Hamilton will take a first-innings lead of 228 into the final day of their Hawke Cup defence against Zone 2 challenger and Furlong Cup winner Hawke's Bay.

Opening batsman Elliott Santner - younger brother of Mitch - batted for more than eight hours for his 157 to help push the hosts to 294 for six at Galloway Park before he finally fell to Angus Schaw in the final session of Saturday.

It was long, hot toil for Hawke's Bay after a disastrous first session on opening day cost five good wickets, against a quality attack.

SCORES

Both sides were stacked with first-class representatives, with BLACKCAP BJ Watling using the match as a Test series warm-up and contributing a half century for Hamilton in a big stand with Santner.

Despite having won the toss and batted on a scorching Waikato day, Hawke's Bay had been rolled the previous day with a scorecard that read more like a side that had been sent in on a greentop.

The deck was scuffed and flat, and outfield slow and pocked, but at 89 for five at lunch on day one, it was all an uphill battle.

Hawke's Bay captain Jake Smith

Captain and fellow opening batsman Jake Smith had held out for almost two hours for his 19 as wickets kept crashing at the other end.

With most of the top order gone, the challengers felt the pressure and, despite a rearguard stand of 34 for the sixth wicket between Angus Schaw and (25) Dominic Thompson (18), and 45 for the last wicket between Jayden Lennox (37*) and Ben Stoyanoff (18), Hawke's Bay were all out for just 166.

Ben Stoyanoff and Jayden Lennox warm up for a day in the dirt

Beginning their response after tea, Hamilton then battened down the hatches for the afternoon as they looked to lay the foundation of a first innings lead.

They would lose only one wicket in the long, hot afternoon when, after almost two hours, Schaw finally broke through in the 26th over with the wicket of Anish Desai (38), caught by Christian Leopard at 57 for one.

With Watling still padded up, the outlook for Saturday was another long day in the dirt with Santner resuming on 21*, the hosts trailing by 103 with nine wickets in hand at stumps.

Then Santner batted on and on, taking his side into a first-innings lead and then some with an impressive feat of concentration on another warm day at Galloway Park.

He reached his marathon century late in the middle session, after almost six hours in the middle.

Earlier, Smith had broken a patient 47-run second-wicket stand with Joe Walker, but Santner picked up the pace as he partnered with Watling for a 132-run stand for the next wicket to ease past Hawke's Bay's first innings total.

 

 

Hawke's Bay would pick up a further two wickets in the following 13 overs, Schaw getting former Anton Devcich caught behind cheaply before Lennox trapped Peter Bocock just after tea, after a brisk 32.

At 310 for five, however, the horse had bolted with the final day of the challenge to begin at 10.30am Sunday in Hamilton.

Article added: Saturday 15 February 2020