Men and women joined in Super Smash

Men’s and women’s Twenty20 domestic leagues will run side-by-side for the first time this summer.

The country’s premier male and female cricketers will light up the Burger King Super Smash in a series of doubleheader clashes over the Christmas period.

The integrated Super Smash will feature 16 double-headers, with seven of the combined match days televised live on Sky Sports.

Domestic cricket GM Andrew Rogers said aligning the two competitions was an important step in growing the women’s game.

“We’re delighted to be showcasing our elite domestic cricketers as a double package this summer,” Rogers said.

“I know there’s plenty of excitement amongst the teams about the opportunity to play alongside each other and display their talents on the same stage.

“We’re hoping the new format will be a hit with the public and really whet the appetite for India’s international tour in January and February, which will also feature double-headers for our Black Caps and White Ferns.”

The Super Smash women’s competition will begin with a separate four-day T20 festival at Lincoln in October, before running concurrently with the men’s tournament over the Christmas period, with a Grand Final on January 20, ahead of the India series.

New Zealand Cricket also announced the rest of the domestic cricket schedules yesterday.

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. This is off-set by an increased New Zealand A First-Class programme.

The Ford Trophy has been given its own window in October and November and has been 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 November 28 grand final.