Auckland, New Zealand — New Zealand’s 2025–26 domestic cricket season will once again begin with one-day action, with the men’s Ford Trophy starting on Saturday 25 October, followed by the women’s Hallyburton Johnstone Shield on Saturday 15 November.
For the second year in a row, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has opted to open the men’s season with the one-day competition, a shift from more than two decades of tradition. The change, first introduced last year, is aimed at offering varied pitch conditions for white and red-ball formats and better aligning with the international cricket schedule.
Format alignment benefits players
Catherine Campbell, NZC Chief Cricket Operations Officer, said the format alignment had been a success.
“Aligning the domestic and international schedules by format was well received by the playing and coaching groups last year, so we’re continuing that this season,” Campbell explained.
She noted that starting with one-day cricket helped bowlers build their workloads before the demands of four-day cricket later in the summer. This year’s Ford Trophy will run alongside England’s white-ball tour of New Zealand, while the Plunket Shield will lead into the West Indies Test series.
Balanced contests and WHITE FERNS boost
Campbell highlighted that the schedule also creates more balanced contests between bat and ball across the season.
“At the start of the season, pitches may be less batter-friendly, giving bowlers a chance to make an impact. By February, conditions tend to be better for batting,” she said.
The WHITE FERNS are expected to return from the ICC Women’s One-Day World Cup in India with strong preparation ahead of the HBJ Shield, adding star power to the domestic competition. The schedule also includes another North v South series before Christmas.
Finals weekend at the Basin Reserve
Wellington’s Cello Basin Reserve will host the one-day finals weekend:
Friday 20 February: Men’s Eliminator
Saturday 21 February: Women’s Grand Final
Sunday 22 February: Men’s Grand Final
Title defences and historic streaks
Fourteen venues will host domestic one-day matches this season, from Queens Park in Invercargill to Cobham Oval in Whangārei. The Otago Sparks will seek a third straight HBJ Shield title after back-to-back wins over Wellington Blaze and Auckland Hearts. The Canterbury men will also aim for a third consecutive Ford Trophy triumph, having beaten Auckland in the last two finals.
The Sparks will open their campaign at University of Otago Oval against the Auckland Hearts, while Canterbury will host Otago Volts at Hagley Oval.
Season structure
As with last season, the one-day competitions will be interrupted by the first half of the Plunket Shield and the full Dream11 Super Smash during the summer. Plunket Shield fixtures will be released on Wednesday 13 August, with the Super Smash schedule following on Monday 18 August.
📅 View full Ford Trophy schedule
📅 View full Hallyburton Johnstone Shield schedule
