923-243Wanganui, Nelson
1924-255Nelson
1925-265Nelson, Wanganui
1926-274Wanganui, Taranaki
1927-286Taranaki, Wanganui, Manawatu
1928-293Manawatu
1929-305Manawatu, Rangitikei
1930-315South Auckland
1931-325South Auckland
1932-334South Auckland, Nelson
1933-345Nelson, Taranaki
1934-355Taranaki, Manawatu
1935-364Manawatu
1936-375Manawatu
1937-384Manawatu, Waikato
1938-394Waikato
1939-405Waikato, Manawatu
1945-463Manawatu
1946-475Manawatu, Hawke's Bay
1947-483Hawke's Bay, Wanganui
1948-494Hutt Valley
1949-505Hutt Valley, Hawke's Bay
1950-515Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa, Waikato
1951-525Nelson
1952-535Nelson, Wanganui
1953-545Wanganui
1954-555Wanganui
1955-565Wanganui, Hutt Valley, Northland
1956-575Waikato
1957-585Waikato
1958-594Nelson
1959-604Nelson
1960-615Nelson
1961-624Nelson
1962-634Nelson
1963-645Nelson
1964-655Nelson, Manawatu
1965-665Manawatu
1966-675Manawatu, North Canterbury, Nelson
1967-685Hutt Valley, Marlborough, Hawke's Bay
1968-695Hawke's Bay, Waikato
1969-705Waikato, Southland
1970-714Taranaki
1971-725Taranaki
1972-735Taranaki, Southland
1973-744Southland
1974-754Southland
1975-764Southland
1976-774Southland, Wairarapa
1977-784Wairarapa
1978-794Wairarapa, Nelson
1979-804Nelson
1980-814Nelson
1981-824Nelson
1982-835Northland, Hawke's Bay
1983-844Hawke's Bay, Northland, Nelson
1984-855Nelson
1985-865Nelson, Hawke's Bay, Bay of Plenty
1986-875Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay, Bay of Plenty, Southland
1987-885Southland, North Canterbury, Taranaki
1988-895Northland, Southland
1989-905Southland
1990-915Southland
1991-925Southland, Northland, Nelson
1992-935Nelson, Canterbury Country, Manawatu
1993-945Manawatu, Marlborough, Taranaki
1994-956Taranaki
1995-965Central Otago, Nelson, Hutt Valley
1996-975Nelson, Auckland-Manukau, Bay of Plenty
1997-985Wellington City, Manawatu, Auckland-Waitakere, Northland
1998-995Northland, Wellington City, Canterbury Country
1999-20005South Canterbury, Dunedin Metropolitan

From 1985–86 to 1994-95 the competition was called the U-Bix Cup; from 1995–96 to 1997-98 it was the Fuji Xerox Cup; in 1998-99 it was the National District Championship.
Nelson has the record for holding the Cup for the longest period and the most challenges. Between 1958 and 1965 Nelson resisted 28 challenges.

Recent history

SeasonChallenge MatchesHolders after each challenge
2000-01Semi-finals Hamilton v Canterbury Country, Hawke's Bay v Bay of Plenty, Final Hamilton v Hawke's BayHamilton
2001-02Hamilton v North Otago, Hamilton v Hawke's Bay, Hamilton v Northland, Hamilton v Canterbury Country, Hamilton v ManawatuHamilton, Manawatu
2002-03Manawatu v Hawke's Bay, Hawke's Bay v Northland, Northland v Canterbury CountryHawke's Bay, Northland
2003-04Northland v Hamilton, Northland v Mid-Canterbury, Mid-Canterbury v TaranakiNorthland, Mid-Canterbury
2004-05Mid-Canterbury v Canterbury Country, Canterbury Country v Nelson, Canterbury Country v HamiltonCanterbury Country, Hamilton
2005-06Hamilton v Taranaki, Hamilton v Northland, Hamilton v SouthlandHamilton
2006-07Hamilton v Northland, Hamilton v Canterbury Country, Hamilton v TaranakiHamilton, Taranaki
2007-08Taranaki v Canterbury Country, Canterbury Country v Hawke's Bay, Canterbury Country v HamiltonCanterbury Country, Hamilton
2008-09Hamilton v Hawke's Bay, Hawke's Bay v Northland, Hawke's Bay v Canterbury CountryHawke's Bay
2009-10Hawke's Bay v Manawatu, Manawatu v Bay of Plenty, Manawatu v Marlborough, Manawatu v North OtagoManawatu, North Otago
2010-11North Otago v Otago Country, Otago Country v Marlborough, Marlborough v Hawke's Bay, Marlborough v HamiltonOtago Country, Marlborough, Hamilton
2011-12Hamilton v Counties Manukau, Hamilton v Wairarapa, Hamilton v Nelson, Hamilton v SouthlandHamilton
2012-13Hamilton v Bay of Plenty, Bay of Plenty v Manawatu, Bay of Plenty v Canterbury Country, Bay of Plenty v South CanterburyBay of Plenty
2013-14Bay of Plenty v Hamilton, Bay of Plenty v Manawatu, Manawatu v Canterbury Country, Manawatu v SouthlandBay of Plenty, Manawatu
2014-15Manawatu v Taranaki, Manawatu v Northland, Manawatu v Canterbury Country, Canterbury Country v North OtagoManawatu, Canterbury Country
2015-16Canterbury Country v Buller, Buller v North Otago, North Otago v Hawke's Bay, Hawke's Bay v Bay of PlentyBuller, North Otago, Hawke's Bay, Bay of Plenty
2016-17Bay of Plenty v Counties Manukau, Bay of Plenty v Hawke's Bay, Bay of Plenty v Nelson, Bay of Plenty v SouthlandBay of Plenty
2017-18Bay of Plenty v Counties Manukau, Counties Manukau v Taranaki, Counties Manukau v Canterbury Country, Counties Manukau v SouthlandCounties Manukau, Southland
2018-19Southland v Mid Canterbury, Southland v Nelson, Nelson v Hawke's Bay, Hawke's Bay v HamiltonSouthland, Nelson, Hawke's Bay, Hamilton
2019-20Hamilton v Bay of Plenty, Hamilton v Hawke's Bay, Hamilton v Canterbury Country, Canterbury Country v Otago CountryHamilton, Canterbury Country

Records

Current players can only play a maximum of 4 Hawke Cup Challenge matches a season, and that is only for members of the team holding the Hawke Cup and defeating every challenger. Historically there have only been between 2 and 6 Hawke Cup Challenge matches every year for the holders, so it has been difficult for players to build much of a record unless they have been part of a strong team and have had a lengthy career.
Nevertheless, 18 players have scored more than 1000 runs and 8 players have taken more than 90 wickets.
PlayerTeamCareerMatInnNOHSRunsAve
Leggat I.B.Nelson1948–6838561130196835.78
Reade L.B.Nelson1958–7335572117195135.47
Lowans G.E.Nelson1958–7330481130181138.53
Anderson R.W.Northland & Southland1970–7716316255177370.92
McVicar C.C.Manawatu1935–5428441180175440.79
Spence D.V.Hawke's Bay & Nelson1949–6734518151157436.60
Robinson G.G.Hamilton2001–0914222268148274.1

The highest score in the competition is 272 not out, by Charlie Kinzett for Nelson against Marlborough in the 1933–34 season. The best bowling figures in an innings are 10 for 35 by Chester Holland for Wanganui against South Taranaki in 1922–23, the only time a bowler has taken all ten wickets in the Hawke Cup.

Current structure

There are four regional zones in the Hawke Cup.
Zone 1Zone 2Zone 3Zone 4
HamiltonHawke's BayCanterbury CountryOtago Country
NorthlandWairarapaMarlboroughNorth Otago
Counties ManukauWanganuiNelsonSouthland
Bay of PlentyHorowhenua KapitiBullerSouth Canterbury
Poverty BayManawatuMid Canterbury
Waikato ValleyTaranaki--

After a round robin within each zone, the winners of each zone get a Hawke Cup Challenge as part of the challenge series against the current holders on a rotational basis. For example 2010-11 holders North Otago played the winner of their own zone in the first challenge followed by challenges by the winners of zone 3, 2 and 1.
The team with the Hawke Cup at the end of the challenge series holds it for the winter. Hawke Cup games are played over three days. To win the Hawke Cup a challenger must beat the holder outright or win on the first innings on the holder's home ground.

Team of the Century

In January 2011, to mark 100 years of Hawke Cup cricket, an official "Team of the Century" was named. Selection was based on the player's outstanding performances in the Hawke Cup and also on their contribution to their district while playing. In batting order:
These teams have played in the Hawke Cup in the past:
The former Hawke Cup teams of South Auckland and Waikato now play as Hamilton; the former team of Franklin now plays as Counties Manukau.