Cricket: Innovation ahead of premier cricket start

Ryan Evans

Expert Turf Taranaki premier grade cricket is back and will feature a new match format this summer.

Starting in December a pilot round of “declaration” red ball cricket will get underway. The new format will see teams play up to 110 overs in a day, with a compulsory declaration for the team batting first at 60 overs.

The teams are set to play a full round robin of the new format before splitting into Top Four and Bottom Four pools for a round of two-day cricket before finals in mid-late March.

The innovation had come about after a lot of conversations and work put in with clubs over the winter months, and TCA General manager Ryan Evans said he was pleased to be giving something different a crack.

“Declaration cricket is already played in a number of associations around New Zealand and is also widely played in the UK,” he said.

“We’re looking forward to trying something new this year, and my thanks must go to the premier clubs for their willingness to embrace a change and for working closely with us to help draft the playing conditions.”

Evans said there would be a full review of the pilot at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, the one-day competition is set to start this Saturday.

Round one will feature a big clash between Nag N’ Noggin New Plymouth & New Plymouth & Marist United Cricket Club and Merit RV New Zealand New Plymouth Old Boys' Cricket Club at Lynmouth Park.

Stratford Cricket Club will host Stumble Inn Woodleigh Cricket Club and Metcalfe Real Estate Hawera United Cricket Club will travel north to play the NPBHS 1st XI. The final game will see Whitaker Civil Engineering Francis Douglas Memorial College Cricket 1st XI host Civil Quarries Inglewood Cricket Club.

The one-day final is scheduled for Pukekura Park on December 22.

The T20 competition is once again split into North and South pools, with games commencing on Tuesday nights from January 14. The final will be played on Waitangi Day (February 6) at Pukekura park, after the success of last year’s decider.

This weekend’s matches are scheduled to start at 11am and you can see the full details including teams, scorecards and live scoring here at Play HQ: https://www.playhq.com/.../expert-turf-senior.../b6c71f69/R1