Family-friendly Sunday games, a return of Twenty20 cricket to Wellington’s beloved Basin Reserve, and the christening of New Plymouth’s Yarrow Stadium as a T20 venue under lights are all big features of the new season’s Georgie Pie Super Smash, unveiled today.
New Zealand Cricket’s premium Twenty20 domestic competition will begin on 5 November at New Plymouth’s iconic Pukekura Park, where the Devon Hotel Central Stags will host the SBS Bank Otago Volts in the first of 33 match-ups among the country’s six teams — culminating in a 13 December Grand Final.
David Cooper, General Manager Domestic Cricket says the “fast and furious” six-week window provides an exciting start to the New Zealand cricket season, and will be a big hit for the whole family.
“The short duration of Twenty20 makes it a great option for bringing the kids along to introduce them to all the fun of cricket,” Cooper says.
“With that in mind, we scheduled the start times of many of our matches to make it easy for parents to be able to bring the whole family along — with a focus on Sunday afternoons, when games have been scheduled to start between 1pm and 3pm for a totally family-friendly day out.
Not only will there be the thrills and big hits of top quality Twenty20 cricket for adults and younger ones alike to enjoy, but kids will love being entertained by a range of face painters, mascots, bouncy castles, treasure hunts, free games, stilt walkers and more, at venues across the country.
“We believe every game should be as much about the crowd’s experience as it is about the cricketers showing off their skills on the field,” Cooper says. “So, we’re creating an experience where parents can sit back and relax, knowing that their kids can run round and have a ball in a friendly, fun environment.”
Adding to the atmosphere, the new season features a return to playing at popular destinations like Nelson and Mount Maunganui, and much loved ‘genuine cricket venues’ across the country — including Auckland’s Eden Park Outer Oval, Hamilton’s Seddon Park, Wellington’s Basin Reserve and New Plymouth’s picturesque Pukekura Park.
Season ‘firsts’ for 2015/16 include Georgie Pie Super Smash heading to Whangarei for the first time (the SKYCITY Northern Knights hosting the Canterbury Kings at Cobham Oval); and the introduction of New Plymouth’s Yarrow Stadium for evening cricket on a drop-in pitch.
Yarrow Stadium has previously hosted a tour match between the Devon Hotel Central Stags and Sri Lanka in December 2004, and a handful of domestic fixtures between 1999 and 2003. It will make its Twenty20 debut when the Volts take on the Stags in a televised rematch under lights on 7 November.
In all, 17 of the 33 matches across the country will be televised live on SKY Sport — including all three Finals in a rapid-fire Finals weekend, when the top three teams will be showcased at Yarrow Stadium.
One week before Finals weekend, all six teams will be in action at the same time in a likely tense last round (Sunday, 6 December). One of these matches will be televised “and a decision as to which game will be made closer to the time,” Cooper says.
Defending champions the Wellington Firebirds will open their campaign with an away game to the Canterbury Kings in Christchurch.
Cooper says it’s exciting to be able to bring top quality cricket to Dunedin in the south, all the way to Whangarei in the north this season. “We’re very committed to making this an accessible competition for as many New Zealanders as possible to enjoy.”
New Zealand Cricket today also released the Ford Trophy and Plunket Shield schedules for the 2015/16 season.
Plunket Shield, brought to you by Budget Rental, opens the New Zealand home summer on 15 October — providing a valuable cricket window prior to the BLACKCAPS’ Test tour of Australia. It will again comprise 10 rounds of four-day cricket in all, the first-class champion crowned in the first week of April 2016.
Following a highly successful reception last summer, the battle for the Ford Trophy will be staged over a December-January window. It will take the One-Day game to holiday hotspots including Alexandra and Mount Maunganui, with the 2016 Ford Trophy Grand Final set for 30 January.
How to follow Georgie Pie Super Smash
- Official hashtag #GPSuperSmash
- Facebook www.facebook.com/gpsupersmash
- Twitter @GPSuperSmash
- Instagram gpsupersmash
- Website www.supersmash.co.nz
November 2015
Thursday 5
3.15pm
Devon Hotel Central Stags v SBS Bank Otago Volts
Pukekura Park, New Plymouth
Friday 6
7.10pm (TV)
SKYCITY Northern Knights v Canterbury Kings
Seddon Park, Hamilton
Saturday 7
7.10pm (TV)
Devon Hotel Central Stags v SBS Bank Otago Volts
Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth
Sunday 8
1.10pm (TV)
Canterbury Kings v Wellington Firebirds
Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Wednesday 11
7.10pm (TV)
Devon Hotel Central Stags v Mondiale Auckland Aces
Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth
Thursday 12
4.00pm
Canterbury Kings v SBS Bank Otago Volts
Hagley Oval, Christchurch
7.10pm (TV)
SKYCITY Northern Knights v Wellington Firebirds
Seddon Park, Hamilton
Sunday 15
1.00pm
SBS Bank Otago Volts v Wellington Firebirds
University Oval, Dunedin
1.10pm (TV)
Mondiale Auckland Aces v Devon Hotel Central Stags
Eden Park No.2, Auckland
2.00pm
SKYCITY Northern Knights v Canterbury Kings
Cobham Oval, Whangarei
Tuesday 17
4.00pm
SBS Bank Otago Volts v SKYCITY Northern Knights
University Oval, Dunedin
Wednesday 18
4.00pm
Mondiale Auckland Aces v Canterbury Kings
Eden Park No.2, Auckland
Thursday 19
4.00pm
Devon Hotel Central Stags v Wellington Firebirds
Saxton Oval, Nelson
Friday 20
7.10pm (TV)
SKYCITY Northern Knights v Mondiale Auckland Aces
Seddon Park, Hamilton
Saturday 21
7.10pm (TV)
Devon Hotel Central Stags v Canterbury Kings
Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth
Sunday 22
1.10pm (TV)
Mondiale Auckland Aces v SBS Bank Otago Volts
Eden Park No.2, Auckland
2.00pm
Wellington Firebirds v SKYCITY Northern Knights
Basin Reserve, Wellington
Wednesday 25
4.00pm
Wellington Firebirds v SBS Bank Otago Volts
Basin Reserve, Wellington
Thursday 26
4.00pm
Canterbury Kings v Mondiale Auckland Aces
Hagley Oval, Christchurch
7.10pm (TV)
SKYCITY Northern Knights v Devon Hotel Central Stags
Seddon Park, Hamilton
Sunday 29
1.00pm
SBS Bank Otago Volts v Canterbury Kings
University Oval, Dunedin
1.10pm (TV)
Wellington Firebirds v Mondiale Auckland Aces
Basin Reserve, Wellington
3.00pm
Devon Hotel Central Stags v SKYCITY Northern Knights
Pukekura Park, New Plymouth
December 2015
Wednesday 2
4.00pm
Wellington Firebirds v Canterbury Kings
Basin Reserve, Wellington
Thursday 3
4.00pm
SBS Bank Otago Volts v Mondiale Auckland Aces
University Oval, Dunedin
Friday 4
7.10pm (TV)
Devon Hotel Central Stags v Wellington Firebirds
McLean Park, Napier
Saturday 5
7.10pm (TV)
SKYCITY Northern Knights v Mondiale Auckland Aces
Seddon Park, Hamilton
Sunday 6
3.00pm
Mondiale Auckland Aces v Wellington Firebirds
Eden Park No.2, Auckland
3.00pm
SKYCITY Northern Knights v SBS Bank Otago Volts
Bay Oval, Mt Maunganui
3.00pm
Canterbury Kings v Devon Hotel Central Stags
Hagley Oval, Christchurch
FINALS WEEKEND
Friday 11
7.10pm (TV) Qualifying Final 1v2
Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth
Saturday 12
7.10pm (TV) Elimination Final (Loser1v2) v 3
Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth
Sunday 13
7.10pm (TV)
2015 Georgie Pie Super Smash GRAND FINAL
Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth
December 2015
All games start at 11am
Sunday 27
Devon Hotel Central Stags v Canterbury
McLean Park, Napier
SBS Bank Otago Volts v Mondiale Auckland Aces
Molyneux Park, Alexandra
Wellington Firebirds v SKYCITY Northern Knights
Basin Reserve, Wellington
Wednesday 30
SKYCITY Northern Knights v Mondiale Auckland Aces
Seddon Park, Hamilton
Wellington Firebirds v Devon Hotel Central Stags
Basin Reserve, Wellington
SBS Bank Otago Volts v Canterbury
Molyneux Park, Alexandra
January 2016
Sunday 3
Mondiale Auckland Aces v SKYCITY Northern Knights
Eden Park No.2, Auckland
Devon Hotel Central Stags v SBS Bank Otago Volts
Pukekura Park, New Plymouth
Canterbury v Wellington Firebirds
Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Wednesday 6
Devon Hotel Central Stags v SKYCITY Northern Knights
Pukekura Park, New Plymouth
Mondiale Auckland Aces v Wellington Firebirds
Eden Park No.2, Auckland
Canterbury v SBS Bank Otago Volts
Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Saturday 9
Mondiale Auckland Aces v Canterbury
Eden Park No.2, Auckland
Sunday 10
Devon Hotel Central Stags v Wellington Firebirds
Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North
SKYCITY Northern Knights v SBS Bank Otago Volts
Cobham Oval, Whangarei
Wednesday 13
SKYCITY Northern Knights v Devon Hotel Central Stags
Cobham Oval, Whangarei
Wellington Firebirds v SBS Bank Otago Volts
Basin Reserve, Wellington
Canterbury v Mondiale Auckland Aces
Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Sunday 17
SBS Bank Otago Volts v SKYCITY Northern Knights
University Oval, Dunedin
Canterbury v Devon Hotel Central Stags
Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Wellington Firebirds v Mondiale Auckland Aces
Basin Reserve, Wellington
Wednesday 20
SKYCITY Northern Knights v Canterbury
Bay Oval, Mt Maunganui
SBS Bank Otago Volts v Wellington Firebirds
Queens Park, Invercargill
Mondiale Auckland Aces v Devon Hotel Central Stags
Eden Park No.2, Auckland
Saturday 23
QUALIFYING FINALS, venues tba
Number 1 Qualifier v Number 2 Qualifier
Number 3 Qualifier v Number 4 Qualifier
Wednesday 27
ELIMINATION FINAL, venue tba
(Loser 1v2) v (Winner 3v4)
Saturday 30
2016 FORD TROPHY GRAND FINAL venue tba
PLUNKET SHIELD
October 2015
All games start at 10.30am
ROUND ONE
Thurs 15-Sun 18
Mondiale Auckland Aces v Canterbury at Eden Park Outer Oval, Auckland
Devon Hotel Central Stags v SBS Bank Otago Volts at Nelson Park, Napier
SKYCITY Northern Knights v Wellington Firebirds at Seddon Park, Hamilton
ROUND TWO
Fri 23-Mon 26
Devon Hotel Central Stags v Wellington Firebirds at Saxton Oval, Nelson
SKYCITY Northern Knights v Mondiale Auckland Aces at Bay Oval, Mt Maunganui
Sat 24-Tues 27
Canterbury v SBS Bank Otago Volts at Hagley Oval, Christchurch
December 2015
ROUND THREE
Thurs 17-Sun 20
Wellington Firebirds v SBS Bank Otago Volts at Basin Reserve, Wellington
Mondiale Auckland Aces v SKYCITY Northern Knights at Eden Park Outer Oval, Auckland
Canterbury v Devon Hotel Central Stags at Mainpower Oval, Rangiora
February 2016
ROUND FOUR
Fri 5-Mon 8
Devon Hotel Central Stags v SKYCITY Northern Knights at McLean Park, Napier
Canterbury v Mondiale Auckland Aces at Hagley Oval, Christchurch
SBS Bank Otago Volts v Wellington Firebirds at Queenstown Events Centre
ROUND FIVE
Sat 13-Tues 16
Mondiale Auckland Aces v Wellington Firebirds at Colin Maiden Park, Auckland
SBS Bank Otago Volts v SKYCITY Northern Knights at University Oval, Dunedin
Devon Hotel Central Stags v Canterbury at Saxton Oval, Nelson
ROUND SIX
Sat 20-Tues 23
Mondiale Auckland Aces v SBS Bank Otago Volts at Eden Park Outer Oval, Auckland
SKYCITY Northern Knights v Canterbury at Seddon Park, Hamilton
Devon Hotel Central Stags v Wellington Firebirds at McLean Park, Napier
March 2016
ROUND SEVEN
Thurs 8-Fri 11
Wellington Firebirds v SKYCITY Northern Knights at Basin Reserve, Wellington
SBS Bank Otago Volts v Canterbury at Queen’s Park, Invercargill
Mondiale Auckland Aces v Devon Hotel Central Stags at Eden Park Outer Oval, Auckland
ROUND EIGHT
Tues 15-Fri 18
SKYCITY Northern Knights v Devon Hotel Central Stags at Seddon Park, Hamilton
Canterbury v Wellington Firebirds at Hagley Oval, Christchurch
SBS Bank Otago Volts v Mondiale Auckland Aces at University Oval, Dunedin
ROUND NINE
Wed 23-Sat 26
Wellington Firebirds v Mondiale Auckland Aces at Basin Reserve, Wellington
Canterbury v SKYCITY Northern Knights at Hagley Oval, Christchurch
SBS Bank Otago Volts v Devon Hotel Central Stags at University Oval, Dunedin
ROUND TEN
Wed 30 March-Sat 2 April
Wellington Firebirds v Canterbury at Basin Reserve, Wellington
SKYCITY Northern Knights v SBS Bank Otago Volts at Cobham Oval, Whangarei
Devon Hotel Central Stags v Mondiale Auckland Aces at McLean Park, Napier
