The Otago Volts will again head to all corners of the region this summer as they seek to break a drought approaching two decades. They will play Ford Trophy home games in Dunedin, Queenstown and Invercargill in a bid to win the one-day title for the first time since 2007-08. Both the New Zealand domestic men’s and women’s one-day draws were released on Monday. No fewer than 14 grounds will be used, from Cobham Oval in Whangārei to Queens Park in Invercargill, during the regular season. Colin Maiden Park, in Auckland, will return to the domestic venue rotation for the first time since 2023 following the ground’s extensive redevelopment. Both the men’s and women’s one-day finals will be held at the Basin Reserve on February 19-21. The Volts start on the road with a game against the Firebirds in Wellington on October 28. Two home games at the University Oval will be followed by trips to Whangārei and Auckland before the long break for the Plunket Shield and Super Smash. Upon resumption in February, the Otago men will host Northern in Queenstown, pop up to New Plymouth, play one last game in Dunedin, head to Invercargill and finish the campaign in Christchurch. The Volts also played at Sir John Davies Oval in Queenstown last summer, while they will be hoping for more luck with the weather at Queens Park after two of their past three games in the southernmost venue were abandoned without a ball being bowled. OTAGO IMAGES/OTAGO DAILY TIMESPolly Inglis helped the Otago Sparks win the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield final in the 2024-25 season. Photo: Linda Robertson Meanwhile, the Otago Sparks will get an interesting Hallyburton Johnstone Shield opener as they head to Christchurch on November 14-15 to play a doubleheader against a Canterbury Magicians team under new coach and former White Ferns star Amy Satterthwaite. They stay on the road to play the Hinds in New Plymouth before finishing the pre-Christmas leg with games against the Auckland Hearts in Queenstown. The Sparks will finish their regular season with two University Oval doubleheaders. Otago’s women were one-day champions in three of the past five seasons. Both the Sparks and the Volts will find out their Super Smash commitments — perhaps for the last time, as a new privately backed T20 competition could be in place the following summer — in late September. The Plunket Shield schedule will be announced on September 1. One-day cricket Otago draws Volts: v Firebirds, Basin Reserve, Oct 28; v Stags, University Oval, Oct 31; v Canterbury, University Oval, Nov 4; v ND, Whangārei, Nov 8; v Aces, Auckland, Nov 12; v ND, Queenstown, Feb 3; v Stags, New Plymouth, Feb 7; v Firebirds, University Oval, Feb 10; v Aces, Invercargill, Feb 13; v Canterbury, Hagley Oval, Feb 16. Sparks: v Magicians, Hagley Oval, Nov 14-15; v Hinds, New Plymouth, Nov 28-29; v Hearts, Queenstown, Dec 12-13; v Blaze, University Oval, Feb 6-7; v ND, University Oval, Feb 13-14.
