2025–26 Plunket Shield season
Cricket tournament
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The 2025–26 Plunket Shield was the 100th season of the Plunket Shield, a domestic first-class cricket competition that took place in New Zealand.[1] The tournament started on 18 November 2025 and concluded on 30 March 2026.[2] Canterbury was the winner, its 21st Plunket Shield win; Canterbury finished equal on 99 points with Otago, and equal on the first tie-breaker with four wins, and won the shield on the second tie-breaker of net runs per wicket.[3][4]
Dates18 November 2025 – 30 March 2026
AdministratorNew Zealand Cricket
Cricket formatFirst-class
Tournament formatRound-robin
| |
| Dates | 18 November 2025 – 30 March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Administrator | New Zealand Cricket |
| Cricket format | First-class |
| Tournament format | Round-robin |
| Champions | Canterbury (21st title) |
| Participants | 6 |
| Matches | 24 |
| Most runs | Henry Nicholls (870) (Canterbury) |
| Most wickets | Raymond Toole (35) (Central Districts) |
Points table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | Pts | NetRpW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canterbury (C) | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 99 | 12.134 |
| 2 | Otago | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 99 | 4.911 |
| 3 | Central Districts | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 87 | -0.484 |
| 4 | Auckland | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 85 | -0.872 |
| 5 | Northern Districts | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 82 | 0.051 |
| 6 | Wellington | 8 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 42 | -17.051 |
Source: ESPNcricinfo, NZC
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) wins; 3) net average per wicket.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) wins; 3) net average per wicket.
- Points system: 12 for a win, 6 for a tie, 0 for a draw or loss.
- Batting bonus points: 1 point each for reaching 200, 250, 300, and 350 runs within the first 110 overs of each team's first innings.
- Bowling bonus points: 1 point each for taking 3, 5, 7, and 9 wickets within the first 110 overs of each team's first innings.
(C) Champion
Fixtures
Round 1
18–21 November 2025 Scorecard |
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- Auckland won the toss and elected to bat.
- Taylor Bettelheim (Central Districts) and Harrish Kannan (Auckland) both made their first-class debuts.
- Lachlan Stackpole (Auckland) scored his maiden century in first-class cricket.[5]
- Rohit Gulati (Auckland) took his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.[6]
- Points: Auckland 20, Central Districts 4
18–21 November 2025 Scorecard |
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Round 2
26–29 November 2025 Scorecard |
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- Northern Districts won the toss and elected to field.
- James Naylor (Northern Districts) made his first-class debut.
- Jeet Raval (Northern Districts) scored his 10,000th run in first-class cricket.[8]
- Rohit Gulati (Auckland) took his maiden ten-wicket haul in first-class cricket.[9]
- Points: Auckland 7, Northern Districts 4
26–29 November 2025 Scorecard |
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- Wellington won the toss and elected to bat.
- Only 50 and 4 overs play was possible on day 1 and 2 respectively, due to rain.
- Points: Central Districts 16, Wellington 5
26–29 November 2025 Scorecard |
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- Otago won the toss and elected to field.
- Ish Sodhi and Sean Davey (Canterbury) both scored their maiden centuries in first-class cricket.
- Points: Canterbury 7, Otago 6
Round 3
5–8 December 2025 Scorecard |
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- Auckland won the toss and elected to bat.
- Yahya Zeb (Wellington) made his first-class debut.
- Points: Auckland 20, Wellington 5
5–8 December 2025 Scorecard |
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- Otago won the toss and elected to field.
- Henry Cooper (Northern Districts) scored his 5,000th run in first-class cricket.
- Danru Ferns (Otago) took his 100th wicket in first-class cricket.
- Toby Hart (Otago) took his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
- James Naylor replaced Kris Clarke as a substitute for Northern Districts during Otago's second innings.
- Points: Northern Districts 19, Otago 6
5–8 December 2025 Scorecard |
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- Central Districts won the toss and elected to bat.
- Ajaz Patel (Central Districts) took his 400th wickets in first-class cricket.[10]
- Jesse Frew replaced Mitchell Hay as a substitute for Canterbury during Central Districts' second innings.
- Fraser Sheat replaced Michael Rae as a substitute for Canterbury during Central Districts' second innings.
- Points: Central Districts 17, Canterbury 4
Round 4
13–16 December 2025 Scorecard |
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- Wellington won the toss and elected to bat.
- Elliot Seddon (Wellington) took maiden five-wicket haul on his first-class debut.
- Points: Northern Districts 19, Wellington 4
13–16 December 2025 Scorecard |
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- Canterbury won the toss and elected to field.
- Callum Cameron (Canterbury) made his first-class debut.
- Simon Keene (Auckland) scored his 1000th run in first-class cricket.
- Points: Canterbury 20, Auckland 2
13–16 December 2025 Scorecard |
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- Central Districts won the toss and elected to field.
- Only 58 and 36 overs play was possible on day 3 and 4 respectively, due to rain.
- Oscar Mabin (Central Districts) made his first-class debut.
- Jayden Lennox replaced Ajaz Patel as a substitute for Central Districts during their second innings.
- Points: Otago 8, Central Districts 3
Round 5
28 February–3 March 2026 Scorecard |
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- Auckland won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: Northern Districts 18, Auckland 6
28 February–3 March 2026 Scorecard |
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- Central Districts won the toss and elected to field.
- Nick Greenwood (Wellington) scored his maiden century[11] and also scored his 1000th run in first-class cricket.
- Points: Wellington 8, Central Districts 5
28 February–3 March 2026 Scorecard |
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- Canterbury won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Otago 6, Canterbury 5
Round 6
9–12 March 2026 Scorecard |
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- Auckland won the toss and elected to bat.
- Thomas O'Connor (Otago) took his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
- Points: Otago 19, Auckland 5
7–10 March 2026 Scorecard |
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- Northern Districts won the toss and elected to field.
- Cooper Rowell (Northern Districts) made his first-class debut.
- Dane Cleaver (Central Districts) scored his 10th century in first-class cricket.
- Brett Randell (Central Districts) took five wickets in five balls, becoming the first player to do so in first-class cricket.[12]
- Kristian Clarke (Northen Districts) scored his maiden century in first-class cricket.
- Points: Central Districts 20, Northern Districts 4
9–12 March 2026 Scorecard |
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- Wellington won the toss and elected to field.
- Only 3 overs of play were possible on day 1 due to rain.
- Muhammad Abbas (Wellington) took his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
- Points: Canterbury 7, Wellington 5
Round 7
18–21 March 2026 Scorecard |
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- Auckland won the toss and elected to field.
- Marco William Alpe, Luke Watson (Auckland) and Oscar Jackson (Wellington) all made their first-class debuts.
- Michael Snedden (Wellington) took his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
- Points: Auckland 20, Wellington 7
18–21 March 2026 Scorecard |
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- Central Districts won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Canterbury 19, Central Districts 5
18–21 March 2026 Scorecard |
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- Otago won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Otago 18, Northern Districts 7
Round 8
27–30 March 2026 Scorecard |
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- Canterbury won the toss and elected to field.
- Fraser Sheat (Canterbury) played his 50th first-class cricket match and also took his 150th wicket in first-class cricket.
- Points: Auckland 5, Canterbury 8
27–30 March 2026 Scorecard |
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- Northern Districts won the toss and elected to field.
- Snehith Reddy (Northern Districts) made his first-class debut.
- Points: Central Districts 17, Northern Districts 6
27–30 March 2026 Scorecard |
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- Otago won the toss and elected to field.
- Amogh Paranjpe (Wellington) made his first-class debut.
- Points: Otago 16, Wellington 4