Selwyn Times: February 26, 2020

14
Wednesday February 26 2020
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
SELWYN TIMES
SPORT
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Robertson recalls
Hawke Cup glory
TALENT: Leeston-Southbridge’s Rupert Young made 47 to
help his team past Darfield in the Canterbury Country twenty20
competition.
PHOTO: KAREN CASEY
Selwyn teams fail
to make twenty20
country final
• By Jacob Page
NO SELWYN team will be
in the twenty20 Canterbury
Country cricket final next
month,
The Canterbury Country
twenty20 trophy is guaranteed
to have a new home in North
Canterbury instead.
Oxford and Sefton will meet
in the final on March 6 at Main-
Power Oval after both earned
key victories in the final round
of games last Saturday.
Oxford beat Cheviot by 18
runs to keep the top spot while
Sefton beat Southbrook by 12
runs,
Lincoln was the only Selwynbased
team with a chance of
making the final but their 40-
run loss to Weedons saw them
bow out.
Weedons got meaningful contributions
from all of their toporder
with Charlie Robson (35)
opener Todd Inness (31) leading
them to 162 for seven.
Lincoln’s run chase never
gained any momentum and
three for 16 from Jack Porter
ensured a comfortable Weedons
win.
Defending champions Leeston-Southbridge
were able to
avoid finishing last after beating
Darfield by 14 runs.
Rupert Young’s 47 helped
his team to 158 for eight which
proved to be enough as three
for 18 from David Neal helped
restrict Darfield to 144 for nine
in reply.
The final round of the 45-over
competition will be played on
Saturday minus the Canterbury
Country players who will be in
Hamilton challenging for the
Hawke Cup.
Oxford, Cheviot, Leeston-
Southbridge and Southbrook
have qualified for the semi-finals
but the finishing positions could
be affected depending on the
results.
At the other end of the competition,
Lincoln and Weedons are
tied for the wooden spoon on 36
points with whoever finishes last
facing the potential prospect of
relegation from the top grade for
next season.
The final week of games will
see high-flyers Oxford host
Lincoln, who will need an upset
to ensure their premier status for
next season.
Darfield welcome Weedons
which is in the same position as
Lincoln.
Second-placed Cheviot will
play Sefton and Leeston-
Southbridge will travel to
Southbrook eager to get a win
after three straight losses.
• By Jacob Page
CANTERBURY Country’s last
Hawke Cup-winning captain
believes the key to success in
this weekend’s challenge against
Hamilton will come down to
handling pressure.
Andrew Robertson is the only
Canterbury Country player to
win the Hawke Cup three times
during his representative tenure
which spanned 15 years from
2002 to 2017.
He won it in 2004/2005 against
Mid-Canterbury, 2007/2008
against Taranaki and 2014/2015
against Manawatu.
Canterbury Country last challenged
for the symbol of New
Zealand districts cricket two
seasons ago when they came up
short against Counties.
On Friday they head to
Hamilton looking to win it for
the first time since March 1,
2015, when then captain Andrew
Robertson lifted the Hawke Cup
from Manawatu.
“There is a definite lift in
intensity for a challenge,” he
said.
“You work really hard to earn
that right and your season is
pretty much defined by three
days of cricket.”
First innings half centuries
from Sam Chamberlain (74)
and then player/coach Shanan
Stewart (67) helped the
challengers to 317 in their first
innings.
It was then, the seam combination
of current Canterbury
representative Will Williams
and Lincoln’s Jeremy Benton
who took nine for 86 to restrict
Manawatu to just 178 which
helped set-up the first innings
victory.
“We had a great mix of youth
and experience in that team.
Players such as Jack Boyle, Will
HISTORY: The Canterbury
Country Cricket team on
March 1, 2015, after winning
the Hawke Cup from
Manawatu. (Right) – Andrew
Robertson with the Hawke
Cup in 2016.
Williams and Kyle Jamieson
were all part of it that season and
have gone on to bigger and better
things then you had experienced
guys like Shanan Stewart, and
myself.”
Robertson said it was always
a satisfying feeling to lift the
Hawke Cup even if his last time
with it ended after the biggest
upset in the competition’s 110-
year history.
After a successful defence
against North Otago, they lost it
to Buller after Robertson needed
17 off the final over to keep the
cup.
While he hit the first two balls
for a six and four, he was unable
to produce another maximum
off the last ball.
“That one still hurts, I think
about it most days to tell you the
truth but Buller played well and
hung on.”
Robertson said the key was
to realise a lot can happen in
three days of cricket and swings
in momentum were to be expected.
“I just wish the guys all the
best, they’ve had a great season
and hopefully they can bring it
home.”
The match begins on Friday.
• More sport, page 18
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