Dream11 Super Smash may be done and dusted for another season, but the white-ball action continues for New Zealand's top Domestic cricketers as the 2019/20 Ford Trophy resumes at 11am this Sunday.

Last year's runners-up the Otago Volts are hosting our Central Stags at Dunedin's University of Otago Oval - then both teams head to our home turf of Saxton Oval in Nelson's Stoke for a free-admission midweek clash this Wednesday.

Defending champions the Wellington Firebirds - fresh off their Dream11 Super Smash T20 championship title - will meanwhile be back at the Basin Reserve this weekend, looking to gain on runaway leaders the Aces and second-placed Canterbury who meet each other in a top of the table clash in Auckland.

With a maximum of five points available per game (four for a win and a bonus point on offer to teams who win with a run rate 1.25x that of their opponent's), every side is still in the running and there's plenty to play for with a maximum of 25 points on the table for each team in the back half of the 10-round competition - after which the top three sides progress to the knockout Finals.

The Aces head the table on 20 points after four wins from their five pre-Christmas games, but Canterbury (16 points) can join or even overtake them this Sunday should the visitors produce a strong away win, while the remaining teams are in a log-jam behind them.

All matches are live-scored at www.nzc.nz and the qualification race will be intense with The Ford Trophy 2v3 Elimination Final to take place in less than three weeks' time.

With the BLACKCAPS and New Zealand A squads concurrently in action, there may be a few surprises when all the Major Associations release their team squads at noon tomorrow.

The Central Stags will be naming a new captain with regular white-ball skipper TOM BRUCE away and involved in both New Zealand squads.

     ROUND SIX

     11am | Sunday 26 January 2020

     Otago Volts v Central Stags

     University of Otago Oval, Dunedin

     Auckland Aces v Canterbury

     Colin Maiden Park, Auckland

     Wellington Firebirds v Northern Districts

     Basin Reserve, Wellington

Full schedule

The Ford Trophy points table

Official hashtags: #FordTrophy #LOVETHESTAGS

 

Article added: Friday 24 January 2020