Hutt Valley breaks with long Hawke Cup tradition

Hutt Valley will no longer be part of Hawke Cup minor association cricket.

A meeting in Lower Hutt last night resulted in a 16-14 vote to end the association's lengthy relationship with the former challenge competition, which is the symbol of supremacy among New Zealand minor associations.

Hutt Valley held the Cup as recently as 1997.

But with the introduction of an inter-city senior competition between Wellington and Hutt Valley teams, the emphasis has increasingly been placed on club cricket.

A promotion-relegation system is in place and while Wellington City was a part of the Hawke Cup competition, both regions were equally without top players on similar weekends.

However, minor associations decided earlier this year to drop teams from the three main centres from the competition.

That left Wellington clubs at full strength while Hutt Valley clubs were liable to be below strength if the association remained in the Cup.

Cricket Wellington (CW) chief executive Ervin McSweeney said the main factor influencing those who voted to withdraw from the competition was the effect continued involvement in the Hawke Cup would have on club cricket.

Those opposed to the withdrawal were concerned that the loss of Hawke Cup cricket would deny local players a higher level of development play and an important step in selection for Wellington and beyond.

"There was a traditional view that Hawke Cup play had been a cornerstone of Hutt Valley cricket and deserved to be maintained," he said.

"But enough clubs felt they didn't want their situation affected by players being absent for up to seven or eight weeks in a season," he said.

It was an emotional decision to make and that was reflected in the debate, McSweeney said.

CW had no particular view on the issue.

"CW never took a stance. It was a Hutt Valley-based debate and decision.

"I didn't want to promote any view at all. It wasn't up to us to push them either way," he said.

"What the decision does mean is that all the clubs are the same now. It has removed an anomaly where half of the clubs have to play a different type of cricket to the others.

"Who benefits from the decision I am not so sure.

"It means that on more Saturdays, Hutt Valley clubs can field stronger teams and that is better overall for the club competition and individual clubs.

"For individual players it removes a certain type of competition for them to develop," he said.