Taranaki has locked away the Hawke Cup for the winter at Pukekura Park - the perfect ending for veteran top order bat DEAN ROBINSON who has announced his retirement following an unforgettable final season with his team.

Robinson broke Taranaki's record as its all-time leading run-scorer in 2023 (he finishes with 5,439); has the most centuries for the province (16); and is one of just a handful of cricketers to have played more than 100 games for the team, retiring with 126 caps.

But until this summer, the long-serving, 35-year-old former Central Stag from Stratford (a cousin of former All Blacks captain Kieran Read and former New Zealand surf lifesaving world champion Jackie Read) had never been on the winning side in a Hawke Cup Challenge Match.

Until the current tenure, he'd only played in two of them since his February 2008 Hawke Cup and Taranaki debut as a youngster, but he can now hang up his bat and gloves saying he played in three successful defences.

Taranaki has been celebrating its first tenure since 2006/07 - after which it lost the Cup in the first Challenge match of the following summer, 2007/08 - Robinson's Hawke Cup debut, against Canterbury Country at Pukekura Park.

Taranaki's latest tenure began when they uplifted the storied 1910 trophy from fellow Zone 2 District, the storied 1910 trophy from fellow Zone 2 District, Hawke's Bay in the first Challenge this season, having earned the right to challenge by winning Central Districts Cricket's Furlong Cup competition. 

They then saw off strong challenges from Hamilton and Canterbury Country (a thriller) in New Plymouth, and this afternoon finished off South Canterbury to cap their season of dreams with victory by an innings and 102 runs, after the ninth South Canterbury wicket fell with the last man unable to bat.

Taranaki now retains the symbol of provincial cricket supremacy until the next Challege match, at their home ground in January 2026 (date tbc), when a new top order batter will be required.

 

FULL SCORECARD

Article added: Sunday 23 March 2025