For the first time since 2018, the 50-over Ford Trophy will open the 2024–25 domestic cricket season in New Zealand. The first-class plunket shield tournament was the traditional way to kick off the proceedings for the previous six years, but this year the Ford Trophy will begin on October 20.

Instead, on November 11, the Plunket Shield will begin, with the first four rounds taking place both before and after New Zealand’s three-match Test series against England. This season, domestic cricket will be played at 14 different locations across the three leagues, ranging from Queen’s Park in Southland to Cobham Oval in Northland.

On October 20, Canterbury, the reigning champions, will play an away game at Wellington to begin the Ford Trophy. On November 11, the Wellington Firebirds and the Auckland Aces will square off at the Basin Reserve in the Plunket Shield championship defense.

Then, in March and early April, the Plunket Shield’s last four rounds will, as always, conclude the domestic summer.

“It always brings something new when the season schedules are adjusted a little bit. Rather than holding the plunket shield to begin the men’s season, we spoke with the coaches, players, and turf management on white-ball cricket.

The two championships will have somewhat different pitch conditions as a result of the shift, which will provide fresh difficulties for bowlers and hitters alike. An extra plus is that the red-ball tournament now coincides with the England Test series, according to NZC Head of Cricket Operations Richard Brewer.

The women’s domestic cricket schedule has been changed to suit the shift. The 50-over Hallyburton Johnstone Shield tournament will begin on November 16 and six of the ten round-robin matches will take place in preparation for the December 19 ODI series between Australia and New Zealand at Basin Reserve.

On November 16, the reigning champion Otago Sparks will play their season’s first away game at Mainpower Oval in Rangiora against the Canterbury Magicians. The women’s 50-over tournament will include five double-header weekends, with teams playing each other back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday in the same format as the previous season. On March 1, the top two teams will play each other in the Grand Final.

“It’s also fantastic that the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield will precede the White Ferns series against Australia before Christmas, giving many of our finest female players an opportunity to prepare well for a single day and strengthen their selection prospects.

“To have 14 venues hosting domestic cricket this summer means all fans across the country will have a chance to see our best men’s and women’s professional cricketers in action and for free,” Brewer said.

A men’s and women’s white-ball finals weekend scheduled to take place over three days at Dunedin’s University of Otago Oval beginning on February 28, 2025, is one of the additional elements of the domestic calendar.

The Super Smash dates for men and women will be revealed in the next few weeks, according to NZC.