Cricket: North Otago celebrates `amazing' Hawke Cup win

Long-serving batsman Duncan Drew and manager Peter Cartwright were each in a state of near-shock as North Otago celebrated the greatest moment in its cricket history yesterday.

North Otago claimed the Hawke Cup, minor association cricket's version of the Ranfurly Shield, for the first time, with a comprehensive 159-run win over Manawatu in Palmerston North.

Set 311 to win in 58 overs, Manawatu crumbled for just 151 in its second innings, and a small province started to celebrate.

"At the moment it's a little bit unreal," Drew told the Otago Daily Times from Palmerston North last night.

"Someone said we're the second-smallest association in the country, so just to get a challenge is a bit of a bonus."

North Otago's challenge nearly expired on the opening day when it slumped to 112 for nine, before Drew (102) and fellow veteran David Sewell (37 not out) combined for a pivotal partnership of 93 for the 10th wicket.

It was Drew's second century for the province, following the 101 he scored against Dunedin Metropolitan - when city teams were briefly allowed in the competition - in January 2000.

Drew, Sewell, Paul O'Dell and Glynn Cameron have survived from that North Otago team.

Drew said he never worried he was going to be left stranded by Sewell, the former one-test Black Cap pace bowler.

"Dave's actually an underrated batsman.

"When he came out to bat, they dropped the field back to give me singles.

"But I know Dave is a solid batsman so I was quite happy taking plenty of singles.

"We actually got a lot of runs from that.

"We just picked away and started cruising."

Drew first played for North Otago in 1994, when he was in his last year at Waitaki Boys' High School.

He later lived in Dunedin and played four first-class games for Otago, as a wicketkeeper-batsman.

His biggest fans are his wife, Ange, and his parents, Russ and Liz, all of whom live in Oamaru and were nervously seeking updates from the game yesterday.

A second batsman, Dunedin import Darren Broom, scored a century (132) yesterday as North Otago made 262 in its second innings.

Chasing 300 proved far too hard for Manawatu, which had defended the Hawke Cup twice this season.

"It's an amazing feeling.

"It's quite special just being here," manager and co-selector Cartwright said.

"From when we received word that we had the challenge, there was a real focus from all the players as well as the discipline they've shown."

The North Otago team flies into Dunedin Airport at 12.40pm today before taking the Hawke Cup to Oamaru, where it will stay until next summer.