Player Profile: Dave Meiring
Photo Credit // David Unwin - Stuff
Before we start next week on some South Canterbury content ahead of their challenge against Hawke’s Bay that weekend, it seemed like time to do a deep dive on a Hawke Cup Past Player. Today’s choice is Dave Meiring, the former Manawatu top order batsman.
The grandson of one of Manawatu's finest, Tom Pritchard, Meiring went to Palmerston North BHS and was an age-group representative for Central Districts.
Meiring’s senior Manawatu debut came at age 22 in December 2008, with newspapers at the time mentioning he had been more focused on golf balls than cricket balls prior to that. Meiring hit the ground running though, making a century against Nelson. It earned him a rapid CD A call up, although it would take until 2014 for Meiring to play for the full Central Districts side. (He would play 8 games across all three formats in a short run from 2014 to 2015)
In 2009/10, Meiring was part of the Manawatu side that toured to Napier to take on Hawke's Bay. Manawatu took a big first innings lead thanks to Roald Badenhorst (107 & 4/27) but Meiring made a critical second innings 59, steadying the ship after losing both openers early had opened a small window for Hawke’s Bay.
This was Manawatu's first Cup triumph since losing the cup to Hawke's Bay in 2002/03.
Meiring was strong in the first Cup defence, making 126* against Bay of Plenty. He missed out on runs against Marlborough, but his side won comfortably regardless.
The next match was a shock loss to North Otago, where Meiring was one of countless Manawatu batters who failed to kick on from a start with the bat.
When Manawatu next earned a challenge in 2013, Meiring was Manawatu captain. The loss to Bay of Plenty - a first innings lead, second innings collapse and quickfire chase from BOP - no doubt would have fuelled the fire for revenge that Manawatu took a year later.
The 2014 win, beating BOP largely thanks to Meiring and Dane Cleaver's hundreds, was the start of a promising tenure. Meiring hinted at the team's attitude in the Manawatu Standard after the game:
"Now the job is to hold on to it. That's easier said than done. As much as we've enjoyed this, it's a matter of keeping it."
Meiring's batting went from strength to strength in the last two challenges of the summer. 70 against Canterbury Country was bettered by 167 & 71 against Southland, a crucial display given Manawatu scraped home seven-down chasing 139.
With his weight of runs forcing a run in the Central Stags, Manawatu lost Meiring's services for their fortunate escape against Taranaki, where the entire third day was washed out.
Dave Meiring brings up a century against Bay of Plenty, 2014
Photo Credit // Manawatu Standard
Meiring was back and captaining against Northland, a frenetic match where Manawatu were bowled out for 68, Northland were 55-8 before scraping to 167, only for Manawatu to make 326 in their second innings. Navin Patel's 6-for sealed the deal, ripping through Northland for 93.
Meiring was again unavailable for the next defence, and his runs were missed in a loss to Canterbury Country ending Manawatu's longest tenure since the 1960s.
Sadly for Meiring, Manawatu did not earn another challenge before his retirement in 2019.
Alongside his results for Manawatu on field, Meiring worked for Manawatu in a series of roles including Development and Operations Manager (later Director of Cricket) and has since gone on to work for CD. Now High Performance Manager at CD, Meiring was recently involved in a stand-in role with the Blackcaps too.
A great servant of Manawatu cricket.
CHALLENGE MATCH STATISTICS
11 matches (7 successful) | 15 innings | 731 Runs
52.21 average | 3 100s, 3 50s
