Queenstown will host both the men’s and women’s one-day finals again this season.
New Zealand Cricket released the schedule for the Plunket Shield, Hallyburton Johnstone Shield and Ford Trophy competitions yesterday, and the resort town is the big winner.
It hosted both one-day finals last season. That worked out rather well for the Otago Sparks, who dispatched Wellington by 138 runs to claim the title.
The Volts will be hoping they can join the party this season. They finished a disappointing fifth last season, but with the likes of Glenn Phillips and Dean Foxcroft boosting the line-up, they will have a more potent batting line-up.
The women’s final is slated for March 4, while the men’s final is set down for February 19.
The women’s and men’s Super Smash tournaments will get under way on December 23. That draw is expected to be announced at the end of this month.
The opening round of the Plunket Shield is scheduled for October 18.
The Volts will play the Auckland Aces, who are the defending champions, at Eden Park Outer Oval.
It will mark the start of New Zealand’s 2022-23 domestic cricket season.
The formats and playing conditions for all competitions will largely revert to those employed before last season, although the provision to allow full substitutes for players who test positive for Covid-19 will remain.
The Hallyburton Johnstone Shield gets under way on November 19. The Sparks will play Northern Districts in back-to-back games in Whangarei.
The Sparks’ first home game will be against Central Districts at the University Oval on November 26, and they will play Wellington in a rematch of the 2021-22 final in the capital on December 17 and 18.
The Volts’ opening game at home in Dunedin is a one-dayer against the Central Stags on November 24.
