Men's Ford Trophy to Open NZ Domestic Cricket Season Once Again

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has confirmed that the men’s Ford Trophy will once again kick off the domestic season, beginning on October 25, 2025. This marks the second consecutive year that the one-day competition will start the summer, with defending champions Canterbury aiming for a third straight title.

The decision to continue with the revamped domestic schedule was made following positive feedback from players and coaches. Last season, NZC altered the traditional sequence of domestic tournaments after two decades, aiming to better align formats with international fixtures and provide varied pitch conditions across the calendar.

“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,” said Catherine Campbell, NZC’s chief cricket operations officer. “It helped our domestic bowlers build up their bowling loads initially through one-day cricket, which better prepared them for the physical demands of four-day cricket later in the season.”

This year’s Ford Trophy will run concurrently with England’s white-ball tour of New Zealand, offering players exposure to high-level competition. Meanwhile, the Plunket Shield, NZ’s premier first-class competition, will lead into the West Indies Test series, giving red-ball players ideal preparation.

Campbell highlighted the impact of pitch conditions early in the season, noting that less batter-friendly surfaces at the start present opportunities for bowlers, while conditions generally favour batters by February.

Following the Ford Trophy, the women’s Hallyburton Johnstone Shield (HBJ Shield) will begin on November 15. With the Women’s ODI World Cup in India concluding shortly before, many WHITE FERNS are expected to return to domestic cricket.

“We expect many of the WHITE FERNS to be available for HBJ,” Campbell added. “We are also playing another North v South series just before Christmas, which adds a little extra context on performances. All that should allow players to go into Super Smash in some good domestic form.”

The season will feature a finals weekend at Basin Reserve in Wellington, with the men’s eliminator on February 20, the women’s grand final on February 21, and the men’s final on February 22.

Fourteen venues across New Zealand — from Queens Park in Invercargill to Cobham Oval in Whangārei — will host matches. Alongside Canterbury’s men, Otago’s women will also be aiming for a third consecutive one-day title.

As with last season, the domestic one-day competitions will be split by the first half of the Plunket Shield and the full Super Smash. The Plunket Shield schedule is set to be released on August 13, with Super Smash fixtures following on August 18.