Cricket Buffer Summer grows with another Stags game

The summer of Manawatu’s first-class cricket has grown even further with the area being awarded another Central Districts game.

The men in the Central Districts will already be playing a 2020 match against Auckland at Fitzherbert Park in Palmerston North on December 27 and a four-day Plunket Shield game on April 5, also against Auckland.

Central Hinds women are also scheduled to play 2020 against Auckland in December

On Wednesday, New Zealand Cricket announced changes to its domestic competition due to government announcements and the Covid-19 protective frame, with the CD men playing a one-day game against Auckland in Palmerston North on Feb. 1.

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The game was to be played at Napier, but was moved to Palmerston North.

The extra game was a boost for the area, said James Lovegrove, general manager of the Manawatū Cricket Association.

“To get Super Smash, [one-day] and Plunket Shield cricket, the three forms of Fitz cricket that we have always strived for and that we have dreamed we could strive for. It’s fantastic. ”

CDs usually play a one-day game in Palmerston North a year and most recently in Fitzherbert Park in December last year.

Plunket Shield was originally scheduled to be played against the Northern Districts 11. March, but it was exchanged for a game against Auckland. The ND game has been moved to Napier.

It is the first first-class match in Palmerston North since the 2007-2008 season.

Hosting 220 games was significant for Manawatu. Both matches will be broadcast on Spark and the women’s match on TVNZ 1.

Stags has not played the 2020 game in Palmerston North since February 2009, and the women have not played twenty20 games in the city since January 2018.

Lovegrove hoped as many people as possible would participate in the games, which would help them get more games in the future.

Ticket sales went well and most of the companies ’tickets had been sold, Lovegrove said.

The Hindi were scheduled to play two one-day matches against Auckland in Palmerston North earlier this season, but as Auckland was in the offside, the games were postponed.

The matches were instead postponed to two one-day games against ND, which were played in Levin last month.

Palmerston North will also host the CD Year 9 and 10 Girls Tournament at Fitzherbert and Manawaroa Parks next week.