Plunket Shield

New Zealand has had a domestic first-class cricket championship since the 1906–07 season. Since the 2009–10 season it has been known by its original name of the Plunket Shield.[1]

Plunket Shield

Countries	New Zealand
Administrator	New Zealand Cricket
Format	First-class cricket
First edition	1906–07
Tournament format	Round-robin
Number of teams	6
Current champion	Central Districts (11th title)
Most successful	Auckland (23 titles)
Most runs	Craig Cumming (6,589)
Most wickets	Stephen Boock (399)
2019–20 Plunket Shield season

The Plunket Shield

History

The competition was instigated in October 1906 with the donation of a shield by William Plunket, 5th Baron Plunket,[2] the Governor-General of New Zealand. For the 1906-07 inaugural season, the Shield was allotted by the New Zealand Cricket Council "to the Association whose representative team it considers to have the best record for the season".[3] After the Council awarded the Shield to Canterbury, chiefly because Canterbury were the only provincial team to beat the visiting MCC, Auckland representatives complained that Auckland should have received the Shield as their team was superior but had not had the chance to prove it as none of the other provincial teams had played Auckland during the season.[4]

Beginning with the 1907-08 season, the competition was decided by challenge matches among Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, Otago and, on two occasions, Hawke's Bay. Auckland defeated Canterbury by an innings in the first challenge match in December 1907.[5]

A proposal in 1912 that the Shield should be decided by an inter-provincial tournament rather than by the challenge system was rejected as impracticable at the time.[6] However, starting with the 1921–22 season, the four principal teams (minus Hawke's Bay, which lost first-class status) played each other in a single round-robin series of matches. Central Districts entered the competition in 1950–51, and Northern Districts in 1956–57.

Shell Trophy

Shell Oil became principal sponsor in 1974–75 and a new trophy was introduced. Games were played over three days during this period, with an over-limit on the first innings. In latter years the format was experimented with, introducing a shorter second round, various bonus points systems, and eventually a knockout final.

State Championship

The format and the principal sponsor were changed in 2001–02 season. State Insurance (more commonly just called 'State') replaced Shell Oil. The competitions were renamed to reflect the new sponsor's name, so despite the fact that New Zealand does not have political 'states', the correct name for the first-class competition was the 'State Championship'. Each of the provincial teams played in a single round-robin series of four-day matches. There was a target of 112 overs in each day's play. After the round-robin the two highest-ranked teams played a five-day final.

A List A 50-over competition known as the State Shield was run from late December to the end of January, culminating with a semi-final (second versus third) and final (the semi-final winner against the top qualifier) early in February.

In 2006, a provincial Twenty20 competition was begun, and was played during February and early March. The top two sides qualified for the final. It was called the State Twenty20.

Plunket Shield reinstated

When State Insurance withdraw from their sponsorship, the Plunket Shield was reinstated for the 2009–10 season. New Zealand Cricket has stated that the naming rights are no longer for sale and that the name Plunket Shield will remain.[1] The final has also been abolished, meaning that the champion of the competition will be determined by the points leader at the end of the double round robin.[7]

Teams

Team	Entered competition	Most recent win	Wins (counted since 1921–22 season)
Auckland (Auckland)	1906/07	2015/16	23
Wellington (Wellington)	1906/07	2019/20	21
Canterbury (Canterbury/West Coast)	1906/07	2016/17	19
Otago (Otago/Southland)	1906/07	1987/88	13
Central Districts (Hawke's Bay/Taranaki/Manawatu/Wairarapa/Nelson/Marlborough)	1950/51	2018/19	11
Northern Districts (Northland/Bay of Plenty/Waikato/Gisborne)	1956/57	2011/12	8

Former teams

Hawke's Bay played twice in the Plunket Shield, in the 1914/15 and 1920/21 seasons, losing both matches.

Points system

Points are awarded at the conclusion of each match during the season. With no final, the team with the most points is declared the champion. The points system for the 2019/20 season is as follows

• Won: 12 points
• Lost: 0 points
• Draw: 0 points
• Tie: 6 points
• One-innings match won (match that started with 10 hours or less playing time remaining): 6 points
• One-innings match tie: 3 points
• Abandoned (without a ball bowled) / No result (drawn one-innings match): 2 points
• Batting points: First Innings only up to 110 overs – first point at 200 runs, second point at 250 runs, third point at 300 runs, fourth point at 350 runs
• Bowling points: First Innings only up to 110 overs – first point at 3 wickets, second point at 5 wickets, third point at 7 wickets, fourth point at 9 wickets

Winners

The holders of the shield during its "challenge match" period to 1921 were:

Season	Holders	Matches
1906–07	Canterbury	–
1907–08	Auckland	1
1908–09	Auckland	2
1909–10	Auckland	3
1910–11	Auckland, Canterbury	2
1911–12	Canterbury, Auckland	3
1912–13	Auckland, Canterbury	3
1913–14	Canterbury	4
1914–15	Canterbury	4
1915–18	no competition due to World War I	–
1918–19	Wellington, Canterbury	3
1919–20	Canterbury, Auckland	3
1920–21	Auckland, Wellington	3

From the 1921–22 season the competition has been run on a round robin format.

Season	Winner	Runner-up
1921–22	Auckland	Wellington
1922–23	Canterbury	Wellington
1923–24	Wellington	Auckland
1924–25	Otago	Canterbury
1925–26	Wellington	Auckland
1926–27	Auckland	Wellington
1927–28	Wellington	Canterbury
1928–29	Auckland	Wellington
1929–30	Wellington	Auckland
1930–31	Canterbury	Auckland
1931–32	Wellington	Canterbury
1932–33	Otago	Canterbury
1933–34	Auckland	Otago
1934–35	Canterbury	Auckland
1935–36	Wellington	Auckland
1936–37	Auckland	Otago
1937–38	Auckland	Otago
1938–39	Auckland	Canterbury
1939–40	Auckland	Canterbury
1940–45	(not contested due to World War II)
1945–46	Canterbury	Auckland
1946–47	Auckland	Wellington
1947–48	Otago	Canterbury
1948–49	Canterbury	Otago
1949–50	Wellington	Canterbury
1950–51	Otago	Central Districts
1951–52	Canterbury	Auckland
1952–53	Otago	Central Districts
1953–54	Central Districts	Auckland
1954–55	Wellington	Canterbury
1955–56	Canterbury	Auckland
1956–57	Wellington	Otago
1957–58	Otago	Auckland
1958–59	Auckland	Otago
1959–60	Canterbury	Otago
1960–61	Wellington	Canterbury
1961–62	Wellington	Auckland
1962–63	Northern Districts	Wellington
1963–64	Auckland	Wellington
1964–65	Canterbury	Central Districts
1965–66	Wellington	Canterbury
1966–67	Central Districts	Canterbury
1967–68	Central Districts	Canterbury
1968–69	Auckland	Canterbury
1969–70	Otago	Central Districts
1970–71	Central Districts	Wellington
1971–72	Otago	Auckland
1972–73	Wellington	Auckland
1973–74	Wellington	Canterbury
1974–75	Otago	Canterbury
1975–76	Canterbury	Otago
1976–77	Otago	Central Districts
1977–78	Auckland	Canterbury
1978–79	Otago	Central Districts
1979–80	Northern Districts	Wellington
1980–81	Auckland	Canterbury
1981–82	Wellington	Northern Districts
1982–83	Wellington	Central Districts
1983–84	Canterbury	Central Districts
1984–85	Wellington	Auckland
1985–86	Otago	Auckland
1986–87	Central Districts	Otago
1987–88	Otago	Auckland
1988–89	Auckland	Wellington
1989–90	Wellington	Canterbury
1990–91	Auckland	Canterbury
1991–92	Central Districts & Northern Districts
1992–93	Northern Districts	Otago
1993–94	Canterbury	Auckland
1994–95	Auckland	Wellington
1995–96	Auckland	Wellington
1996–97	Canterbury	Otago
1997–98	Canterbury	Northern Districts
1998–99	Central Districts	Otago
1999–00	Northern Districts	Auckland
2000–01	Wellington	Northern Districts
2001–02	Auckland	Wellington
2002–03	Auckland	Wellington
2003–04	Wellington	Canterbury
2004–05	Auckland	Wellington
2005–06	Central Districts	Wellington
2006–07	Northern Districts	Canterbury
2007–08	Canterbury	Wellington
2008–09	Auckland	Central Districts
2009–10	Northern Districts	Canterbury
2010–11	Canterbury	Otago
2011–12	Northern Districts	Central Districts
2012–13	Central Districts	Otago
2013–14	Canterbury	Otago
2014–15	Canterbury	Auckland
2015–16	Auckland	Canterbury
2016–17	Canterbury	Northern Districts
2017–18	Central Districts	Wellington
2018–19	Central Districts	Canterbury
2019–20	Wellington	Central Districts

References

1. "New Zealand bring back Plunket Shield". Cricinfo.com. 4 November 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
2. "Obituaries in 1920". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
3. "New Zealand Council". Press. LXII (12638): 2. 31 October 1906. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
4. "Notes by Long Slip". Otago Witness (2775): 57. 22 May 1907. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
5. R.T. Brittenden, Great Days in New Zealand Cricket, A.H. & A.W. Reed, Wellington, 1958, pp. 33–38.
6. "Revision of Plunket Shield Matches". Evening Post. 84 (9): 2. 10 July 1912. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
7. Don Cameron, "Domestic Cricket in New Zealand, 2009-10", Wisden 2011, pp. 995–1000.

External links

• Photograph of the Plunket Shield at Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
• Plunket Shield at New Zealand Cricket