It was slow as a wet weekend across New Zealand as ex-tropical cylone Dovi made sure there was no play in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield, The Ford Trophy or Hawke Cup - which HAWKE'S BAY now retains for at least another fortnight after Bay of Plenty went home empty-handed.

The latest Challenge saw just the two sessions of play on day one | HB Cricket

The CENTRAL STAGS waited around in Rangiora as both their one-day clashed with Canterbury were washed out, but the unbeaten Stags still sit top of the table despite have played only three times in seven rounds.

All three starts resulted in bonus point wins, while teams take half the points for a rained off match. That's set up an intriguing two days at New Plymouth's Pukekura Park (closed gates) this Friday and Sunday when the Stags and second-placed Wellington Firebirds will go head to head for the two penultimate rounds of the regular season - weather permitting.

With the points table ranked by average points per game this season and teams having played unequal numbers of fixtures, rankings are a moving ball game but the Stags and Firebirds are at the right end of the table and the frontrunners to ink in a spot in the 26 February Grand Final.

The picture was far less pleasing for the CENTRAL HINDS at a sodden Cello Basin Reserve where no toss or play was possible in either Saturday's or Sunday's big Hallyburton Johnstone Shield fixtures against unbeaten leaders the Wellington Blaze.

The two teams shared the inaugural Viv Stephens Memorial Trophy, but on the HBJ front it was a heart-breaker.

The Hinds had headed into the weekend still in HBJ Grand Final contention, but their season is now over after their sixth washout from the 10 rounds: marooned mi-table after another wasted weekend, after the same bad luck with weather in New Plymouth on the previous weekend.

For the Blaze - unbeaten in either format this season as they head to their second Grand Final of 2021/22 - Sunday was meanwhile a fifth washout in 10 rounds, but their winning form had already assured them of qualification on Saturday, despite no play.

So the Hinds, ousted champions the Canterbury Magicians, and the Auckland Hearts are all out of the running for this year's trophy, while Northern Districts' two matches against the Hearts next weekend in Hamilton will determine whether Northern Districts or the Otago Sparks join top qualifier the Blaze in the Sunday, 27 February Grand Final which, like The Ford Trophy Grand Final the day before, will be played in Queenstown this year.

Article added: Monday 14 February 2022