The Wellington Firebirds will host the Otago Volts this weekend when the tradition of the Plunket Shield gets the domestic cricket season underway. The match begins on Sunday and will take place at New Zealand’s home of long-form cricket, the Hawkins Basin Reserve.
The Volts will be eager to go one better this year, having pushed the Central Stags all the way in 2012-13, before narrowly missing out in a thrilling final day of the competition.
Central Stags captain Kieran Noema-Barnett after winning the 2012-13 Plunket Shield at Saxton Oval, Nelson.
Neighbourly rivals the Northern Knights and Auckland Aces are the next in action and will square off at Seddon Park beginning on Thursday 31 October. Shield holders the Central Stags open their campaign against Wellington on Monday 4 November.
In a similar layout to last season, 10 full rounds of Plunket Shield will be split across the summer. The first half of the four day First-Class competition will be played before Christmas, with the second half beginning late January.
A new initiative will see some teams play the same opponent back-to-back at different venues, in an effort to replicate the structure of an international series.
At the conclusion of the 30 game round-robin the coveted Plunket Shield will be awarded to the team which has accumulated the most points.
Throughout the season 11 venues will host matches, giving fans from Whangarei to Invercargill an opportunity to see top quality cricket.
All fixtures will be livescored on www.blackcaps.co.nz and the Major Association websites, while Radio Sport will provide regular updates throughout the matches.
First round of Plunket Shield
27 - 30 October: Wellington Firebirds v Otago Volts
Hawkins Basin Reserve, Wellington
10.30am start
31 October - 3 November: Northern Knights v Auckland Aces
Seddon Park, Hamilton
10.30am start
7 - 10 November: Wellington Firebirds v Central Stags
Hawkins Basin Reserve, Wellington
10.30am start
