Photo Credit: New Zealand Cricket
The Hallyburton Johnstone Shield will feature day-night matches for the first time in the women’s one-day competition, while Invercargill’s Queens Park is back on the circuit – all confirmed in today’s release of NZC’s domestic schedules.
Defending HBJ Shield champions the Wellington Blaze will play in the first-ever women’s List A day-night match against Northern Districts at Bay Oval on Saturday November 25, as NZC seeks to better prepare domestic female players for international cricket.
Alongside the three day-night matches, the six round 50-over competition will also be entirely played at first-class accredited venues, in another first for the women’s domestic game.
One of those venues is Queen’s Park, which is back on the roster after improvements to the drainage systems.
Plunket Shield defending champions Central Stags will start their first-class campaign at Eden Park’s Outer Oval against the Auckland Aces, who finished fourth.
Following the same structure as previous seasons, Plunket Shield will start the men’s domestic season with four rounds beginning on October 20, and the remaining four rounds taking place at the end of the season, concluding on March 27.
The Otago Volts will start their Ford Trophy campaign at Queens Park in Invercargill in what will be the first List A match at the venue in five years.
The Stags will begin their Ford Trophy title defence at Nelson’s Saxton Oval on Saturday November 25, the first List A match at this ground since 2020.
NZC’s GM of Cricket Operations Catherine Campbell said the busy schedule of domestic cricket would provide good opportunities for players and fans across the country.
“The domestic home summer is going to be action-packed as usual, with some great progress in the development of the women’s programme.
“Playing under lights is very common now in international cricket so it’s great to be able to give our domestic women the opportunity to experience that.
“We’re pleased to be playing domestic cricket across 15 venues in New Zealand this season, from the upper North at Whangarei’s Cobham Oval all the way down south to Invercargill’s Queens Park.”
The men’s and women’s Dream11 Super Smash schedule will be announced in the coming months.
The New Zealand national cricket team, known as the Black Caps, made their Test debut in 1930 against England in Christchurch, becoming the fifth nation to play Test cricket. After waiting 26 years for their first Test win against the West Indies in 1956, they also played their first ODI in 1972–73 against Pakistan. New Zealand are the inaugural World Test Championship champions (2021) and have won the ICC Champions Trophy (2000). They have reached the Cricket World Cup final twice and the T20 World Cup final once.
