Double vision for domestic T20 event
Wellington Blaze and the Knights will be part of the first Twenty20 Super Smash doubleheader in December as they defend their women’s and men’s national titles.
New Zealand Cricket confirmed the domestic 2018-19 season schedule yesterday, highlighted by the six women’s sides sharing the stage with their male counterparts for the first time.
Defending women’s T20 cham- pions the Blaze will face the Northern Spirit at Seddon Park in Hamilton on December 22, followed by the Knights who open their men’s title defence against the Wellington Firebirds.
A total of 16 doubleheaders will run throughout the holiday period, culminating in the women’s final at Auckland’s Eden Park Outer Oval on January 20.
That will double up with the men’s regular season game between the Auckland Aces and Otago Volts.
The men’s tournament will stretch into February, with the preliminary final scheduled for February 15 and the final two days later at a yet to be confirmed venue.
The women’s tournament will open on October 25 when the six teams gather at Lincoln, near Christchurch, for a full round over four days.
NZC’S general manager of domestic cricket, Andrew Rogers, said that aligning the two competitions was another demonstration of NZC’S commitment to growing the women’s game.
Other features of the domestic schedules see the Plunket Shield once again start and finish the domestic season, although with two fewer rounds (eight) than in past seasons.
It will start on October 10 at Wellington’s Basin Reserve, Nelson’s Saxton Oval and Mt Maunganui’s Bay Oval, with two rounds to open the season, another two in early December and the final four to wrap up the domestic season in March.
The Ford Trophy 50-over competition has been given its own window in October and November and increased from eight to 10 rounds.
This will be followed by a shorter finals process, in which the second and third qualifiers will play off for a spot in the grand final, to be played on November 28.
The Hallyburton Johnstone Shield for women’s one-day cricket continues for its second year since returning and will be played over five group-stage weekends throughout the season, culminating in a grand final on March 9.