The red ball is quickly becoming a museum piece after Dunedin’s clubs elected to play all limited-overs cricket with the white ball this summer.
In the other major change from last season, a second round of twenty20 has been introduced. To squeeze in the extra T20 games, the declaration and one-day final has been axed from the programme.
The clubs decided the finals format had proved "a little meaningless" and were unanimous in deciding to move from the red ball to the white ball for all limited-overs cricket, Otago Cricket Association operations manager Tim O’Sullivan said. The white ball was used in the T20 competition last season and the red ball used in all the other formats.
"It was pretty popular in the twenty20 competition last year," O’Sullivan said.
"Obviously, the players can see it slightly better and it pings off the bat a wee bit better.
"The national club champs have gone to a white ball, so we are sort of following the progression, really.’’With many of Dunedin’s grounds surrounded by trees, the batsmen found it was easier to sight than the red ball.
The shift might take some adjustment for those bowlers who prefer bowling with a red ball, though. Traditionally, it has swung for longer than the white ball.
The red ball will continue to be used in declaration cricket but bowlers will have to wait until after Christmas to get their hands on a nice red cherry.
The club season gets under way on October 7 with the opening round of the T20 competition.
The teams play five round-robin games and a playoff game. The first round will be all over in three weeks with the teams playing back-to-back games each Saturday.
Round one of the one-day competition starts on October 28 and concludes on November 25.
The second round of the T20 competition will be played in the three weeks leading into Christmas before the teams take a four-week break.
The break is extended this year to allow club players to attend the one-day international between the Black Caps and Pakistan at the University Oval on Saturday, January 13.
Declaration cricket begins the following weekend and will finish on February 17. The final round of one-day cricket gets under way on February 24 and goes through until the end of the season a month later.
The team with the most cumulative points will collect the coveted Bing Harris Shield.
Green Island won it last season, its ninth title in the past 16 years.
