Cricket's Hawke Cup will spend the winter in Napier after Hawke's Bay retained the provincial trophy.
Hawke's Bay completed their fourth straight successful defence, rolling to a eight-wicket victory over Zone 4 challengers South Canterbury at Napier's Nelson Park on Sunday.
Central Districts spinner Jayden Lennox took 10 wickets in the match and captain Angus Schaw scored a century in the first innings as Hawke's Bay completed a perfect rep season.
South Canterbury, challenging for the first time in 11 years, had captain Glen Drake ruled out with injury just before the match, then lost the toss and were sent in to bat.
Lennox (4-50 from 35 overs) and Ben Stoyanoff (4-51 from 16.3 overs) did the damage as the visitors were dismissed for 253. Tom Ettridge led South Canterbury with 80 runs from 109 balls, including 14 fours, while Jacob Naylor had 32.
In response, the holders were always in charge. Openers Jono Whitley (58) and Toby Findlay (54) both scored half-centuries, before Schaw (101 from 119, including 16 fours and a six) racked up his second century in as many matches.
Schaw and Bayley Wiggins (56 from 70) took Hawke's Bay into a first-innings lead, eventually dismissed for 358. Ettridge and Jed McKerrow each took three wickets for South Canterbury.
Trailing by 105 runs, Naylor, who assumed the captain's armband, and Shaun Rooney provided the only resistance in South Canterbury's second dig. Naylor reached 66 from 133 and Rooney 47 from 47.
Lennox ripped through the South Islanders' lineup, finishing with figures of 6-63 from 25.4 overs, while Stoyanoff and Brett Johnson each took two wickets.
Chasing 114 in just over a session of play for victory, Hawke's Bay started well as Whitley and Findlay opened with 44 runs. Whitley (48 from 77) took them to the brink before Schaw finished it off.
After swiping the Hawke Cup from Canterbury Country in the postponed 2022-23 Zone 2 challenge at the start of the summer, Hawke's Bay then saw off Manawatū (Zone 2), Counties Manukau (Zone 1) and Canterbury Country (Zone 3).
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