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- This article is provided courtesy of Hawke’s Bay Cricket Association

Not so long ago, Bayley Wiggins decided he’d be better off spending his weekends selling cars.

The 26-year-old Hawke’s Bay wicketkeeper-batter was done with cricket. No longer part of Central Districts’ contract list, a life away from the game loomed.

Retirement only lasted about a week, though.

“Then I saw the boys training and clarity kicked in and I knew that’s what I wanted again. I’m still trying to give cricket a crack, I’m not done yet,” Wiggins said after scoring 101 in Hawke’s Bay’s Furlong Cup win over Whanganui on Sunday.

“Hawke’s Bay, I love the environment. Christie [coach Christie van Dyk] makes it a lot easier to get up for. Hopefully one day I can do what’s Stoyny’s [Ben Stoyanoff] done - I think his next game is his 100th for the Bay - and that’s definitely something I want to tick off in the next few years.”

Hawke’s Bay finished the Furlong Cup third and now turn their attention to defending the Hawke Cup, following a pretty comfortable weekend of cricket against Whanganui.

The visitors made 278 batting first, with Hawke’s Bay replying with 501/7. Captain Dominic Thompson finished 100 not out, which was his sixth century for the province and third against Whanganui, while Thomas Zohrab (78), Jonathan Whitley (76) and Sam Cassidy (58) all made important contributions.

Wiggins now has four 100s for Hawke’s Bay - to go with “eight or nine 90s” - in 53 appearances and has his sights set on a career helping produce the next crop of Furlong and Hawke Cup cricketers.

He will head the new Hereworth School Cricket Academy, which has been set up in association with Scots College of Wellington.

The school has signed up 40 fulltime academy participants, with Wiggins hoping to teach the players that their worth as people is not defined by cricket statistics.

“I think that’s what I’ve struggled with, just cricket, cricket, cricket. Especially being in and out of the [CD] team, your confidence is never there and I could never quite get to terms with cricket being everything,” he said.

“Having some clarity around that and cricket not being everything means I’m in a great mental space now.”

The immediate priority, though, is the first three-day Hawke Cup defence of the season, which starts at Nelson Park against Taranaki on January 31.

Thompson felt Whanganui “certainly put us under pressure” on the first morning of this just-completed match, which poses some interesting selection and tactical decisions ahead of the Taranaki clash.

Todd Watson, who has battled a persistent shoulder problem in recent seasons, could only get through four overs in Whanganui’s innings, while the team’s specialist spinner - Josh Fairbrother - took none for 23 in three overs.

The team might be blessed with allrounders, but it’s not ideal when two frontline bowlers contribute a combined seven overs.

“He could’ve bowled more yesterday,” Thompson said of Watson.

“It’s about looking two weeks ahead, so you’d hate to see [the shoulder] properly go in this game and if you look back at the Taranaki and Manawatū [Furlong Cup] games he was the shining light with the bat, so he probably makes the team on his batting alone.”

Van Dyk is thinking along similar lines, even if “being one pace bowler short is doing my head in.’’

The coach believes Watson, with his ability to generate pace and steep bounce, is the point of difference in the Hawke’s Bay attack, but accepts that getting any overs out of him against Taranaki might be “a bonus”.

Alternative pace-bowling options aren’t plentiful given the unspecified injury to Tyler Annand, plus the back spasms that kept Fred Mowat out of the Whanganui game.

Hawke’s Bay has relied on spinners Jayden Lennox and Angus Schaw to do the bulk of the bowling in three-day cricket but, as things stand, the pair are likely to be on Twenty20 finals duty with CD when Taranaki comes to town.

That’ll mean part-timers Brad Schmulian and Sam Cassidy again having to contribute overs.

Thompson indicated the team that played Whanganui is likely to be the one that defends the Hawke Cup, with van Dyk promising they’ll have a better attitude than when Taranaki beat them in the opening Furlong Cup clash of the summer.

“We played like dogs against them. They kicked our arses, but it was a good eye-opener and that will not happen again, I can guarantee you,” said van Dyk.

Meanwhile, the Murray McKearney Memorial Cup club Twenty20 finalists have been found.

Defending champions Havelock North are through as top qualifiers, with Central Hawke’s Bay and Napier Technical Old Boys to compete for a place in the decider, on finals day at McLean Park on March 9.

Havelock lost to CHB by eight wickets in Friday’s final round of regular-season matches, while Taradale beat Tech by seven wickets and Cornwall had an eight-run win over Napier Old Boys’ Marist.