The long-awaited 2024-25 domestic draw has been released and it contains a couple of surprises.
The list A competition will open the summer for the first time since 2018.
And Otago teams will have extra motivation to do well, as the finals will be staged at Dunedin’s University Oval in late February-early March.
The men’s and women’s Super Smash schedules will be announced in the coming weeks, but the Otago Daily Times understands there will be six games staged in Alexandra during the traditional holiday period.
The Ford Trophy will get under way on October 20.
The Volts open their campaign that day with an away fixture against Northern Districts.
Their first home game is not until round four when they host Central Districts on October 30, but they have four home fixtures in a row.
Their last round-robin game is in Invercargill on February 23.
The Sparks won the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield last summer and will begin their defence against Canterbury in Rangiora on November 16. Like the Volts, they also have a run of four homes games which will allow them to generate some momentum.
The decision to start the domestic season with list A cricket breaks a six-year tradition of the Plunket Shield beginning proceedings.
The first-class competition will begin on November 11.
Otago will begin their quest to end their long drought in the first-class competition with a game against Central Districts in Napier.
The Volts last won the Plunket Shield in 1987-88.
They host Wellington in round two and their round six game is against Central Districts at Molyneux Park in Alexandra.
In total, 14 venues will host domestic cricket across the three competitions this season, from Cobham Oval in Northland to Queen’s Park in Southland.
New Zealand head of cricket operations Richard Brewer said the coming season had a new and exciting feel to it.
"Any time you make a few decent changes to the season schedules it certainly freshens things up," he said.
"We consulted with the players, coaches and turf managers around white-ball cricket starting the men’s season instead of the Plunket Shield.
"The change will see slightly different pitch conditions for both competitions, which will bring new challenges for both batters and bowlers."
