Catherine campbell

NZC Chief Cricket Operations Officer: The 50-over Ford Trophy, starting on October 25, will open New Zealand’s domestic cricket calendar for the second consecutive year, said New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Monday. It will be followed by the women’s Hallyburton Johnstone Shield (HBJ) starting on November 15.

NZC had reshuffled the order of the men’s domestic competitions last year for the first time in two decades, with an aim to provide varied pitch conditions across formats and to align better with the international cricket 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. 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.”