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New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has announced the schedule for the 101st season of the Plunket Shield, with 24 first-class matches set to be played across nine venues this summer.
The 101st Plunket Shield season is set to add even more red-ball action to a packed New Zealand cricket summer. New Zealand will also have a busy Test season, with home series against India and Sri Lanka, followed by an away Test series against Australia. Amid this, Josh Hazlewood happy to see Kagiso Rabada injured before SA-AUS series.
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) announces 101st Plunket Shield season schedule
The eight-round Plunket Shield will begin in November 2026, with the first four rounds scheduled before the break for the Super Smash and Ford Trophy. The final four rounds will return in March 2027 as confirmed by the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on September 1.
The red-ball season will also feature India A’s tour of New Zealand, with New Zealand A set to host India A for three four-day matches in Christchurch from October 24.
Plunket Shield returns to Colin Maiden Park
The NZC has also confirmed that Plunket Shield cricket will return to Auckland’s revamped Colin Maiden Park for the first time since 2023. The venue will host matches in Rounds 6 and 8 in March 2027. Well, the new Plunket Shield season will begin on November 19.
Defending champions Canterbury will face last season’s runners-up Otago at the University of Otago Oval in Dunedin. The final round will begin from March 26. Matches will be played at Colin Maiden Park, Wellington’s Cello Basin Reserve, and Christchurch’s Hagley Oval.
The final points table will decide the 2026-27 Plunket Shield champion. All matches will have free entry, while fans can follow live scores on NZC’s website and watch the matches live on the NZC YouTube channel. Amid this, Nasser Hussain sends England reality check after series win against Pakistan.
Plunket Shield 2026-27: Full Schedule
Round 1 | November 19–22
- Northern Districts vs Auckland Aces — Seddon Park, Hamilton
- Central Stags vs Wellington Firebirds — Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North
- Otago vs Canterbury — University of Otago Oval, Dunedin
Round 2 | November 27–30
- Northern Districts vs Central Stags — Bay Oval, Tauranga
- Otago vs Wellington Firebirds — University of Otago Oval, Dunedin
- Auckland Aces vs Canterbury — Kennards Hire Community Oval, Auckland
Round 3 | December 7–10
- Auckland Aces vs Wellington Firebirds — Kennards Hire Community Oval, Auckland
- Northern Districts vs Canterbury — Seddon Park, Hamilton
- Central Stags vs Otago — McLean Park, Napier
Round 4 | December 15–18
- Central Stags vs Auckland Aces — McLean Park, Napier
- Canterbury vs Wellington Firebirds — Hagley Oval, Christchurch
- Otago vs Northern Districts — University of Otago Oval, Dunedin
Round 5 | March 1–4
- Central Stags vs Northern Districts — McLean Park, Napier
- Wellington Firebirds vs Canterbury — Cello Basin Reserve, Wellington
- Otago vs Auckland Aces — University of Otago Oval, Dunedin
Round 6 | March 10–13
- Auckland Aces vs Central Stags — Colin Maiden Park, Auckland
- Wellington Firebirds vs Otago — Cello Basin Reserve, Wellington
- Canterbury vs Northern Districts — Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Round 7 | March 18–21
- Northern Districts vs Otago — Seddon Park, Hamilton
- Wellington Firebirds vs Central Stags — Cello Basin Reserve, Wellington
- Canterbury vs Auckland Aces — Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Round 8 | March 26–29
- Auckland Aces vs Otago — Colin Maiden Park, Auckland
- Wellington Firebirds vs Northern Districts — Cello Basin Reserve, Wellington
- Canterbury vs Central Stags — Hagley Oval, Christchurch
