Stags to make their annual visit

Central Districts will make their annual pilgrimage to Palmerston North for a one-day cricket game again this summer.

CD will play Otago at Fitzherbert Park on Saturday, January 28, the only first-class game in Manawatu this season.

Defending one-day champions, CD’S first one-day game of the season is against Canterbury in Rangiora on January 15, then their first home game is against Wellington at Mclean Park in Napier on January 18.

They then play Northern Districts in Hamilton on January 22, Auckland in Auckland on January 25, before coming to Palmerston North.

After that they play Wellington in Wellington on February 1, ND at New Plymouth’s Pukekura Park on February 4, then the last regular-season game is against Auckland in New Plymouth on February 8.

There will be two rounds of playoffs, with the grand final on February 18.

In the Plunket Shield four-day competition, CD start their summer against Otago at Nelson’s

Saxton Oval on October 22 to 25.

Next they are away against Canterbury in Christchurch on October 29 to November 1, then play Otago in Dunedin on November 5-8, Wellington in the capital on November 14-17, and the last game before the Twenty20s start is

against Northern Districts in Napier on November 22-25.

After the one-day competition finishes in February, the Plunket Shield resumes and there are five rounds to finish the season.

The Stags will play Auckland in Auckland on February 25-28, ND in Hamilton on March 6-9, Wellington in Napier on March 14-17, Canterbury in Nelson on March 21-24, then finish with another home game, against Auckland in Napier on March 29 to April 1.

The game against ND at Seddon Park in Hamilton at the start of March will be a day-night game, with the whole round trialling play under lights with a pink ball.

The men’s Twenty20 draw will be released on Friday, but will be played in December.

The Central Hinds women’s teams will not play in Palmerston North this season, with a round of the women’s competition held in Manawatu last summer.

The women’s season starts after the White Ferns’ home series agains Pakistan and the Hinds open their campaign against Otago in New Plymouth on November 25-27, with two one-dayers and a Twenty20.

They play Auckland in Auckland on December 2-4, then Wellington at Lincoln on December 27-29. That entire round is at Lincoln. In the new year they play Canterbury in Christchurch on January 2-4, then round out the season against ND in Hastings on February 3-5.